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I n the past months we talked about basic controls for weeds, insects and disease in our gardens. There is one more thing we have to deal with, those rascally varmints (deer, rabbits, rodents, etc.). Here we're going to look at some natural con- trols, barriers and fencing, and other com- mercial animal deterrents on the market. Natural controls are kind of hit or miss, but worth a try. Animals don't like any changes to their feeding environment including smells, noises and movement. Using these in com- bination with each other has given me the best results. The key is to alternate between them and even to move them around. If you find one works, it may only work for a while. Once they get use to whatever you are using, they start to feel comfortable again, and will revisit the area to feed. Hair today, gone tonight Hanging human hair or very fragrant soaps and deodorants work for some. You can also make your own sprays. One recipe for a homemade spray is: 1/2 cup milk, 1 gallon water, 1 whole egg, 1 Tbs. cooking oil, and 1 tsp. baking soda. Why baking soda you ask? It helps prevent some dis- eases if you are spraying it directly on your plants. You can spray around an area to create a barrier as well. This is my first choice. Again the key here is to switch up your odors so they don't get comfortable. One thing I like to do is plant herbs throughout all my gardens. They are great deterrents and tasty! If you use mint though, as it is quite invasive, plant it in a container and place the container in the garden. Keep them guessing. Halt, listen, move! If smells don't work, which can happen, then barriers, noises and motion are your best options. This is true especially if you're trying to protect edible plants, including fruits. I always fence my vegetable gardens as this just seems to be my best approach for rabbits. I also have a lone deer that likes to roam the neighborhood so I use smells for her because the fence isn't tall enough. So don't be afraid to use these controls in combination. I also grow a lot of fruit (raspberries, currants chokecherries, and bush cher- ries) and birds are normally my concern here. But I also don't mind sharing with my feathered friends. Here I find netting and things that provide motion to work best. Netting works, but it does get in the way during harvest, so I mainly use motion. I like to drill a hole in old or broken CDs that I have and hang them around the area. When the sun is out and there is even a lit- tle wind, they spin and flash. If you want a classier look, try sun catchers. There are even motion detector lights and sprinklers that work well at night, if that is when your damage is occurring. Repelling critters There are also some great commercial organic repellants on the market. They are designed to work the same as above. Liquid fence, Repels All, and Messina products, to name a few I have used, work well for smell. Personally I like Messina's Deer Stopper II. Last year I sprayed it as a barrier around my gardens and saw remarkable results. This is just my experience. It worked so well, I was able to take my fences down and that made my life easier while harvesting. I'm not saying this will work for you, but it worked for me. Trial and error is sometimes the case when it comes to deterrents. Also, I still recommend switching these up to make sure they don't get use to one smell over another. I also use Repels All. I'm not a big fan of kill traps as I like to share, but I have used live traps before for things such as gophers, etc. This is usually my last resort. We can't keep everything out of our beds, but by trying some of these methods, we can at least reduce the population of some of those visiting varmints. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is chief horticulturalist for Ebert s Greenhouse Village in Ixonia.) JULY 2021 HOME 3 MICHAEL TIMM Keeping varmints under control in your garden Remember to mix up you methods to keep critters on their toes Photo courtesy of Michael Timm A good way of keeping varmints out of your garden is keeping something between your plants and them — fencing. While you might need to add other methods to your plant protection, it's a good first step.

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