I've been struggling with animals eating my vegetables the last couple of years, and it's getting really frustrating! We suspect it's chipmunks, squirrels, or maybe even raccoons at play. They're munching on our tomatoes—yes, even the green ones—and our sunflowers don't even last a day before being snapped in half. I'm okay with losing a few veggies to wildlife, but it feels like everything is being wiped out! What are some plants I can grow that might deter these critters with their smell?
3 Answers
I've found that planting fragrant herbs like mint and marigold can help keep critters at bay. I usually plant them at the edges of my vegetable beds to try and dissuade deer and groundhogs. I've also thought about setting up a trap crop somewhere else to draw them away, but I’m worried that might just attract more of them to the area!
I’ve got a lot of squirrels and birds around, so I sprinkle cayenne pepper and plant strong-smelling herbs like lemongrass and chives among my veggies. I’ve also noticed some slugs, so I’m planning to put out beer traps soon. Mesh bags for baby tomatoes also work well to keep them protected as they grow!
Instead of just planting deterrents, I set up a squirrel and bird feeder. It works wonders! I've been giving them a variety of seeds, and ever since I did that, I've not lost any crops to them. They prefer the easy food instead of digging through my garden. The only trouble I have now is keeping my puppy from snatching all my tomatoes!
I thought you meant bear traps for slugs at first! That's pretty extreme! ?