How do you garden with pests around??

[Zyclone]

Hi everyone,

To start off, I live in Southern California, San Diego area with 1 acre of land. There are a lot of bunnies, rats, crows and maybe a few other nocturnal pests I don't see around here.

Last year I had a few potted tomatoes, and cucumbers with some eggplants and herbs in my garden beds and everything grew fine for the most part.

This year, the temperatures are higher, it's raining less and my crops are getting destroyed by pests. Specifically the potted tomatoes, strawberries and cucumbers are being picked off before they are even fully developed.

I have tried setting mouse traps, conibear 110 traps for the bunnies (got a few, but the strawberries are still getting picked off by them) and old CDs hanging on a fishing line to keep the crows away.

I am not sure what else to do to keep these guys out. The sure proof way is to only plant inside a fully enclosed garden bed using chicken wire and lots of PVC. However that is not a cheap solution. I did that on two garden beds by creating a 4 foot tall chicken wire lid to cover them.

I have seen gardens on YouTube that are not fully enclosed, and they are full of produce. I'm sure there are pests there.. rats, bunnies, raccoons, and crows are basically everywhere. How is this done? I don't want to use chemicals. Do I have to sit here and watch my crop with a pellet rifle (legal in my town, I've checked with the Sheriff)? With this extensive drought we have, I'd rather not waste my water on plants that will only feed the pests.

All solutions and suggestions welcome!

 

[CanadianLori]

My pest doesn't like to garden so he stays inside and leaves me alone - Oh wait, we're talking about wild intruders.

I have a cheerful little pink bb rifle and I use it to scare pick off the smaller animals from the pots on my deck and open areas.

I got fed up with the raccoons so I got electric fencing supplies and installed it along the top of my fence. It gives them an unpleasant jolt. You could use this stuff on short poles (can be 1 x 1) around the perimeter of your gardens. Cost through Tractor supply- about $150. for a solar powered unit and polywire. This would discourage the bunnies and coons if you set the wire at the right height.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I can't say I have issues with pests. No rabbit issues because my vegetables are surrounded by chicken wire. A chipmunk will steal an occasional tomato, but that's ok, I have more than enough. Japanese beetles eat the leaves of my peas, but they don't do too much damage either. I usually flick them and it's 50/50 on whether they come back. The only other thing I ever see in by the vegetables are frogs, and they're just there for the crickets.

 

[InvasiveCreeper]

You need a good dog, a ratter. A couple of country cats would help too. Train the dog to guard your garden plots. It's not hard.

 

[headfullofbees]

Try urine round the perimeter of your veg garden.
Sometimes helps.

 

[Corzhens]

The main pests here are aphids and caterpillars particularly the small caterpillars that feast on the young leaves of the lemon trees. At the first sign of pests, we get a liter of water and mix 1 tablespoon or teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap. That mixture is sprayed on the plants and also in the surroundings especially concrete walls and stones. But the plants is rinsed with a hose after 5 minutes so as to avoid wilted leaves.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

I don't have a problem with bunnies any more in my veggie garden, they found the clover was easier to get to and now the don't go into the veggies or flower gardens.

 

[IcyBC]

How about chicken wire to protect the area of your garden? We have two main intruders: wild bunnies and squirrels. Bunnies are not as bad as squirrels though, these destroyers can eat their way through heavy plastic garbage can in the winter.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Bunnies are not as bad as squirrels though

I'm surprised to hear that. We have tons of squirrels around here but never had any kind of issue with them. The rabbits have been extremely destructive with many of my plants, though.

 

[IcyBC]

I'm surprised to hear that. We have tons of squirrels around here but never had any kind of issue with them. The rabbits have been extremely destructive with many of my plants, though.

You are lucky then! The squirrels around here dug up all my tulip bulbs and ate them or sometimes they event replanted them else where. I caught them red-handed eating through my plastic garbage bin in the winter with their blood still on the lid, and three of them sat there eating whatever they can get through.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

You are lucky then! The squirrels around here dug up all my tulip bulbs and ate them or sometimes they event replanted them else where. I caught them red-handed eating through my plastic garbage bin in the winter with their blood still on the lid, and three of them sat there eating whatever they can get through.

Wow, that is so weird! I've never heard of that before.