[Garden] Groundhog day

[Britton Jenner]

Hello all,
I'm not sure about a liquid hotsauce mixture, but I know sprinkling chile
powder, cayenne pepper can blind squirrels as the touch their face very
often.

Britton

On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 1:19 PM, J. Rochon <jrochon at uwaterloo.ca> wrote:

>  Gardeners,
>                  Here are a few suggestions for non-violent ground hog
> control.
>
> Option #1 simply entails installing pinwheels or other devices around
> garden areas to frighten groundhogs away (groundhogs are timid, and the
> motion will bother them).
>
> Option #2 Epsom salts can be sprinkled on the vegetation and fruits of your
> garden plants to render them foul-tasting to groundhogs. The good news about
> this strategy is that Epsom salts will also help some of your garden plants
> to grow better. But the bad news is that rain will wash off the Epsom salts,
> meaning that you will need to make repeated applications. Another strategy
> that suffers from the same drawback is discouraging groundhogs with
> foul-smelling agents such as ammonia. Ammonia-soaked rags can be strewn
> along the perimeter of your garden, forming a stinky barrier to repel
> groundhogs. But even ammonia's smell fades eventually and a re-application
> will be necessary.
>
> Option #3 (the one we are trying) Fences such as chicken-wire fences can
> provide a more permanent solution to your groundhog pest problem. Be aware
> of two factors, however: groundhogs can climb *over* your fences, and
> groundhogs can tunnel *under* your fences. To discourage the former, make
> your fences 3'-4' high. To foil tunneling<http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/wildlife/g09452.htm>attempts, the University of Missouri Extension advises:
>
> "The buried portion of the fence should be bent at a 90-degree angle, 1
> foot below the surface, with the bottom of the fence pointing away from the
> garden. This design discourages burrowing if it is started at the fence
> line."
>
> #4 Castor Oil
>
> On the other hand, I’m told if you mix one ounce of castor oil with 10
> ounces of water you’ll deter all kinds of pests. According to the castor-oil
> company in the U.S. the castor oil does not kill the pests, they simply do
> not like the smell of it and avoid the area. In one study, not only did the
> rodents stay away, but rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, raccoons and skunks
> also stayed away. I have not tried this (the twenty foot square garden does
> not have groundhogs or enough soil depth for them to live here) so I can’t
> offer any support to this product.
>
> Read more: http://www.beginner-gardening.com/groundhogs.html#ixzz0O5HbfrR2
>
> *Scent Deterrents:*
>
>    - Make a small pouch out of a nylon stocking or an onion bag and place
>    some dog hair in it. Attach this to a small stick and place in and around
>    your garden. The groundhog will think a predator is near.
>    - Sprinkle dry blood meal around target plants to trick the groundhog
>    into thinking a predator is close by.
>
> *Taste Deterrents:*
>
>    - Plant garlic, onion and/or marigolds near the plants you would like
>    to protect or sprinkle garlic and onion powder on those plants for a similar
>    effect.
>    - You can also sprinkle talcum powder on or near the plants as
>    groundhogs dislike this taste.
>    - Plant a patch of clover or alfalfa to lure them away from your
>    desired plants.
>
> And my favourite You can buy commercial repellents to keep groundhogs out
> of your garden, but a homemade one that works well is 1 tbs. hot sauce mixed
> into 1 gallon water. Spray the mixture directly onto the plants. You can
> also spray it along the perimeter of the garden. MMmmmm.... hot sauce.
>
>
> --
> -----------------------
> Jason Rochon
> Campus Tech
> (519) 888-4567 X33518
>
>
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>
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