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The
Battle for Your Yard
While speaking with people all over the state about gardening interests
and concerns, one question seems to pop up over and over again. “How can
I stop the moles, deer, squirrels, house cats, et cetera from ruining my lawn
and garden?” Well, there are no easy answers, but I have gathered a list
of remedies that have either worked for me or are the tried and true solutions
other gardeners trust. The main things to remember are that there is no one
solution that will work every time.
By and large, moles are the most frequent complaint. In woodlands
and farm fencerows, these creatures perform a service to us by
keeping the soil stirred up and devouring worms and grubs. Unfortunately,
in doing this in our yards, they also tear up the turf.
 Before
soil insecticides were made more environmentally friendly,
you could
kill off most, if not all, of their worm and grub food
sources. Now, fortunately, only the grubs are attacked, so with
half of their diet still available, our lawn management tactics
are weakened. Some have found success with various formulations
containing castor oil sprayed on the affected area of the lawn
and then watered in thoroughly (If you wish; put 3 ounces of
castor oil and 3 tablespoons of liquid detergent and eight tablespoons
of water in the blender – whip and add to a 15 gallon hose
attached sprayer and thoroughly apply to the traveled area and
then soak the area to wash the material down into their feeding
soil zone.) If these ideas don’t suffice, you may have
to resort to harpoon traps set on their runs.
Deer
have also become a common problem. While these wild creatures
are enchanting
to watch, they will also graze on almost anything
from ground level to about eight feet tall. Because they cover
such a wide area of the garden, the best way to control the damage
they do is to control their access to your yard. You’ll need
an eight-foot fence to even begin to do the job, and parallel fences
placed about six feet apart are an even better idea. That way,
if they clear the first fence, they can’t leap and clear
the second and thus make a banquet of your yard. It this is impractical
for you, there are various repellents you can try. Human hair clippings
or soap shavings stored in nylons and hung from trees can give
your lawn a distinctly “human” smell and will deter
some deer to a degree and for a short time. You can also try sprays
made of eggs and tobasco sauce. Mix these with an anti-transpirant
and spray the area thoroughly. Garlic capsules at the base of plants
can be helpful, too. Also check at the garden center for commercial
repellants like Deer Away, Deer Off, Bobbex, Ro-Pel and many others.
These work toward making your garden extremely unpalatable to the
deer, but must be re-applied frequently. Check this web site and
OSU Extension for lists of less frequently eaten plants.
House
cats are another animal infamous for not keeping their business
out
of your business. If this is the case, citrus rinds can be
sprinkled in the area to deter them. Squirting the cats with a
mildly acidic solution of vinegar and water (10% solution) may
irritate the cat’s skin just enough to help remind them that
this is not their spot. Wrinkled wire fabric under mulch makes
for an unstable walking surface in their favorite sites and may
help deter them.
For
other pests such as mice, voles, chipmunks, and rabbits, combinations
of
repellants and barriers may help. Ask at your garden center
or check out Rodale’s Flower Garden Problem Solver. This
book is written by Jeff and Liz Ball and offers many tips that
may just point you in the right direction.
Above all, remember who was there first and persistence, diversity,
and creativity will make all the difference as to who will win
the battle for your yard.
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