BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Protect a Lawn from Wildlife

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Wildlife, including deer and moles, can be a big nuisance to lawns. Searching for food and habitat, wildlife often dig up, trample on and eat lawns and gardens. Protecting a lawn from these pests can be a battle but with patience and a willingness to try different strategies until one works, you can minimize the problem.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Build a fence around your yard. Fences should be at least six feet high to keep out deer but if smaller wildlife pests are your problem, you can probably get by with a shorter fence.

Step2

Use less nitrogen on your lawn. Deer are attracted to nitrogen rich areas and if they are eating your lawn, it's a good sign to cut back on your nitrogen usage. Check the fertilizer that you are using or discontinue use for a while.

Step3

Trap wildlife pests like moles, rabbits, and others and release them away from your lawn. Rabbits will need to be relocated at least five miles from your lawn or they are likely to return.

Step4

Buy commercial products that repel various species of wildlife from your lawn. There are a variety of products, both chemical and organic pesticides, which you can consider. Keep in mind that they will pose a potential threat to children, pets and other animals so choose carefully. Your local lawn and garden center may be able to direct you to popular products for your particular area.

Step5

Try various home remedies to help protect your lawn from wildlife. Each remedy will generally be specific for one type of wildlife pest. For example, to protect your lawn from deer, some lawn care experts recommend tying bars of soap to trees or placing nylon bags of human or dog hair around. You may need to try several remedies before you find one that works for your particular lawn, region and lifestyle.

Step6

Consider making part or all of your lawn wildlife friendly. You can plant certain shrubs and perennials that attract different species of wildlife or plant native species in part of the lawn area.