Cat Repellent

Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden – Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners but is there a real answer?

The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence should be blocked to deny low level access. But cats can jump so fix a taut wire or string some six inches above the top of your fence to deter this approach.

Once inside your garden many people say that the best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off any feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you will have to resort to more passive methods. Since cats like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch on your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seed beds should be covered with wire netting or twigs arranged as a barrier.

Young trees should have plastic guards fitted around their trunks to protect them against use as a scratching pole.

Your garden pond should be covered with netting to keep your fish safe.

Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.

Cat Repellent

To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect. Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.

Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.

The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer. A smallholder has reported success using dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredients listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.

If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.

Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.

Ultrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which is annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to humans. There are various different models some of which operate continuously and others which have an infra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound when the cat triggers the device. To be successful you need to ensure that the model is powerful enough to cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make sure that the sound frequency is designed for larger animals since some models are intended to deter insects and so would be no use for cats.

There are also commercial scent cat repellents. Those that use chemicals should be kept away from any food crops but the essential oil based granule varieties act in the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned above. Another way to keep a cat out if the garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of a container holding puffed rice which has been impregnated with essential oils. These are effective for three to four weeks and can then be refilled for a further period. Another natural product which many people claim really keeps a cat out of the garden is lion’s dung. You may need to visit your local zoo to obtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.

In Ontario, Canada the local township provides a cat trap service. Once the animal enters the cage it cannot escape but is completely unharmed. The owner has to pay to recover his pet and so should be encouraged not to let the cat stray in future. Apparently few owners bother to reclaim their cats but just obtain another kitten. However this sounds like a good way of dealing with a cat that cannot be deterred by any other method. If there is no such scheme in your area, just buy your own trap.

So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your boundary fences. Then you have the whole selection of suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a start. If you are around when the intruder appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you miss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the commercial alternatives.

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

Spider Repellent

If your home is being invaded by spiders don’t sit there afraid to put your feet on the floor. Get up and get angry and try some or all of these tips that you’re about to get on spider control using natural spider repellents.

1. Chestnuts are a wonderful deterrent for spiders. Just place some of them around your home where you think spiders would be attracted to and you’ll find they will look for other living quarters.

2. Don’t smoke? Well don’t knock it! When tobacco or chewing tobacco is mixed with water and lemon dish detergent it is deadly on spiders. When mixing don’t forget to strain off the tobacco.

Spider Repellent

3. Peppermint and Lavender combined and brewed with pennyroyal, cinnamon or orange oil can work fantastically. Place the brew in a bottle and spray, spray and spray.

4. There are ultrasonic insect repellants on the market that work and offer excellent spider control. These may cost you a few bucks but they are so worth it if you’re looking for a natural spider repellant.

5. Horse apples can become a real good friend when they is sliced and hung in every room of your home. Spiders hate them.

6. Another simple spider control is coconut oil, vinegar and water. It works so well you knew vinegar, the woman’s right hand cleaner, had to be in there somewhere didn’t you?

7. Cleaning your home every week will decrease the chances of spiders wanting to move in drastically. Spiders love dust and debris, they also like remains of other dead insects so clean well when you do it.

8. Then there is the last but not the least way of safely getting rid of spiders and this one although a little bit out in left field works. Puree some dead spiders with water, strain and put water in a spray bottle and start spraying. This works like a charm.

So don’t sit there and be surrounded by spiders. Get up and provide your own spider control with some of these tips. You will be so glad you did and once again you can feel safe when the spiders decide to move out.

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Raccoon Repellent

Raccoons may look cute as can be with their striped tails and little hands that look almost human. But in truth, raccoons can be horrible pests and a great nuisance. They will eat almost any food they can find, including pet food. A raccoon will take food away from other animals without hesitation. And while all raccoons may not have rabies, some may. But do you know how to get rid of raccoons?

raccoon repellent

If you’re wondering how to get rid of raccoons, then you probably already have a problem with them. Once raccoons have made a home for themselves on your property, they’re extremely hard to get rid of. Because raccoons will eat almost anything and will scavenge for food, it would be impossible to take their food source away. So, how to get rid of raccoons?

When you have an existing raccoon population, it’s dangerous to try to remove them yourself. Using chemicals or sprays rarely work and will damage other wild life and plant life that you want to preserve. Using a pest removal service if how to get rid of raccoons the right way. A pest removal service will humanely trap and relocate the raccoons, so they will no longer knock over your garbage cans or terrorize your pets.

Once you have rid yourself of raccoons, you may want to consider making some changes to ensure raccoon prevention in the future. Buy lids for your garbage cans and keep them covered. Don’t allow pet food to sit outside over night. You may want to invest in some raccoon repellent, so you never have to wonder how to get rid of raccoons again.

The best repellent to use is probably a powder, which you can lay down on any area (patio, deck, lawn, garden). It will release an odor that will make raccoons stay away, and will not harm your grass or plants. Powders are safe, effective ways to repel rodents and pests like raccoons – but they will not remove existing raccoons from your property. Pest removal services know how to get rid of raccoons properly and professionally, without damaging your lawn or landscaping – or the raccoon. Raccoons may be pests, but you don’t want them to be harmed in any way.

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