In addition to foul weather and fungus anyone who tends to an outdoor garden knows that repelling wild animals is another hazard that needs to be dealt with to keep your garden in great shape. Though not malicious by nature many common outdoor animals such as deer, groundhogs and squirrels will view your garden as a bounty to harvest from and if you don't have repellent sprays or fencing you're practically inviting them in for a spin.

Whether you plant fruits, vegetables or flowers wild animals will naturally be attracted to the vegetation and want to feast on your crops. Squirrels are notorious for ransacking bird feeders and other garden feeders so if you want to keep your entire garden free from damage invest in either durable fencing or a number of repellent sprays to handle a wide variety of animals.

Though animals can cause a number of problems for your garden keeping them away isn't all that hard. Most animals react strongly to scent and if the smell of an animal's natural predator is anywhere near a garden many animals will avoid that area. Therefore many high quality repellents use scents similar to fox and coyote urine, animals that prey on small critters such as rats, beavers and possums. Shake Away manufactures a complete line of repellent granules that will act to keep away deer, cats, small critters and rodents. Simply sprinkle the Shake Away granules around the garden and yard and you're done. Animals approaching your garden will catch a whiff of the fox-like scent and quickly turn away instinctively feeling threatened.

Another easy to use animal repellent product is a spray away sensor. This is a motion activated water spraying repellent device that is designed to squirt a jet of water when deer get too close. Using heat and motion sensors the device can detect when an animal is approaching your garden and will shoot a harmless stream of water up to 35 ft to scare the deer off. These sensors are designed to shoot at random intervals so clever animals won't be able to determine a pattern. This device attaches to a standard garden hose and only requires a 9-volt battery to operate.

Another option for protecting your garden from intrusive animals is to install fencing around the garden. Deer fencing is environmentally safe mesh netting made from ¾" polypropylene strands bonded together. This netting attaches easily to wood or metal stakes and can be found in lengths up to 350 feet and heights up to 7 ft. Mesh netting provides a visible barrier that will deter most animals from getting too close to your garden.