Maintaining a lush, green lawn takes effort, and finding it torn up by animals can be frustrating. While these animals are often just following their instincts, there are effective steps you can take to protect your lawn from further damage. Here’s how to stop animals from digging and eating your lawn.
Remove Food Sources
Many animals are attracted to lawns because of readily available food sources such as grubs, insects, or other organic material in the soil. Reducing or eliminating these food sources is a crucial first step.
Clean Up Fallen Fruit
If you have fruit trees, pick up fallen fruit promptly to prevent animals like opossums and raccoons from being drawn to your yard. Regularly harvesting ripe fruit can also reduce temptation for foraging animals.
Seal Trash Bins
Securely close garbage cans and compost bins to avoid attracting foraging animals. Use animal-resistant bins with locking lids for added protection.
Install Physical Barriers
Physical barriers can be an effective way to keep animals from accessing your lawn.
Fencing
Erect a sturdy fence around your yard or garden. For animals like armadillos and raccoons, ensure the fence extends at least 12 inches underground to prevent burrowing. For larger animals like deer, a taller fence (6-8 feet) may be necessary.
Netting
Cover specific areas of your lawn or garden with heavy-duty netting to protect them from being disturbed. This works well for flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Hardware Cloth
Lay hardware cloth or chicken wire over problem areas. Secure the edges with stakes to ensure animals cannot lift it. This method is particularly effective for moles and voles.
Use Repellents
Repellents can deter animals from coming near your lawn. These can be natural, chemical, or electronic.
Natural Repellents
Sprinkle cayenne pepper, garlic powder, or coffee grounds around your lawn. These strong scents can irritate animals’ sensitive noses and deter them from digging.
Chemical Repellents
Use commercial animal repellents designed for specific species, such as raccoons, skunks, or armadillos.
These products often contain ingredients like predator urine or bitter agents to deter animals. Reapply as directed, especially after rain.
Electronic Repellents
Install motion-activated sprinklers that spray water when movement is detected, startling animals. Ultrasonic devices that emit high-frequency sounds can also deter pests without harming them.
Modify Your Lawn’s Environment
Making your lawn less inviting to animals can help reduce their visits.
Reduce Moisture
Avoid overwatering your lawn, as wet soil attracts insects, worms, and other organisms that animals feed on. Stick to a proper watering schedule to maintain healthy grass without over-saturating the soil.
Trim Overgrowth
Remove overgrown shrubs, bushes, and grass to eliminate hiding spots for animals like skunks, voles, and opossums. Keeping your landscape tidy reduces its appeal to wildlife.
Fill in Holes
Regularly fill in existing holes in your lawn to deter animals from returning to the same spots. Use soil mixed with grass seed to restore the area.
Encourage natural Predators
Encouraging the presence of natural predators can help control animal populations in your yard.
Attract Birds of Prey
Install birdhouses, nesting boxes, or perches to attract owls, hawks, and other birds of prey. These predators can help control rodents like voles and moles.
Although it is very uncommon, there is a small chance that certain birds may cause disturbances in the yard while searching for prey, but it’s not likely.
Encourage Non-Invasive Wildlife
Non-invasive predators, such as certain snakes, can naturally manage pest populations in your yard. Creating a balanced ecosystem can reduce the need for intervention.
Secure Your Garden
If you have a garden, animals may be attracted to your vegetables and plants.
Install Raised Beds
Use raised garden beds with protective covers to make it harder for animals to access your plants. Covers made from mesh or netting can provide an additional layer of defense.
Use Garden Enclosures
Fully enclose your garden with mesh or netting to prevent animals from getting in. Ensure the enclosure is anchored securely to prevent digging underneath.
Plant Deterrents
Incorporate plants with strong scents, like marigolds, lavender, or mint, which can repel certain animals.
Employ Professional Help
If the problem persists despite your efforts, it might be time to consult professionals.
Hire a Critter Control Service
Professionals can identify the specific animals causing damage and implement targeted solutions to remove them humanely.
Consult a Lawn Care Expert
Lawn care experts can recommend products and treatments to address food sources, repair damage, and improve overall lawn health.
Use Humane Traps (Where Permitted)
For persistent problems, humane traps can be used to relocate animals away from your property.
Check Local Laws
Ensure trapping and relocating wildlife is legal in your area. Some regions have strict regulations about handling wildlife.
Place Traps Strategically
Position traps near areas of frequent activity, such as along fence lines or near burrows. Bait traps with appropriate food based on the species you’re targeting.
Release Safely
Relocate animals to an approved area far from residential neighborhoods, ensuring they have access to natural food and water sources.
Reinforce Regular Maintenance
Consistent lawn care can help deter animals and minimize damage.
Aerate Your Lawn
Aeration improves soil health and reduces insect populations, making your lawn less appealing to animals. Gecko Green offers core aeration and liquid aeration, which are both done either in spring or fall or both.
Fertilize Properly
Healthy grass is more resilient to damage, so keep your lawn well-fertilized with appropriate products for your grass type.
Gecko Green offers fertilization with their 9-application lawn care program. Fertilization is done starting in late spring and ends at the end of late summer.
Mow Correctly
Maintain an appropriate grass height to discourage burrowing animals and make the lawn less hospitable. Consult a mowing guide to ensure you’re using the correct settings for your mower.
Monitor and Adjust
Protect your lawn from animals requires ongoing effort and adjustments.
Track Activity
Keep an eye out for signs of animal activity, such as new holes, tracks, or droppings. Early detection can prevent extensive damage.
Adapt Solutions
If one method isn’t effective, try a combination of strategies to address the problem comprehensively.
A Beautiful, Undisturbed Lawn
A beautiful, undisturbed lawn is achievable with the right combination of preventative measures and consistent care.
By removing food sources, installing barriers, using repellents, and maintaining your lawn, you can deter animals from digging and eating your yard. However, some animals eat and dig up lawns at night, and they can be just as much of a nuisance as animals eating your lawn during the day.
With persistence and a proactive approach, your lawn can remain healthy, vibrant, and free from unwanted visitors year-round.
