ellen We plant beautiful tulips and vegetables that often times end up dinner to our fellow squirrels and bunnies.
Excerpt from Michael Pollan’s Second Nature In regards to a pesky woodchuck.
“I had done my research and discovered that woodchucks were scrupulous about personal hygiene. … Confident that I had located my adversary’s Achilles’ heel, I introduced a few carefully selected substances into his tunnel: a dozen eggs, smashed and dribbled down its sides. A pint jar of molasses. Half a can of motor oil. A dead field mouse. And lastly, a quart of creosote, vile stuff so sticky the woodchuck would have to have the fur on his belly steam-cleaned”
Needless to say, the woodchuck and nature prevail, and Mr. Pollan ends up erecting a fence. Gardeners become so distraught, we’ll try anything. Our best combat against these creatures is chicken wire fence. Make it two feet hi
gh and buried in the earth about 6 inches. This should work for bunnies. Adding bloodmeal to your soil is another option. They hate the smell. Another smell technique is coyote urine, the odor of a predator. Squirrels! They’re smart, and they love to dig. I’ve got a gang of them that eat pizza and burritos on my roof while watching me garden. It’s a constant stand off, but cayenne pepper spray, some noisy neighbor dogs, and a Toby cat ready to kill work in this war zone. This past fall, I planted garlic near my tulips in hopes that the smell will offend them. But on second thought, if they’re snacking on pizza, they’ve already got a taste for the flavor of Italy. “Ohhh, garlic! yummmm”.