In this episode, Joe visits with University of Georgia wildlife specialist Professor Michael T. Mengak at his research facility to talk about eco-friendly and humane control methods for deer and other garden critters and pests.
Topics covered include habitat modification, scare tactics, non-lethal repellants, and physical barriers. We learn how to identify what types of critters are eating our plants, and Mike also points out a number of popularly-prescribed tactics that just don’t work – or don’t work for long.
This is a complicated and sometimes controversial topic. We try to strike a balance between people and wildlife in the garden. Even if you don’t intend to keep wildlife out completely (after all, isn’t that what Certified Wildlife Habitats are about – attracting and encouraging wildlife to our yards?), you still may want a specific area protected from specific critters, for example keeping rabbits and deer from the vegetable garden.
In the kitchen, Chef Nathan (“The Egg Whisperer”) cooks up an amazing meal featuring a favorite of nibbling people and critters alike: garden-fresh spinach!
Important Links:
- For more information on the 2 line deer fence featured in this episode click here.
- Here’s our podcast on Deer Resistant Landscaping. It’s an interview with Neil Soderstrom who wrote Deer-Resistant Landscaping: Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals
the book by the same name.
- Another great book: 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants: The Prettiest Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat
by Ruth Rogers Clausen, Photographs by Alan L. Detrick
- Chef Nathan: Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Poached Egg over Toast
- Joe’s Blog Post: When Life Gives You Dead, Stuffed Rats…
*Links related to books and merchandise are affiliate links
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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Books and other product links are affiliate links.
I enjoy your help I love gardening . I leave in South. Caroline. I am still trying to find out ; :-I will keep trying Your shows must be great. Barbra, barbraiam1@gmail
Moles are not a non issue. I have a serious mole problem in my yard and vegetable garden. I put chicken wire at the bottom of my raised beds but they still got in. Ex. My onions were coming up and the next morning when I went out to the garden the mole had tunneled all around in the garden and my onions were basically plowed under! All were gone. I have since replaced the chicken wire with hardware cloth but would like to get them out of my yard too. They tunnel everywhere. I am talking about a LOT of tunneling and I am afraid my dogs while running across the yard will step in a hole and break a leg. There isn’t always a mound of dirt to mark the tunnels entrances. They tunnel in the dirt along my driveway and the lawn there that use to be level with the driveway is now several inches lower. Will they tunnel and move dirt out from under my driveway and cause it to collapse?
set mouse traps under your shrubs baited with peanut butter. do not reuse traps
Great show you have the best gardening show on TV. The episode on controling critters and pest was very good. But you did not cover raccons or armadillos. Do you have any sugestions?
Thank you Gale. Raccoons are a tough one because they are great climbers and diggers. Nothing short of an enclosed (with roof) physical barrier will stop them for sure if they really want to get in. Sorry that’s not much help to you but it’s the truth.
As for armadillos, you have to create a barrier that goes well into the ground, at least 6 inches. Having dug trenches around large gardens to bury fencing barriers is very hard work I will readily admit. But it works! Use 1″ or 1/2″ hardware cloth (small-squared wire fencing like for rabbit cages). It comes in rolls that you can buy at hardware and box stores. Another suggestion is to also bend it 90 degrees out from your garden and bury it too. That makes it even harder for digging critters because they have to not only dig down but across as well. None of this is easy work but it is effective.