I never thought I would have to battle garden pests more in the winter than in the summer, but that’s the case this year. It’s not the bugs that are bothering me. It’s the mammals.

Keeping Mammals Out of the Garden

In the front gardens, where I thought I would be proactive and clean out the spent annuals this fall, the neighbor’s cat (or cats, there’s a house with dozens of cats down our street) decided the soft, open soil works fabulously well for a litter box.

It’s nasty. After picking out the prizes, I pulled chicken wire over it as far as I could, then actually put some of the sunflower stalks back over the bed to create a barrier in areas where the chicken wire didn’t reach. I’m not exactly happy with the look, but it’s better than picking poo out of the garden.

Speaking of poo, I took down the electric fence around the garden at the end of the season because I thought our dog Luna figured out she shouldn’t go in there. Obviously that wasn’t the case. When we have a warm spell (preferably without 50 mph winds like we so often experience), I have to string the electric fence back up.

In the meantime, I am experimenting with natural repellents to keep her out of certain areas. Today I made a cold remedy with equal parts ginger, onions, horseradish, and garlic steeped in apple cider vinegar.

Yes, it has a bit of a kick. And since the trimmings from everything are pretty potent, too, I’m tossing them into the areas Luna likes to frequent. I figured when she turned up her nose when some of it dropped on the floor while I was working that it is worth a try. (Because anyone who has ever owned a Lab knows they will eat practically anything!)

Garden Mice in Winter

My final mammal quandary is how to best keep mice out of my blueberries and other crops I have covered with straw. I don’t want to uncover them in the spring to find a rodent party in full swing.

Poison is out of the question, and I really don’t think traps will work because I need something under the straw to keep them away from the plants. While there are plenty of mouse repellents on the market, I’m going to use peppermint essential oil. I’ve been researching a lot about all sorts of uses of essential oils, and it’s no surprise that it should be effective. I used it on cottonballs in the house this fall so I’ll do the same. The challenge will be replenishing the peppermint oil so I don’t slack off and have them move in by the time the snow melts.

It’s kind of surprising to have to deal with all of these issues at this time of the year, but it just goes to show you that you really can’t slack off on the garden duties. And that’s just fine with me!