WHAT IS EATING MY GARDEN?

A garden can tell you a lot about the animal causing the damage—if you know what to look for. When vegetables disappear overnight, leaves are stripped from plants, seedlings are pulled from the ground, or fruits and vegetables show bite marks, the first step should not be choosing a bait or trap. The first step is identifying what is causing the damage.

Different animals leave different clues. The location of the damage, the type of plant being eaten, the size and shape of bite marks, tracks, droppings, digging, and even when the damage occurs can help narrow down the culprit.

START WITH THE DAMAGE

Walk through your garden before doing anything else. Look closely at the plants and surrounding soil.

Ask yourself:

  • Are entire plants missing?
  • Are leaves being neatly clipped or roughly torn?
  • Are the tops of plants being eaten?
  • Are vegetables being bitten but left behind?
  • Are plants being pulled out of the ground?
  • Are there holes or digging around the plants?
  • Is the damage occurring at night or during daylight?
  • Are only certain plants being targeted?
  • Are fruits being eaten while the leaves are left alone?

These details can help distinguish between rabbits, groundhogs, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, opossums, skunks and other wildlife.

COMMON GARDEN CULPRITS

Rabbits
Look for cleanly clipped vegetation, especially around the edges of the garden. Young plants, lettuce, beans, peas and other tender vegetation can be attractive to rabbits. Damage is often concentrated on lower portions of plants.

Groundhogs
Groundhogs can consume substantial amounts of garden vegetation. Look for plants that appear to have been repeatedly grazed, particularly larger leafy plants. A nearby burrow or large hole can be an important clue.

Squirrels
Squirrels commonly target fruits, nuts, seeds and developing garden crops. Tomatoes, pumpkins, squash and other produce may show characteristic bites or be carried away.

Raccoons
Raccoons are opportunistic feeders and may investigate gardens at night. Corn, melons, fruits and other crops can attract them. Look for overturned plants, disturbed soil, footprints or evidence of digging.

Chipmunks
Chipmunks are small but persistent garden visitors. They may target seeds, fruits and young plants and can also dig around planting areas.

Opossums
Opossums are primarily nocturnal and may investigate gardens for fruits, vegetables, insects and other food sources. Garden damage may be accompanied by evidence of nighttime activity.

Skunks
Skunks may be more interested in what is underneath the garden than what is growing in it. Look for small holes or patches of disturbed soil where they have searched for insects and other food.

Deer
Deer can cause widespread damage, often eating the tops of plants and leaving ragged or partially stripped vegetation behind. Tracks, browsing height and the absence of lower-level damage can provide additional clues.

DON'T GUESS—LOOK FOR THE CLUES

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming that the animal they see is automatically the animal causing the damage.

Seeing a squirrel in the garden doesn't necessarily mean the squirrel is responsible for every problem. Wildlife moves through yards for many different reasons, and several species may visit the same property.

That's why Backyard Baits® starts with identification.

Look for the complete picture:

Once you identify the likely animal, you can move on to determining why it is visiting your property, where it is coming from, and what control method is appropriate and legal in your area.

DAMAGE + TRACKS + DROPPINGS + HOLES + TIME OF ACTIVITY + FOOD SOURCE = A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH BEFORE YOU CONTROL IT

Backyard Baits® was developed around a simple principle:

You can't effectively address a wildlife problem until you understand the animal creating it. Our approach comes from people who have spent years observing wildlife, studying animal behavior and working with nuisance animals in real-world situations. Animals don't randomly appear in a yard. They are usually responding to something like food, water, shelter, security, habitat or an established travel route.

Understanding those habits can make the difference between continually chasing an animal away and actually addressing the reason it keeps coming back.

TAKE A PICTURE BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION

If you're unsure what's eating your garden, take photographs.

Photograph:

  1. The damaged plants
  2. The surrounding ground
  3. Any tracks
  4. Holes or digging
  5. Droppings
  6. Partially eaten vegetables
  7. Fencing or entry points
  8. Nearby cover, brush piles or burrows

Compare those clues with the Backyard Baits® “What's Damaging My Yard?” guides to narrow down the possibilities.

Once you know what you're dealing with, you can learn more about how that animal behaves, what attracts it, where to look for it, and what control and bait options may be appropriate.

Don't start with the bait. Start with the animal.