Our good friend, "Uncle" John, keeps a big garden at the farm. It's below the barn, close to the creek. John's garden always looks so good. He has flowers, Bluebird houses, and a seemingly weed-free garden. He works hard to make it like this and we see him puttering around down there almost every day.
Last year, lots of critters got into his patch and helped themselves to his plants and veggies. This year "Uncle" John is fighting back. He has an electric fence with a solar charger and at least 5 strands. He also hung pie tins smeared with peanut butter from the fence lines. The idea is that the deer will lick the peanut butter and get a shock on their nose. Hopefully that will be enough to scare them away from the garden.
If not, the guineas will surely put up a fuss, and do their best scare pests out of the garden.
My neighbor Vi told me about your blog. Very interesting. You have a tasty farm. Your gardens look lovely and delicious. But I'm not so happy to read about that electric shock treatment "Uncle John" is dishing out. It hurts! I mean, that seems rather cruel.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if John's very clever fence would work on a small scale with urban pests...rabbits, raccoons, trukeys, woodchucks, chipmunks, cats? It get a chuckle from a vision of inches high electric fencing with tiny peanut butter smeared aluminum dishes waving in the neighborhood breeze!
ReplyDeleteIf the jolt hurts the deer, it is only temporary. Just a reminder that they are not welcome in the garden. Too much work, money, and time invested in that garden to just let animals in to graze and destroy it. My husband, "Uncle John", uses everything in the garden to make pickles, relishes, sauces, and frozen vegetables to give as gifts,especially at Christmas. He would never be cruel to an animal. He is one of the biggest nature lovers you would ever meet.
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