AS much as we love animals, they can wreak havoc in the garden, ruining all of your hard work and effort.
Luckily, there are a few ways to deter three of the most common pests from your green space, according to The Express.
Gardens are attractive places for pets and wildlife to roam around – however, they can quickly become a nuisance when it comes to looking after the lawn, plants and crops.
For instance, wild mammals, such as foxes and badgers are problematic for growing vegetable patches, whilst cats can leave you frustrated when having to clean up after.
Fortunately, keeping unwelcome visitors out of your green space is easy to do with a few simple hacks.
BADGERS
Avid gardeners will know that badgers will arrive at your lawn or flowerbeds overnight, leaving you to pick up the destroyed pieces the following morning.
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As this nocturnal mammal is protected in the UK, it is an offence to interfere with badgers or their setts under the revised version of the Protection of Badgers Act (1992).
If you are dealing with a few visitors rather than a group of badgers, there are a few clever ways to make your plants, lawn and crops less enticing.
WIRE MESH
One of these is laying chicken wire over flower beds before the first shoots appear.
This will protect tasty flower bulbs from foxes, badgers and other hungry pests looking for a snack.
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NATURAL SCENTS
Although badgers may struggle with poor eyesight, their sense of smell is beyond impressive.
One of the best natural scents to use to deter badgers from your flowerbeds, root vegetables and grudges is Scotch bonnet spray.
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SENSOR LIGHT
Badgers, as well as other nocturnal animals such as foxes, will sense fear and dash away in the face of a bright light.
If possible, keep sensor lights around your crops to pick up on any unwanted night-time activity.
FOXES
Similarly to badgers, most foxes will usually visit your garden at night and can be deterred through bright sensor lights or chicken wire barriers over flower beds and vegetable patches.
But there are also other methods that will work too.
PICKLE STRIPS
These inexpensive plastic coverings are the perfect answer to lawn-loving foxes and will keep your border free from peckish pests.
Here, simply lay prickle strip coverings over lawn edging, pots, flowerbeds and vegetable patches – this will prevent the animals from searching for food.
Gardeners can also pin them to tree trunks, fencing and other vertical surfaces in order to stop foxes from entering the green space in the first place.
Secure rubbish bins and compost
As hungry foxes roam around your harden looking for a meal, it's best to secure rubbish bins at night.
Waste bin locks and bricks are perfect for securing any loose lids and, more importantly, removing the enticing scent from your garden.
CATS
Like badgers, cats are legally protected under the Animal Welfare Act (2006), so it is essential that you always observe humane methods of deterrence for neighbourhood cats visiting your garden.
Shooing them away is one way to banish these pesky visitors, but are there any other solutions?
AN ELECTRIC WIRE
Fast and flexible, cats are known for their impressive ability to climb up high spaces.
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So protecting your fence is the most obvious way to stop them from entering your garden.
Another option is adding an electric wire on top of a solid garden fence, which will trigger a mini shock on contact, without causing any harm to the animal.
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