HOW TO DISCOURAGE WILDLIFE VISITORS TO YOUR YARD
By Chris Williams on March 21, 2017.
Our local wildlife are finally warming up and leaving their winter dens. For most mammals, that means looking for food and a mate, not necessarily in that order. At this time of year, you may find unwelcome visitors on your property. If you are feeding the visitors, either accidentally or on purpose, you could have a problem getting them to move on and they could become aggressive.
Since most of us don’t understand what various wildlife feed on, we don’t realize that we are providing food. As they say, if you feed them, they will come.
BIRD FEEDERS ARE A PRIME ATTRACTANT FOR WILDLIFE
Bird feeders are probably the number one draw for wildlife. You wouldn’t expect deer to feed on birdseed, but they do, and they don’t even have to climb the pole to reach their reward. Raccoons and squirrels, of course, readily raid bird feeders. You may be able to dissuade these animals, especially if they are just passing through, by taking the feeder down for several days, or at least take it in at dusk and return it in the morning. Also, regularly clean up spilled seed under the feeder and use a squirrel baffle or guard, or substitute a thin cast iron pole that raccoons, at least, can’t climb.
OTHER WAYS TO UNWELCOME HUNGRY WILDLIFE
- Never leave pet food outside, especially overnight. Remove pet poop too (yes, animals will feed on that ).
- Pick up any fallen nuts or fallen fruits and rotting vegetables in your yard. Protect small vegetable gardens from rabbits or woodchucks by fencing them with chicken wire that is two feet high and buried about 5 inches underground.
- Cover all garbage cans using latching lids or devise your own locking system with shock cords. Secure the cans to a railing so they can’t be tipped over or bring them into a garage or shed.
For more on dealing with visiting wildlife, see these Colonial blogs:
- Why Wild Animals Like Your Yard!
- 8 Signs of Wild Animals in Your Yard
- How to Keep Squirrels Off of Bird Feeders
Photo Credit : By Christopher Michaud – Photo prise dans notre parterre à Kamouraska, Québec., CC BY-SA 3.0, Link