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We are Modesto Wildlife, and we solve conflicts between people and wild animals. From squirrels in your attic, to raccoons in your trash, to bats, rats, birds, and snakes, we do it all. We specialize in safe and effective solutions to California critter problems. We service the greater Modesto region, and we offer fast service - we can usually schedule a same-day appointment. Give us a call at 209-214-7861 any time, 24/7, and we will discuss your unique wild animal problem, and give you a free price quote over the phone. We're ready to take your call now!

Our service range: We service San Joaquin County, Tuolumne County, Mariposa County, Merced County, Santa Clara County, and more. We also service Waterford, Patterson, Oakdale, Turlock, Ceres, Newman, Riverbank, Hughson, Airport, Rouse, Bret Harte, Empire, Parklawn, Shackelford, Salida, Del Rio, Denair, and more.

Modesto Wildlife Education: How To Keep Rodents Out Of My Garden

Having rodents in your garden can be a complete nightmare, especially if you put a lot of effort into growing your flowers, vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Depending on the type of rodent in the garden, you can run into a range of problems. Most rodents will simply turn the plants you worked so hard to grow into a snack but some will also dig holes and unintentionally ruin the soil. Voles, for example, are notorious for creating tunnels that can damage roots; these animals will also eat your plants.



Make Sure It Is Rodents
Just because you noticed damage to your garden, it doesn’t automatically mean that it was caused by rodents. You will want to look for evidence to confirm it was one of these animals before taking preventative measures, although some of the methods outlined below work on other wildlife as well. You can typically tell that rodents are to blame if there are gnawed leaves and stems, shredded nesting material, and nearby nests. If possible, you should also try to figure out what specific type of rodent is the culprit. Each one will require a slightly different course of action.

Add Barriers And Fences
No matter the type of rodent wreaking havoc on your garden, you will want to build some sort of barrier to keep them out. If you could move your garden into a greenhouse, this would be the ideal situation, but it isn’t typically an option. Instead you will want to build some fences or barriers around specific plants. When doing this, keep in mind that rats and other rodents are great at gnawing on materials such as wood so a wooden barrier won’t work. Rodents are also typically good at burrowing, which means you will have to bury part of the barrier underground

The ideal method is some sort of hard metal or plastic that you bury slightly under the ground and then continue up around your plants. Since some rodents, like squirrels, are great climbers, you also need to either make the barrier very tall or add a cover to it. Many people find it easier to build a large fence-like enclosure out of wire mesh around their entire garden. Others will simply put smaller enclosures around each plant. Your gardening store probably even has individual bulb cages that take care of this for you.

Clear Around The Garden
Rodents will always see your garden as a potential source of food, but you can discourage them by making the area by it unappealing. If there isn’t anywhere for the rodents to find shelter near your garden or they don’t have access to water nearby, they will be less likely to choose to stay there. Take away potential shelter by clearing away weeds and overgrown shrubs. Remove other food sources by keeping your garbage cans tightly sealed, covering your compost pile, and keeping pet food inside.

Try Natural Repellents
If you want to, you can also try using some natural repellents to keep rodents out of your garden. Most experts will tell you that repellents aren’t typically effective, but if you pick a natural one, it doesn’t hurt to try. Try a natural remedy such as predator urine or hot peppers, but don’t expect great results.

There are two main methods of using natural remedies to keep away rodents. The first is to spray it around the perimeter of your garden so the rodents would have to cross through the smell to get inside. The other option is to spray it directly on your plants. The second method may, however, be a problem depending on the repellent you use if you plan on eating your produce or placing flowers in your home.

Choose The Plants Carefully
Once you have figured out what type of rodent is causing issues in your garden, you can adjust your garden to include fewer plants that species enjoys. You can even try planting flowers or other items that the specific rodent theoretically dislikes the smell of.

Try Scare Tactics
As with repellents, scare tactics aren’t likely to work to keep rodents out of your garden, but it doesn’t usually hurt to try. There is absolutely no evidence that ultrasonic sound machines work, however, so don’t waste money on this method. Instead, if you must try scare tactics, stick to something more affordable, such as a water spray or noise maker that is motion activated. You can even try a visual repellent like a fake predator or reflective tape. Like with the repellents, however, don’t expect miracles from these methods. The rodents will most likely ignore them and enter your garden anyway.

Trapping
In cases where there is a persistent rodent problem in your garden, you may want to consider trapping the animals in question. Before you do this, be sure to check out your local regulations since some areas place restrictions on the types of animals you can trap, whether you can use live or lethal traps, and whether you can relocate trapped animals.

Previous Education Articles
How to get wild Modesto animals out of a wall.
How do you know if you have a Modesto opossum under your shed or porch?
Is Modesto rodent feces dangerous to touch or breathe?
Do Modesto skunks make good pets?