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One of the top asked questions we’ve had on Chemistry Cachet is about animals. Readers have asked how to deter animals from flower beds?

I get emails about this daily, but I also get questions on social media too!

We have people discover us on google from our posts about natural ways to keep mosquitoes out and proven ways to get rid of fleas in your yard. So, they ask about wild animals in flower beds!

Today’s post is going to be the ultimate guide to protecting your flower beds and gardens from animals that might destroy your plants. Even the neighbor’s cat that constantly goes to the bathroom in your flower bed (LOL)! I have had that question many times too.

Of course, everything is based on science today.

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How to Deter Animals from Flower Beds and Gardens

Depending on where you live, you might be dealing with animals messing up your plants. When readers reach out to me about this, most are very specific: how do I keep animals out of my garden without a fence??

While fences are the best option for most wildlife species, it isn’t always a choice for people. Fences are expensive, but also not always doable in certain spaces. In my front yard, we have issues with animals digging up the flower beds. We can’t put a fence there, so we have to look to other alternatives.

Today’s post will start with the natural ways and home remedies to keep animals out of gardens and flower beds. After that, we will share some store-bought tips too.

→We also recommend checking with your local extension service for more specifics on how to deter animals from flower beds and gardens!

Try a Hot Pepper Spray

In one of my old gardening handbooks, it talks about using a hot pepper spray on your plants to keep animals away. The smell is pungent to most wildlife, so it will discourage them from coming near the area it is sprayed.

Here is a simple recipe to try below:

Homemade Animal Repellent Spray for Gardens Using Pepper

• Crushed Cayenne Pepper
• Tabasco Sauce
• Water
• Spray Bottle

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add in a few tablespoons of cayenne pepper, a few tablespoons of tabasco sauce, then 5 or 6 cups of water.
2. Add contents to a spray bottle.
3. Spray onto plants and around the base.

♥ What is the science behind using a pepper spray?

The capsicum found in peppers is a natural deterrent to wild life. It is pungent, so they don’t like the smell. Do you remember our popular homemade weed killer? The secret ingredient  is an arthritis rub which contains capsicum. The difference is the weed killer also contains vinegar and salt which kill weeds, so don’t worry about this pepper spray hurting plants. It is safe by itself! But, if you do need to kill some weeds on sidewalks or in cracks, using our homemade weed killer also works to deter pests ?

Use Garlic

Another natural remedy to keep animals from eating or messing with your plants is to use garlic. Garlic is especially good for deer and rabbits.

You can lay or sprinkle whole garlic gloves around your plants or you can create a garlic spray to spray around. There are many ways to create this spray involving heating water with garlic to infuse the garlic into the water. I prefer a cold infusion method.

Making a Homemade Garlic Spray to Deter Animals
1 head of garlic (about 6-7 gloves)
2 cups of water

Directions:

1. Chop garlic up into  small pieces.
2. Add to a jar, then top with water.
3. Let it sit in a dark place for a few days.
4. Strain the garlic out of the solution, then dilute it with one gallon of water.
5. Add to a spray bottle. Spray around plants, on the leaves, and stems.
6. Store leftover solution in the fridge up to a week.

Cautions on using garlic: This article from Den Garden explains too much garlic use can destroy natural microbes if used often. So, it is best to use this when needed, not all the time! In this article, they also show a recipe which combines both the garlic and pepper spray to use for deterring animals. I have never used them together, but it is worth a try!

♥ Why this works?

Insects and animals do not like the smell of garlic! It’s as simple as that!

The drawback to these natural remedies?

The only drawback to these particular methods is they do need to be reapplied every few days especially if you have heavy dew or rain! Since they are cheap and easy to make, it doesn’t cost more to do this, just more time.

Grow These Plants to Deter Animals

Another way to keep animals away from flowers and gardens is to simply add in some plants known to keep them out! The benefit of this is you don’t have to reapply anything, and it will always be there.

A few plants to add to your garden area known to keep animals out include rhubarb, garlic, hot peppers, basil, and mint. Just like above when we talked about garlic and pepper spray, planting these around your garden will also deter animals.

Lavender is a great choice to add to flower beds or gardens. Not only does it deter insects (which we talk about in our post about mosquitoes), but it also discourages wildlife! So, it makes a great addition for many reasons. I learned about this tip years ago from one of my organic gardening calendars (shown above)!

Chrysanthemums are also a pest deterrent. They produce a a neurotoxin called pyrethrin that actually kills insects and deters other animals from coming around. While they are more commonly used to get rid of insects around your yard, they are also known to make an impact on wildlife from getting to flower beds! You can read Plus, safe for everything else. I learned in horticulture you can plant these as a border around flower beds to keep things out!

IMPORTANT –>Now, I know we will get some emails or questions about chrysanthemums, so I will address this here. According to my vet, planting chrysanthemums is safe for pets, but it will probably deter them from the certain area. They don’t eat it, so you don’t have to worry about that! Bonus, it deters other animals.

Store-Bought Options to Deter Animals

I am including a section of store-bought options for those who haves asked about it too! There are many great choices you can try at the store proven to keep animals away.

The most well-known method is predator urine! I have used this particular one from Amazon which helped keep armadillos away! You can check with your local extension agent on predator urine to see what the best type for your area might be.

This Eco-friendly spray is great for rodents! If you have rodents or animals messing up your flower beds, this is proven to keep them away! I have had a few friends recommend this to me.

So, now you know how to deter animals from flower beds and gardens! I hope you enjoy using these tips 🙂

 

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