Fencing Out Those Little Critters

     I love the feeling of going out to my little bucket garden and picking a little something to add to the dinner salad.  What I don't want to do is reach into one of the plants and come out with a little surprise.  That would be a lousy addition to dinner.

      There are numerous types of snakes in my area.  One of the most popular, tho not endeared, is the Western Diamond-back Rattlesnake.  These snakes give birth to live little snakes that venture out on their own at about two weeks old, when they shed their first skin and they can open their eyes.
These deadly little guys are about the size of a standard pencil.  And - they are attracted to moist ground as they search for liquid relief from the hot Arizona sun.  Just like the adults.  Guess that, combined with some comforting shade, is why they enjoy gardens.

       I could list a ton of insect and bugs that we share the area with but there are only a couple that I really want to protect my garden from, that would love to be invited in.  My biggest issue is with these big centipedes that, like the snakes, are looking for a warm rock and some cool shade during the daytime. They are great at hiding and their young learn that early on.  They are also pretty good at climbing into the middle of plants.  So - again - I don't want to reach into one of my tomato plants and come out with a thousand legs crawling up my arm.

      You can start out with the basic 40" plastic fence.  I dig a slight trench between the fence post before hooking up the fencing.  Nothing to this point is all that different.  The 40" will keep out the skunks, unless they decide to dig under, the rabbits, and most of the chunky and lazy squirrels.  That's not enough for me.  I want the sneaky little critters discouraged too.   So I add a layer of net.  That would be the basic net you get from the fabric store that so many creative brides-to-be purchase to decorate their event.  It is cheap and easy to find so why not add gardening to the list of its uses.

     I went to my local Hancock Fabric Store and found that the basic white net which is usually $1.29 per yard was on sale for 30% off.  Cha-ching!  And it is 72" wide!   I can surround my entire garden for less than $20 and a little kite string. By the way, you don't have to go with white like I did, there are a ton of colors you can choose from to match you yard or patio decor.

     I attach the net to the fence with the string about every  10-12 inches and scattered up and down, from top to bottom.  Just enough to hold it in place.  I leave a little extra at the bottom.  When you look at the picture you may say to yourself - "Why wouldn't she trim off all that extra across the top? It looks so tacky."   Well, the reason the the tacky being acceptable is that many of the little critters that decide to take on the climbing feat to access the garden run into this extra fold of fabric that they just can't maneuver around or get totally stuck in.   Now you know that this extra isn't so tacky after all.  Right? So, make sure you don't cut it off or tie it down; you want it to be there as a barrier.

     At the bottom of the fence, where there is a small amount of net left, I just pile up a bit of dirt to hold that all in place.  Since I am watering in buckets and watering tubes, this dirt is not likely to be washed away.

     It's guaranteed that during the season you will have a little mending to do.  Some animal will decide to scratch at your barrier to gain access and make a tear or two.  You can patch this with some thread or you may want to glue (with water resistant fabric glue) a stronger piece of fabric around the lower edge for longevity.  You will know what you need when the time comes.

 Now that is my tip on how to build a security system for your garden.