• CATS:
  Destruction of plants and shrubs by digging and fouling of gardens. Spraying or marking of territory by male cats. Using sand boxes as a litter box.
  SUGGESTIONS: Water your gardens in late evening to keep soil moist and muddy. Cats do not like digging in mud. Use some type of ground cover around shrubbery such as wood chips, cocoa beans, pine cones or decorative stones, be sure to completely cover soil surface. Use dried pine needles or crushed egg shells liberally sprinkled in garden area. Cats find these things unpleasant and prickly to dig in. Check with your local garden centre for topical wildlife repellents. A motion sensor sprinkler device is an excellent deterrent for free roaming animals that cause property damage during evening hours. Spray areas that male cats have marked with a lemon or pine scent bleach. Cover your sandbox when not in use.
  
  
• RABBITS, GROUNDHOGS, SQUIRRELS:
  Eating newly planted flowers or garden vegetables. These rodents like freshly planted or newly started bulbs and plants because they are sweet and tender. Destruction of shrubs and trees during winter months.
  SUGGESTIONS: Try wildlife repellents from your local garden centre. Or try a homemade application of Tabasco, cayenne pepper and water. Mix in a blender and apply to young shoots and plants. Rabbits and groundhogs do not like hot and spicy tastes. Another homemade repellent recipe is one onion, one whole garlic and Tabasco sauce mixed in a blender with water and applied to plants. Apply after every rain or watering. Protect young plants or bulbs with netting or screening over the garden area. Make sure it is elevated enough to prevent damage to plants and safe enough that it will not harm animals. This can be removed after a couple of weeks when the plants have established themselves. Set up a motion sensor sprinkler to target the garden during evening or nighttime hours. Fence your garden to exclude burrowing animals by burying the fencing in the ground and outwards in an "L" shape away from the garden. Make the fence at least three feet high with an outward overhang or baffle to discourage climbing. During winter months, wrap the base of trees and shrubs with hardware cloth or protective netting designed for this purpose. Remember to take into consideration height with snow cover. Groundhogs do not cause winter damage to trees or shrubs due to the fact they hibernate during these months.
  
  
• MICE AND RATS:
  Moving into homes, raiding of gardens, composters and damaging tree roots.
  SUGGESTIONS:
  Cut off food supplies such as bird seed, pet food, pet feces, garbage, fruit or vegetables. Remove hiding places such as junk piles, wood piles and dense low vegetation. Plug holes in sheds and garage areas with steel wool. Place garbage in sealed metal containers, indoors. Screen the bottom of the composter with fine 16 gauge steel mesh or fasten to a concrete slab or patio stone. Never compost palatable fruit, vegetables or eggs. Compost properly with layers of soil and grass clippings. Install steel netting around tree trunks to protect from mice. Tamp any straw mulching down firmly, to prevent mice from hiding in it. Humane traps can be purchased for mice. Hire a professional exterminator for a rat problem.
  
  
• MOLES:
  Tunnelling throughout lawn area, damaging delicate roots. This activity can also benefit the lawn by providing natural aeration. Moles also eat grubs.
  SUGGESTIONS:
  Try a natural mole repellent of 1/4 cup castor oil, two tablespoons of liquid detergent and half a cup of water. Whip these ingredients together until mixture is like a thick cream. Take a watering can fill with warm water and add two tablespoons of the above mixture. Sprinkle immediately over heavily infested areas. For best results apply after a rain or water in thoroughly.
  
  
• SKUNKS, RACCOONS AND OPOSSUMS:
  Digging of lawns in spring and late summer for grubs. Raiding of gardens, fruit trees and fish ponds.
  SUGGESTIONS:
  Wildlife proof your property to reduce attractions to your property. Remove all garbage, do not compost palatable fruit or vegetables, rinse egg shells, screen and seal composter. Layer with soil and grass clippings to accelerate decomposition. Apply commercial or homemade wildlife repellents on gardens (see section on Rabbits). Set up a motion sensor sprinkler to target garden area for evening hours. Plant cucumbers, squash or pumpkins throughout garden as the scratchy leaves irritate animals. Plant an alternative or decoy garden for wildlife. Apply blood or bonemeal fertilizer to garden or surrounding area. Fruit trees trunks must be wrapped in a smooth sheet metal cover to prevent climbing. Low branches should be trimmed up at least five feet up from the ground. Wind falls must be cleaned up daily and placed in area that is inaccessible to wildlife. For your lawn you must establish a grub treatment program. It may take several years to eradicate grubs from your lawn. To minimize secondary damage by wildlife apply "pure" soap flakes on the affected areas, WATER IN THOROUGHLY. (These can be found in your supermarket in the detergent section). Problem months are usually spring during our rainy season and late summer to fall again during our rainy season. Often you are further ahead to allow the wildlife to rid the lawn of the grub problem and then begin a diligent grub treatment program.
  
  
• DEERS:
  Damage to flowers and gardens. Damage to trees and shrubs in winter.
  SUGGESTIONS:
  Apply a wildlife repellent to gardens and flowers.(See Rabbits). Set up a motion sensor sprinkler to target the problem area. Hang bags of human or dog hair from tree limbs. Hang sweaty clothing from tree limbs. Dress a scarecrow in used clothing, move scarecrow occasionally. During winter months wrap trees and shrubs in hardware cloth. Trim branches up 10' to 15'. Find out from you local garden centre which shrubs deer like or dislike and landscape accordingly. Deer do not like bitter tastes.
  
  
• BIRDS:
  Eating fruits and berries from trees and shrubs. Eating newly applied grass seed or seedlings.
  REMEMBER: Birds play a very important role in insect control in gardens and orchards.
  SUGGESTIONS:
  Mulch over newly seeded beds. Place protective netting over fruit trees and berry bushes. Leave an alternative unprotected tree or shrub for the birds. Hang strips of black cloth or aluminum pie plates from tree limbs. Loud noise deterrents are illegal in the City limits.
  
  

WHY NOT TRAP AND RELOCATE?
It is a proven fact that most relocated wildlife will die. Trapping during spring and summer months may cause dependent offspring to die. Relocation of wildlife is also responsible for the spread of diseases such as rabies and distemper. Current government laws prohibit relocation of wildlife out of your area