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 Rabbits
can be found year-round in the landscape. They have sharp teeth,
making a 45-degree clean cut much like your bypass pruners. Their
damage usually occurs within their 3-foot reach.
They eat a variety of flowers and vegetables throughout the spring
and summer. As these plants fade in fall, they begin dining on trees
and shrubs. You may find bark gnawed and branches, stems, and buds
clipped off the plants.
Deer tear vegetation, leaving a ragged tip on browsed plants. You
may find damage on a variety of flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs,
and plants pulled out of the ground with the distasteful ones left
behind. In fall, the bucks rub trunks of young trees damaging the
tender tissue below that transports water and nutrients between the
roots and leaves. Deer usually feed at dusk but as they become
comfortable around people they can often be seen dining during the
day.
Voles are brown rodents that look similar to field mice with small
ears and short tails. Their trails of disturbed grass found as the
snow melts may be your first clue that they are present. These
rodents are active year-round, unlike moles that hibernate for
winter. They eat seeds, plant roots, and bulbs not insects like
moles. As the snow recedes, you may also notice bark damage on trees
and shrubs. They leave ¼” side-by-side grooves in the wood at the
base of the plants.
Squirrels are fun to watch; that is until they eat
all the birdseed and damage your plants. They dig bulbs and uproot
other plants, eat and bury nuts in the lawn and garden, and take a
bite out of multiple tomatoes, strawberries, and more. They damage
trees by ripping off the bark and clipping off branches. If that
wasn’t enough, they may gnaw on structures and furnishings. Treating
the damaged area and a 12” radius around it with a repellent can
help discourage more damage.
Chipmunks are active from spring through fall. They don’t hibernate
but are inactive in winter depending upon their food stash to
survive. You will find them digging in potted plants, hanging
baskets, and rock walls. They eat grains, nuts, berries, seeds,
insects, mushrooms, carrion, young birds, and bird eggs.
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Their tunnels can be 20 to 30 feet long and are well
hidden. The openings are only 2” in diameter with no surrounding
mounds of soil.
Commercial and homemade scare tactics are an option.
Unfortunately, most of these critters have become accustomed to
people and are not deterred. Motion-activated ones are a bit more
effective but make sure they are not annoying to you and your
neighbors.
Fencing tight to the ground with a secure gate and at
least 3 feet – preferably 4 feet – high is effective for preventing
rabbit damage. Deer on the other hand need a much taller fence.
Although they can jump 7 feet or higher, a 5-6’ fence is often
enough to keep them out of smaller gardens. Sink fencing 4 to 6”
into the ground to protect plants from voles.
Repellents labeled for controlling the critter that is causing the
damage are another option. Organic Plantskydd (plantskydd.com) is
labeled for repelling, not harming, all of these critters so you
only need one product. Since it is rain and snow resistant, you
won’t need to apply it as often. Always read and follow label
directions for the most effective control.
A bit of defensive action goes a long way in protecting your gardens
and landscape from hungry critters this season.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including
The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space
Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything”
instant video and DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s
Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and
contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned
by Tree World Plant Care for her expertise to write this article.
Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com]
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