Deer are by far the worst offenders in my meadow. And it’s not even close.
Bismuth_von_Pherson
Rehomed these guys to the nature preserve down the road earlier. Normally fine to let them munch the coneflowers, but I had to peel one out of the dog’s mouth, so it’s for their safety 😀
LoMaSS
Not accurate enough for our area: lacks Deer and Voles.
Ergh.
Tumorhead
my neighbors can have some treats its ok. i didn’t want wild strawberries anyway :,)
WaterDigDog
They’re all laughing at us
ravekitt
I hadn’t had any problems this year until something ate all the leaves off my aster a few days ago. I spotted the suspected offender earlier today
The squirrels tore out my milkweed the other day. They just dug up and gnawed through the base of the plants at the root and threw them on the ground. I’ve never wanted to wring their furry little necks more. The milkweed was FINALLY flourishing and made some serious progress in growth.
canisdirusarctos
Nah, I want some Tamiasciurus douglasii squirrels to take up residence. The invasive Sciurus carolinensis, on the other hand.
I suspect some of those nasty Sylvilagus floridanus rabbits defoliated some plants, so those can also take a long hop off a short pier.
Durham62
Unpopular unaskedfor opinion – the last two years I’ve gotten lucky with rabbits and deer “Chelsea chopping” my asters and it works out beautifully
I’ve got a couple acres to work with so I’m planting more and more every year and I figure they can’t eat it all!
Totalidiotfuq
Bitch deer munched my mulberry last night
A-Plant-Guy
I dunno, their presence is mostly normal. Yeah they eat stuff. And other stuff eats them 🤷🏻♂️.
Once we had a plethora of established plants, no one plant got over-eaten, except our creeping phlox and smooth aster. Those are apparently favorites. But the plants return every year anyway. So 🤷🏻♂️.
infinitemarshmallow
I posted a few weeks ago about animals watching me while I worked in the yard. After I finished dividing and transplanting some yarrow, the crow that was watching me came through and plucked most of them out of the ground 😭 I managed to replant and save them though. Jerk.
MassOrnament
Surely I’m not the only one who is doing this simultaneously for these critters and for my own enjoyment?
sotiredwontquit
Squirrels have dug up my planters every day for a month. This is the worst year in over a decade. I’m using repellents. Vicks vapor rub is next. I’m sick of replanting every planter, every damn day.
Piyachi
This is why I’m working on an owl box. Feel free to live in terror again you godless cretins.
EXTERMINATUS NOCTUA
Feeling-Success-385
Voles are what have broken my heart. I had half my plants not come back in one bed after winter.
Hunter_Wild
Add a deer and you’ve got it.
awky_raccoon
Love ‘em all ❤️
ittybittybroad
My neighborhood is riddled with feral cats that insist on shitting in my garden. The least they could do is take out the squirrels. Freeloaders.
lifeisabowlofbs
The secret is having stuff out that they want more. My rabbit friends prefer my leafy greens, carrot tops, and the dandelions that are in the grass. I don’t get veggies, but at least they leave my perennials alone. My squirrel friends scrounge around at the bottom of the bird feeder. Sometimes I toss them some peanuts if they ask nicely.
It the deer who eat everything indiscriminately.
HitGrassWinSalad
How could anyone look at a chipmunk and want it dead? I personally garden for the intention of supporting wildlife, even if it means the occasional plant gets eaten to the ground. My plants bounce back and they’re part of a food web.
ReynardTheFox2
Bunnies in the front yard, rat snake in the back 🫣
crunchwrapesq
Chucks are the worst because they’re not even cute.
But rabbits have been getting after everything , even “rabbit resistant” plants, plus digging out a burrow right under one of my tickseed and surely condemning it to death
LadyoftheOak
I planted a large pot full of old bulbs. It’s covered in chicken wire and held down with clamps. I put a wired cloche over my sunflower seedlings bc I know the bush tigers will dig them up!
Reading_Tourista5955
I caught a fix squirrel cleaning my gutter guards from all the maple whirligigs. Chippies are picking them off the ground. The deer are now browsing the cut down buckthorn. I say put them to work!
gay4242
I like that my plants support wildlife 🙂
BiteyKittenRawwwr
I love every single one of them!
This was a surprising post.
I thought I must have stumbled into the vegetable gardening sub.
sjsharks510
Not a huge fan of the AI here
froggyphore
I didn’t mind groundhogs until this year when five moved into my backyard. Over the course of three days I went from a strong start to spring to $200 of fruit trees girdled and defoliated and every single indoor start eaten, even the ones on my porch. As well as all my early emerging outdoor native perennials I’ve spent the last few years cultivating killed (not “pruned,” killed, they have not come back) I threw smelling salts in their burrows and have had less problems since. Absolute wretches
mermaidtitty
This is kind of a weird take to me….why would I be upset that the native fauna is eating the native flora…isn’t that the whole point?
Comprehensive-Bank78
I allied with the local backyard birds via being water access (hose) and giving them worms and bugs if find while gardening. After watching me yell at and defend the yard from a squirrel, they have started to gang jump the poor thing on sight including the neighbor grackles from down the way. I almost feel bad for the thing bc he will step foot into the yard and is instantly jumped by 4 robins, a flock of house sparrows, 6 house finches, and like 8 grackles and the odd blue jay occasionally who decides he wants blood more than bird eggs. Idk if this is sound advice though or realistic to achieve.
Warronius
Squirrels !! Eating up all the bird food .
makinggrace
I haven’t seen a rabbit here (rural Iowa) in a few years. It’s so sad. 😞 Raccoons, we have those in abundance and they don’t eat plants as much as they play with them usually.
Much-Asparagus-7920
get some of the bitter spray stuff they use for animal wounds to spray on them. most say plant safe, its nontoxic, just tastes bad. should work!
BorederAndBoreder
My australian native garden’s most wanted!! But in a positive way!
36 Comments
Deer are by far the worst offenders in my meadow. And it’s not even close.
Rehomed these guys to the nature preserve down the road earlier. Normally fine to let them munch the coneflowers, but I had to peel one out of the dog’s mouth, so it’s for their safety 😀
Not accurate enough for our area: lacks Deer and Voles.
Ergh.
my neighbors can have some treats its ok. i didn’t want wild strawberries anyway :,)
They’re all laughing at us
I hadn’t had any problems this year until something ate all the leaves off my aster a few days ago. I spotted the suspected offender earlier today
https://preview.redd.it/noac7y4aet4f1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e07bbe23ad15da4b0c52beeaa20a4118387be00
You forgot the deer!
The squirrels tore out my milkweed the other day. They just dug up and gnawed through the base of the plants at the root and threw them on the ground. I’ve never wanted to wring their furry little necks more. The milkweed was FINALLY flourishing and made some serious progress in growth.
Nah, I want some Tamiasciurus douglasii squirrels to take up residence. The invasive Sciurus carolinensis, on the other hand.
I suspect some of those nasty Sylvilagus floridanus rabbits defoliated some plants, so those can also take a long hop off a short pier.
Unpopular unaskedfor opinion – the last two years I’ve gotten lucky with rabbits and deer “Chelsea chopping” my asters and it works out beautifully
I’ve got a couple acres to work with so I’m planting more and more every year and I figure they can’t eat it all!
Bitch deer munched my mulberry last night
I dunno, their presence is mostly normal. Yeah they eat stuff. And other stuff eats them 🤷🏻♂️.
Once we had a plethora of established plants, no one plant got over-eaten, except our creeping phlox and smooth aster. Those are apparently favorites. But the plants return every year anyway. So 🤷🏻♂️.
I posted a few weeks ago about animals watching me while I worked in the yard. After I finished dividing and transplanting some yarrow, the crow that was watching me came through and plucked most of them out of the ground 😭 I managed to replant and save them though. Jerk.
Surely I’m not the only one who is doing this simultaneously for these critters and for my own enjoyment?
Squirrels have dug up my planters every day for a month. This is the worst year in over a decade. I’m using repellents. Vicks vapor rub is next. I’m sick of replanting every planter, every damn day.
This is why I’m working on an owl box. Feel free to live in terror again you godless cretins.
EXTERMINATUS NOCTUA
Voles are what have broken my heart. I had half my plants not come back in one bed after winter.
Add a deer and you’ve got it.
Love ‘em all ❤️
My neighborhood is riddled with feral cats that insist on shitting in my garden. The least they could do is take out the squirrels. Freeloaders.
The secret is having stuff out that they want more. My rabbit friends prefer my leafy greens, carrot tops, and the dandelions that are in the grass. I don’t get veggies, but at least they leave my perennials alone. My squirrel friends scrounge around at the bottom of the bird feeder. Sometimes I toss them some peanuts if they ask nicely.
It the deer who eat everything indiscriminately.
How could anyone look at a chipmunk and want it dead? I personally garden for the intention of supporting wildlife, even if it means the occasional plant gets eaten to the ground. My plants bounce back and they’re part of a food web.
Bunnies in the front yard, rat snake in the back 🫣
Chucks are the worst because they’re not even cute.
But rabbits have been getting after everything , even “rabbit resistant” plants, plus digging out a burrow right under one of my tickseed and surely condemning it to death
I planted a large pot full of old bulbs. It’s covered in chicken wire and held down with clamps. I put a wired cloche over my sunflower seedlings bc I know the bush tigers will dig them up!
I caught a fix squirrel cleaning my gutter guards from all the maple whirligigs. Chippies are picking them off the ground. The deer are now browsing the cut down buckthorn. I say put them to work!
I like that my plants support wildlife 🙂
I love every single one of them!
This was a surprising post.
I thought I must have stumbled into the vegetable gardening sub.
Not a huge fan of the AI here
I didn’t mind groundhogs until this year when five moved into my backyard. Over the course of three days I went from a strong start to spring to $200 of fruit trees girdled and defoliated and every single indoor start eaten, even the ones on my porch. As well as all my early emerging outdoor native perennials I’ve spent the last few years cultivating killed (not “pruned,” killed, they have not come back) I threw smelling salts in their burrows and have had less problems since. Absolute wretches
This is kind of a weird take to me….why would I be upset that the native fauna is eating the native flora…isn’t that the whole point?
I allied with the local backyard birds via being water access (hose) and giving them worms and bugs if find while gardening. After watching me yell at and defend the yard from a squirrel, they have started to gang jump the poor thing on sight including the neighbor grackles from down the way. I almost feel bad for the thing bc he will step foot into the yard and is instantly jumped by 4 robins, a flock of house sparrows, 6 house finches, and like 8 grackles and the odd blue jay occasionally who decides he wants blood more than bird eggs. Idk if this is sound advice though or realistic to achieve.
Squirrels !! Eating up all the bird food .
I haven’t seen a rabbit here (rural Iowa) in a few years. It’s so sad. 😞 Raccoons, we have those in abundance and they don’t eat plants as much as they play with them usually.
get some of the bitter spray stuff they use for animal wounds to spray on them. most say plant safe, its nontoxic, just tastes bad. should work!
My australian native garden’s most wanted!! But in a positive way!
https://preview.redd.it/wf3fwhfjqu4f1.jpeg?width=678&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d28677e255f374119996df4c8d2b46df094c6cc5
Blue banded bee!