How to Keep Animals From Eating Flowers and Vegetables

Lay wire mesh hardware cloth over the entire garden bed. Use mesh with ½-inch openings and cut holes for the plants with wire snips. Laying the mesh on the soil surface prevents animals from digging up plants. Bury the mesh 6 to 8 inches deep to exclude burrowing animals from digging under the plants and eating the roots.

Install a fence around the perimeter of the bed to keep out rabbits and other small animals that feed on flowers and vegetables. Bury the bottom 8 inches of the fence in the ground and leave 24 inches of the fence above ground. To exclude deer, construct an 8- to 10-foot-tall fence so the deer can't jump over it.

Install a scare device in the garden. Tie bird tape or brightly colored strips of fabric to the fence or to tall stakes. These frighten animals when they blow in the wind. Alternatively, install motion-activated sprinklers to frighten animals away from the garden bed.

Spray an animal repellent, formulated for the specific animal pest, on plants and around the perimeter of the bed. Reapply the spray at least once a week and more often after rain or heavy irrigation.

Cover vegetable beds and flower beds with seedlings with a row cover to protect the young plants from birds and other animals that feed on developing fruits or tender new growth. Remove the row covers during vegetable flowering to allow pollinator access, and remove the covers from flowers once they grow large enough to withstand animal disturbance.