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Old April 16, 2012   #1
chancethegardener
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Default Ultrasonic animal repellent

Since the beginning of the growing season, every other night an animal has been digging my garden. This animal is probably a possum and it is looking for grubs. It has killed quite a few tomato plants and damaged pepper, zucchini, and corn. I recently found out that it is digging under the fence that we share with our neighbor. Then I replaced a few pavers right in front of the fence where the animal gets access to the garden (somehow it never climbs but always digs through). Even though this mostly worked, it was able to lift one of the pavers and come into the garden and dig again! I was so frustrated and wanted to punch it. Now, I will keep using pavers as a precaution, but I also purchased an ultrasonic animal repellent I don't know if it will help or not but I definitely can hear the frequency range this unit has. I wonder if it can be used against tomato hornworms and leafhoppers/white flies that spread diseases .
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Old April 16, 2012   #2
Worth1
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I have one of those in the house.
It is my cat.
I was reading in bed late last night and all of a sudden she let out a howl that would have woke the dead.
It sounded like someone was skinning her alive.
Hair raising it was.
I get up to investigate and find a black cat with green eyes looking at me through my french doors to the outside.
It isn't even Halloween.


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Old April 17, 2012   #3
DogsandDirt
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Do you have armadillos in your area? Every summer they dig up my front flower bed. It looks like someone roto-tilled it. I would think a possum would be more inclined to climb than dig?
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Old April 17, 2012   #4
Worth1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DogsandDirt View Post
Do you have armadillos in your area? Every summer they dig up my front flower bed. It looks like someone roto-tilled it. I would think a possum would be more inclined to climb than dig?
Florida is covered in armadillos.
I bet it is an armadillo.

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Old April 17, 2012   #5
chancethegardener
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Actually I saw an armadillo only once in the garden very late at night. I think they don't come to the garden during normal evening hours. I will consider this, it is likely that it could be an armadillo. I was also thinking that it is kind of weird that the possum doesn't climb over the fence. So an armadillo can't climb?
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Old April 17, 2012   #6
Worth1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chancethegardener View Post
Actually I saw an armadillo only once in the garden very late at night. I think they don't come to the garden during normal evening hours. I will consider this, it is likely that it could be an armadillo. I was also thinking that it is kind of weird that the possum doesn't climb over the fence. So an armadillo can't climb?
No they cant climb but they can walk under water.

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Old April 17, 2012   #7
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As far as I know, armadillos don't climb but they are tenacious diggers and they do like grubs. The ones around here only come out late at night and disappear at dawn. My neighbor and I went in together to buy a trap since it was tearing up her lawn and flower bed as well. She tried tuna and only caught 2 stray cats. I read that armadillos like worms and fruit so I was going to try those as bait if I need to do some trapping this summer. I figured cheese cloth will keep the worms from wriggling away. Animal control will come get it and relocate it.

Their eyesight is poor but their hearing is very good so your ultrasonic device should work. When startled they jump up in the air, then take off in a very awkward run. It's pretty funny to watch...if you're up that early.
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Old April 17, 2012   #8
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I've had problems with grub-hunting critters, only the ones here are skunks. I am quickly solving the destructive stinkers situation with a strong supply of Savage 20 guage anti-skunk noise making critter persuaders.
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Old April 17, 2012   #9
RebelRidin
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Armadillos were born to dig. With their eyesight as poor as it is they can't catch anything that can see them coming. Once while doing field work in Texas in which I had to sit out along some irrigation canals early in the mroning, one came up and actually bumped into my seat. I said something to it and it shot straight up in the air, what seemed like a couple feet up off the ground. Like DogsandDirt said.... quite humorous. I don't think it ever did "see" me.
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Old April 17, 2012   #10
ScottinAtlanta
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I never found the ultrasonic devices to be worth the money. They might work for a few days, but the animals soon get accustomed to them.
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Old April 17, 2012   #11
chancethegardener
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Well, I was at the edge of madness so I was willing to try anything to keep the animal away. The only problem with it is that whenever I move in the garden, it starts making that annoying sound because its sensor is very sensitive to motion and has a long range. So I turn it off during the day otherwise I will have a seizure .
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Old April 19, 2012   #12
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Will that Ultrasonic gadget work on gophers or moles or voles or whatever the little digging monsters are? They dig and tunnel and make a mess of the ground. My dogs have managed to catch and kill a few of them.

For my main garden we put weed block fabric down and covered the entire 50'x50' area with 2" of pea gravel. The raised beds, 10 of them 16'x4' have 1/4" hardware mesh stapled to the bottoms. So far we have not been invaded in the garden area.

They have come up just outside the fence. 8' deer fence with 24" chicken wire around the bottom. I know it seems like way overkill, but watching a big buck and 2 does circle the garden, it's worth every cent!
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Old February 7, 2018   #13
Barb_FL
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Any updates to the Ultrasonic Animal Repellents and how they work?

My beefstakes that are beginning to ripen and grown in Earthboxes are being chewed/gnarled during the night. Some have smalled bites while others half of the tomato is gone.

The plant is not harmed so I don't think it is a racoon. It could be an opossum but most likely rats.

It only happens with the large tomatoes. I'm growing a lot of cherry tomatoes and other than some bird pecks, they have not been touched.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
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Old February 7, 2018   #14
zeuspaul
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I wouldn't want my neighbor relocating their rodents from their property to mine.

The best way I have found for rats and mice is this trap. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A2NKEN9O69YXYL
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Old February 7, 2018   #15
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Barb, I had what I thought were rats, turned out to be a rabbit. Large tomatoes within 2.5 feet of the ground were the prime targets.

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