|
Wherever you live in Ontario you are never far from wildlife; our well-treed residential areas have their own residential animal population. In Toronto the ravines and river valleys allow even deer to go right downtown. For the most part we are not responsible for the presence of these animals although we may be called on to deal with them one way or another.
 CATS AND DOGS
We are responsible for our domestic pets which must be trained to use a litter box or designated area for a latrine. When others are not as considerate, there are measures that you can take to dissuade cats and dogs from fouling your garden.
 Products containing Methyl Nonyl Ketone or Denatonium Benzoate are available as pellets or granules and in a hand pump spray. This has been proven to be an effective deterrent when used in the shrub border or on structures such as gate posts, steps etc.
Damage to the lawn caused by dog urine can be treated with Granulated Gypsum, simply follow directions on the package. When cats are a nuisance we must always remember how valuable they are in controlling mice.
MICE AND MOLES
 Most mouse damage in the garden happens in the winter. When other food sources are unavailable mice will gnaw the bark of trees and shrubs.
Euonymus shrubs including Burning Bush seem to be particularly vulnerable, as are young trees including fruit trees. These should be sprayed with SKOOT before winter in addition to the use of mouse baits (consider the risks to pets and children when using poisons) to reduce populations. Small caliper trees should be protected by the use of a spiral white plastic guard or other wrap. Mousetraps and mouse bait are also available at Humber Nurseries.
Moles eat insects and would be beneficial to the gardener except for the tunnels that they dig in the lawn. To be rid of moles you must get rid of the insects. Spray the lawn with Malathion or a product containing carbaryl, such as Sevin or Grub Out.
 SKUNKS AND RACCOONS
Raccoons are clever creatures that will eat most anything including your fruits and berries. The main damage caused by skunks and raccoons is when they dig for grubs in the lawn. Raccoons will feed on fish in your pond, if not prevented by netting, screening or a scarecrow product, which sprays the animal with water to deter it. Have-A-Heart humane traps can be used and are available at Humber Nurseries. Getting raccoons out of an attic is best left to people with experience.
 Again, address the problem with an insecticide. CRITTER RIDDER consists of granular forms of hot peppers and is used to repel nuisance animals. Take care in using this product. It is meant to cause irritation. Wear gloves, wash your hands after use and consider the effects on your own pets.
BIRDS
For those who grow fruits and berries, birds can be a difficult pest to deal with. They will frequently ‘steal’ your cherries, mulberries, etc., before you have a chance to harvest them. The best preventative measure you can take is covering the tree or shrub with bird netting, available at Humber Nurseries in various sizes. You can also tie on ribbons that blow in the wind, or use scarecrows, like plastic owls. These are less effective because birds learn that they are harmless. For windowsills, eaves, ledges or roofs try the Super Hunter Bird Repellant. Apply like caulking on flat surfaces. It remains tacky and discourages them from roosting or returning.
|
|
SQUIRRELS AND RABBITS
Rabbits can be kept out by fencing with chicken wire or chain link, in particular when you may need to protect a vegetable garden.
Some people use dried blood meal scattered over the garden as a repellent. Since blood meal is a good source of nitrogen it is also a fertilizer. SKOOT should be applied to the lower branches of vulnerable trees and shrubs and plastic or other wrap on tree trunks to protect them from rabbits in the winter. Consider that deep snow can raise the animal above the zone you have wrapped. You may have to wrap as high as the lower branches.
Of all the possible garden pests the most annoying is the pesky squirrel. There is not much that you can do about them. You might try some of the repellents already mentioned although none of these make any claim for use against squirrels. If the squirrel digs up your newly planted bulbs place chicken wire over the area and bury it with a little more soil or hide it with mulch. Squirrels are unlikely to relish daffodils but do enjoy tulips.
WHITE TAILED DEER
 Deer are more of a problem in rural areas but venture as far as the farm fields close to the city and even further traveling along the river valleys. Shooting deer is possible only in a certain season in certain areas and only by someone with a hunting license and with a registered firearm. Not an option for most of us – and not an option in built up areas. Fencing is always an answer but expensive to install. Even then it may not prove to be enough as deer are powerful and agile, able to clear an eight-foot fence. An alternative solution would be an electric fence that animals soon learn to avoid.
Some home remedies for repelling deer include spreading blood meal, hanging nylon stockings stuffed with human hair and even the use of mothballs. Deer use their white tail to flash a danger signal to others that sets them fleeing. Cutting a white plastic grocery bag in two – each part with a handle – and hanging them at deer eye-level on fence posts or trees and shrubs could prove to be the cheapest and if effective, the most elegantly simple solution to the problem.
“DEER AWAY” is a brand of spray based on whole egg solids for application to vulnerable plants and don’t forget SKOOT.
GROUNDHOGS, PORCUPINE AND OPOSSUMS
 Even a low fence can keep groundhogs out of your vegetable garden and otherwise they are rarely a pest.
You might never see porcupine but they are there, certainly in rural areas and suburbs. They feed high on the tree (most likely conifers) girdling it by gnawing the bark and thus killing the top of the tree. When their presence has been noted you may wish to hire professional animal control specialist to remove them, if you would rather not tackle the job or your efforts have been unsuccessful.
You can purchase traps to capture animals alive and unhurt for release elsewhere – although, this could become a steady job as other animals move in to this new unoccupied territory.
Opossums are interesting and almost never seen – at least not seen alive as they are nocturnal and most usually seen as road-kill. They are North America’s only marsupial (pouched like kangaroo) with bare (usually frost-bitten) tail and ears and a mixture of black and gray hair.
Probably never a garden problem and included here because it is interesting and to remind ourselves that animals deserve to have their own space and live a long and healthy life.
|