Insights From The Garden: Making your lawn less-hospitable to critter visitors

I love watching the deer forage in my backyard.

So far they haven’t been destructive, but I know they often find garden plants and flowers very tasty.

In comparison, I have not been so happy seeing the black snake hanging out in my yard… I’m not a big fan of snakes.

We also have our share of squirrels, armadillos, moles, raccoons, opossum, etc.

No doubt many of you have similar wildlife in your gardens, so let’s look at Florida Friendly Landscaping Principe #5: Attracting Wildlife, and #6: Manage Yard Pests Responsibly.

First we have to understand why they are in the garden.

Deer like to eat plants like roses, pansies and hibiscus among others.

Snakes prefer shaded areas where they might find food like mice, for example.

Armadillos are digging for grubs and soil-dwelling insects.

Woodpeckers forage for wood-dwelling insects.

Wildlife is not always a nuisance.

There are advantages to attracting wildlife to your garden.

For example, birds will eat insects that harm plants and birds can also help with pollination. Bats eat mosquitos. Opossums eat ticks. Snakes eat mice.

However, if you are finding wildlife becoming a nuisance, the best thing you can do is make your garden less welcoming.

Here are some other tips.

Snakes: remove woodpiles, debris and boards where snakes can live and hunt for food. If you find one inside, you can use a glue board to trap the snake and once you take it outdoors, you can put cooking oil on the board to free the snake from the glue.

Deer: Noise, flags, and other repellents don’t always work for very long, as deer eventually become smart enough to realize those deterrents are harmless. You can instead focus on planting deer-resistant plants, or installing a fence that is at least eight-feet high.

Armadillos: Bad news here…there are no successful repellents registered for armadillos. Live trapping or fencing at a 40 degree angle with a portion buried may be somewhat successful. Current Florida Law (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rule 68A-9.010) requires all ‘nuisance animals be humanely destroyed or released in the same property as captured to prevent spread of ecological problems. Capturing and releasing in other areas is not allowed.

Raccoon, opossum, skunk: These critters are most likely coming to your yard to forage in your garbage. Use metal or tough garbage containers with tight fitting lids. Containers should be tied to a support or rack to prevent tipping. Don’t leave pet food out at night. Cap your chimneys. Florida laws regarding wildlife also apply to these animals.

These are just a few examples, but there are great resources to better understand why wildlife is in your garden and steps you can take to prevent or eliminate the problem.

There are rules that we have to follow regarding wildlife, so be sure to check with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation if you are unsure.

If you want to learn more, visit the FWC website .

If you have any gardening questions, please call the Gadsden County Extension Office by calling (850) 875-7255, or by email at gadsden@ifas.ufl.edu Sue Kever is a Gadsden County Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Extension Gadsden County, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email the extension office at gadsden@ifas.ufl.ed

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Insights From The Garden: Making your lawn less-hospitable to critter visitors

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From The Editor’s Desk: An apology…from the Times’ editor

THE DIRT ROAD WONDER: Southerners and Their Sayings

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Recommended

Chattahoochee Main Street hosts successful River Runaround 5K and Fun Run

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Site Links

About Us

Welcome Back!

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Are you sure want to unlock this post?

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