Cages! They won't keep out the underground critters - but most everything above ground. You're probably thinking of just digging a nice garden out in the open - with a critter-proof fence all around the perimeter. How I would love that myself! Unfortunately, I live on the edge of a canyon wildlife preserve - Whose inhabitants visits my place almost nightly. You'd think with all that lovely preserve to play in, that they'd leave me alone! However, because of the steepness of the canyon and sloping terrain, it is impossible for a fence to be placed. I would definitely opt for a cage or two. As long as you are going with raised beds eventually, I think it would be less expensive to begin with them anyway. A nice bed made of 1 x 6 cedar board x 2 (stacked) x 8 to 10 ft. long, will grow a lot of stuff. You are thinking of purchasing wire, etc., so the hardware cloth would be the easiest - stretched around some PVC pipe formed into a cage to place inside the box. I guarantee that it will deter most any of the "guests" you mentioned - especially with a wire across the top (birds) - so that leaves ants, aphis and cabbage moth as just about your only invaders. Some Remay cloth stretched over the frame would stop that gap somewhat too. Sorry - if I'm not sounding too optimistic about perimeter fencing, but "been there" "done that" "doesn't work" as I recall, especially if you have that many "interested" visitors, as you mention. Bejay

Thanks to all that have shared over the past. My 10 chicks just started laying about 3 weeks ago. When they began laying, they became much more more brave about ranging out in the open and have been roaming our 3 acres like never before. Up to the point of laying, they stayed within 25 yards of the coop and always under the trees. I witnessed the first hawk attack yesterday. One of the hens had wandered off down near the wooded creek area and a broad-shouldered hawk hit her twice as she skedaddled for the coop with me hollern' and shouting the whole time. All the others ran for the shrubs around the house. Fortunately, she just lost a good size clump of feathers. I'd seen another hawk doing reconnaissance a couple of months back and had strung two lines with some streamers from our 2nd story deck to near the coop about 10-20ft off the ground. Think I will add a couple of more today to other points at the edge of the woods to increase the coverage and maybe add an owl decoy. I haven't given up on free-ranging yet, but I guess my next step would be to build a penned chicken run.

Gosh, Katkin, I sure didn't mean that you shouldn't protect your dog or your property, so I hope I didn't sound like that. I try to live and let live with whatever wanders through my yard, but if my pets are in danger, or my grandbaby, you can bet I'd take action. And I'd try to find a way to keep my plants from being decimated, too. As I mentioned above, it is always possible that the bobcats are having trouble finding enough prey in their territory, and you are certainly right to chase them off and be watchful of your "baby." My comments on building on barrier islands are just my opinion about something that is already pretty much a done deal. I think it's wrong to use those shifting islands for homes, but the horse is pretty much out of the barn in that regard. So now it is a situation of how best to protect what wildlife and natural lands we have left, while learning to live side by side with animals that have nowhere else to go. Sometimes you can accommodate the animal, and sometimes you have no choice but to try to protect your home and family, including your pets. Marcia

Thinking it over and looking at evidence. I'm ruling out everything but Crows, Hawks, and Red Squirrels (for these 3 nests). The one nest that had been disturbed had chicken wire loosely surrounding it so a Raccoon (or other large climbing critter)would have left a bend in it. I am hearing the baby Crows begging however I have not heard any ruckuses from frantic parents. Maybe very early morning attacks? I cant do anything about the Crows but I can do something about the Squirrels (I don't want to) but if I find they are the culprits..........