My neighbors cats ruined my garden last year....it's a raised garden (about 4' from the ground because I have a hip problem). Spent a fortune on various products last year to deter them, but none worked. Cayenne pepper works until the first rain, and the same with Tiger powder. I also used moth balls, but I read those could be lethal to birds and pets as well. I'm preparing to plant soon, and welcome any advice you might have to keep my beautiful garden from turning into a giant litter box. Thank You.
It may require some fencing to keep them out. Pepper extract will work, especially hot sauce mixed in water, but it will have to be applied repeatedly. Here is an article that can help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/cat-repellent.htm
Do the deer eat burning bushes and Honeysuckle vines?
First let's clear things up: deer have plants they prefer but if hungry they will eat almost anything. Typically, plants with aromatic leaves are unpleasant to deer. Think Russian sage, lavender, etc. Of the honeysuckle vines, coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, is said to be deer resistant. Burning bush, Euonymus alatus, is considered invasive in some locales so check with your state extension service. Rutgers has a rating of how deer-resistant common plants are. Again you might want to check your state's extension service for the deer recommendations in your area. Here is Rutger's list: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants/
How can you eradicate voles? We have tried traps, radio waves, etc. No luck. They just keep destroying our backyard grass.
This can be rather difficult to control. Have you tried a natural predator's urine? Sometimes that can help. Other than collapsing any tunnels that you find, there is probably not a lot that can be done. You have probably tried most methods available. I will include an article for more information on the subject here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/vole-control.htm
Alarmed to see this recently dug hole at the base of our maple tree. We’ve had skunks, raccoons, squirrels and mice in the past (Yes, welcome to the suburbs!) but nothing ever making a hole like this ! Any ideas and recommendations? Thanks Nancy Mississauga, Ontario
Michigan Dot- thanks, thought it looked like a groundhog hole but since we don’t often see them here I wasn’t sure. Guess I’ll call our local wildlife and pest removal company.
That looks like a woodchuck hole to me. Also known as groundhogs, these guys are great diggers and often locate their dens under sheds or trees. Speaking from experience, I can confirm that they are voracious eaters and will decimate your veggie garden and certain perennials. Mine ate the tops of all the black-eyed susans. Trapping is the usual control method but poison is another option. Repellents are ineffective. Perhaps a large dog who frequents the yard (daily) will scare him off.
Can you help with repellents to keep dogs off your lawn?
There are a few things that you can do. This article will discuss your options: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/natural-homemade-dog-repellent.htm
I just put pond stones (small) in all of my flowerbeds and landscape around my house. The neighborhood cats would not stop using all my flowerbeds for a litter box. Is it going to be okay for my Peony plants? they are most concern now.
As long as there is nothing that you are going to consume nearby, then it should not cause too much harm, but there is still a risk of transferring a disease that can be caught by humans. This article will help you to deter cats from the area: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/cat-repellent.htm
Soil around house used for shrubs and flowers has raised trails that end in small mounds and after scraping off top of mounds there are pin hole size openings. What is causing this and what can we do to correct this problem? We have tried insect repellant to no avail.
It is probably moles, or voles. These can do extensive damage to gardens. This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/mole-control.htm