Animal Pests in Your Yard
Porcupines
Plants affected: Any woody trees/shrubs
Symptoms: Outer layer of bark removed, inner, softer bark scraped at
Cultural Control:
• Wrap trees with wire fencing or sheet metal
• Plantskydd animal repellant, No Bite animal repellant
• Apply Lac Balsam to wounds to help heal
Rabbits
Plants Affected: Any woody trees/shrubs
Symptoms: Smaller stems chewed off, on trunks, the outer layer of bark removed, inner softer bark scraped
Controls – Cultural or Non-chemical:
• Wrap trees with wire fencing or sheet metal
• Plantskydd animal repellant, No Bite animal repellant
• Apply Lac Balsam to wounds to help heal
Sapsuckers
Plants Affected: Any tree
Symptoms:
• Tidy rows of holes drilled in bark
• Woodpeckers feed on the sap emerging from the holes and any insects that may be caught in holes
Controls – Cultural or Non-chemical:
• Wrap trees with wire fencing or sheet metal
• Plantskydd animal repellant, No Bite animal repellant
• Apply Lac Balsam to wounds to help heal
Moles/Voles
Plants affected: Lawn
Symptoms: Hills/mounds in lawn and garden
Cultural Control: Mole/vole traps, Molemover emits chatter sounds to keep moles away
Chemical Control: Giant Mole Destroyer Sulphur cartridges, place in burrow and light
Deer
Plants affected: Numerous plants and trees
Cultural Control:
• Erect physical barriers such as high fencing
• Use an animal repellant such as Bobbex or Plantskydd (safe for family and pets and won’t harm the deer)
Bobbex – This combination of fish meal, meat meal and fish oil deters deer by taste and smell. Solution dries clear on plants, and lasts several weeks between applications. Harmless to humans, and safe for all wildlife. Not for use on edible plants
Plantskydd – Made from (porcine or bovine) dried blood, vegetable oil, and water. Plantskydd repels by emitting an odor browsing animals associate with predator activity – stimulating a fear-based response that will have garden feeders looking for somewhere else to dine. Animals avoid plants before they bite—not after! Safe for all ornamentals and food crops.
• The scent and/or texture of deer resistant plants will discourage deer from nibbling. See our list of Deer Resistant Perennials