Don Lyman
Boston Globe July 14, 2023
From fences to talk radio, here are some suggestions to prevent the varmints from digging and snacking on your flowers and plants.
Woodchucks are notorious for getting into peoples' gardens and nibbling on their vegetables.MASSWILDLIFE/BILL BYRNE
With the arrival of summer, many people take a renewed interest in their yards and gardens. Many animals take an interest in them, too.
Meghan Crawford, MassWildlife Community Engagement Biologist, said woodchucks are at the top of the list of animals people call her about.
“I get calls every day about woodchucks,” said Crawford. “They get into peoples’ gardens and eat their vegetables. They’re difficult to control, and people get frustrated by that.”
Woodchucks can weigh up to 14 pounds and be 32 inches long. The big rodents are pretty creative, Crawford said, and good at overcoming possible solutions to keep them out of yards and gardens.
Across-the-board solutions for all species include putting fencing around gardens, Crawford said. But woodchucks are good climbers and diggers, so fencing for woodchucks should be at least three feet tall and buried into the ground at least a foot deep.
In addition to getting into gardens, woodchucks may take up residence in people’s yards and burrow under structures like sheds, porches, and decks, Crawford said. MassWildlife recommends being proactive and blocking crevices, cracks, holes, and crawl spaces around these structures with things like boards, fencing, and stones.
If woodchucks have already dug tunnels in your yard, Crawford advises looking for tunneling spots. She said to be aware that woodchuck dens often have multiple entrances.
“Identify and block the entrances,” Crawford said. “Fill holes or build fences. But you want to be careful that the groundhog is not trapped inside the den, because if you trap it inside the den and it dies, it will rot, and create a pungent, unpleasant odor.” Crawford recommends disturbing the burrows by methods such as playing talk radio near the den.
“It could be annoying enough to get the animal out,” Crawford said. “Then put up barriers.”
A rabbit feeds on the carnation wreath that adorned the base of JFK statue at the front of the Massachusetts State House.JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF
Rabbits are number two on Crawford’s call list.
Fencing is the most successful option for keeping rabbits out of your garden, Crawford said. She recommends fencing that is about three feet tall and buried at least a few inches deep into the ground. She recommends fencing with quarter-inch-wide grid.
Chipmunks will sometimes dig up freshly planted bulbs or seeds. Placing quarter-inch wire mesh on the ground will prevent them from digging, Crawford said. Plants can still grow through the spaces in the mesh.
Voles, small mouse-like rodents, also like to dig and tunnel in gardens, and chew on plant stems and leaves. Crawford said voles don’t like open areas, so she recommends mowing grass closely around the edges of your garden and removing leaf litter to disrupt tunneling.
Rats can damage gardens in more urban areas.
“If someone is experiencing damage to their gardens from rats, they should remove other possible food sources on their property, such as bird feeders, unsecured trash, etc., and try excluding rats using hardware cloth around the garden buried one foot into the ground,” Crawford said.
Deer can also be a problem in peoples’ yards.
“It’s common for deer to eat bushes,” Crawford said. “Fencing is the most effective long-term solution for deer, but they’re good jumpers, so fencing should be at least eight feet high.”
Deterrents such as motion sensors that turn on lights or water sprinklers at night are also effective at deterring deer and other nocturnal animals, Crawford said.
Beyond specific strategies like fencing, mesh, and blocking burrows, Crawford offered several general suggestions for keeping unwanted wildlife away.
“Bird feeders attract small mammals, so take them down if they’re attracting unwanted wildlife,” she said.
Other suggestions include removing fallen fruit, securing garbage, putting garbage out on the morning of trash pick-up, and enclosing compost instead of having open compost bins.
People can trap and relocate wildlife on their own property, but they cannot legally release wildlife off their property, Crawford explained. MassWildlife’s moving wildlife webpage said relocating wildlife can cause various problems such as relocated animals having trouble finding food, water, and shelter; relocated animals not being welcome by animals of the same species that occupy the area; and spreading disease to other animals.
People can legally trap and lethally remove wildlife on their property if those animals are causing property damage, Crawford said. Traps must be cage or box type traps, and all firearms discharge setbacks — how far you have to be from dwellings, buildings, roads, etc., to discharge a firearm — and town bylaws must be followed.
If you have a serious wildlife problem you can’t solve, MassWildlife recommends hiring a private, licensed Problem Animal Control agent. “PAC agents are allowed to harass, take and destroy or release on site non-domesticated reptiles, birds, and mammals that are endangering the life and health of humans or domestic animals, damaging your property, or obstructing your reasonable and comfortable use of property.”
But PAC agents are limited on the species they can legally handle, said Crawford. The list is restricted to common animals like woodchucks, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, and the like.
And neither private citizens nor PAC agents can harm protected species.
“The Massachusetts Endangered Species Act prohibits the ‘take’ of any plant or animal species listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern,” said Crawford. “For migratory birds or other birds protected under state and federal law, people need a permit from the US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services Office in Amherst.”
Crawford added that removing an animal doesn’t do away with a problem.
“If the cause of the problem, like a potential food source, is not addressed, another individual will move in and replace it.”
Comentarios