Here’s a simple and non-chemical way to keep small animals out of your garden beds. However, if try this method, you might have to explain to your neighbor that you aren’t trying to grow a picnic. 

Make the Soft Garden Soil Less Attractive for Digging 

If you have a problem with furry critters, birds, or even your pets getting into your garden for a snack or a place to dig, planting some forks with the tines sticking out of the ground can help.  

Start with areas where you see paw prints and fill in attractive walking spaces with evenly spaced forks coming out of the ground. Place forks near vulnerable small plants. These are effective for a few reasons. 

3 Reasons Animals Avoid Beds with Forks Sticking Out of Them 

For one, the sharp plastic makes it harder to walk through the open dirt comfortably. If you feel the open areas and put them near small plants, the animal will find somewhere else to go sniff around in. 

They also look like a predator to wild animals. These strange, sharp objects coming from the ground will make them uncomfortable. This can be helpful if you live next to an open field or wilderness area. 

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The other deterrent comes from the human smell you leave from the forks when you are shoving them in the ground. Animals that are wary of humans will stay away from anything that smells like one. 

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