Electric Fence Garden Protector

[Tdog]

OK - - I've contributed to the feeding of the local rabbits, rats, coons, whatever, long enough. I would have had a fairly good return from my corn, but at least 1/3 of it has fallen to varmits. I doesn't matter what the critters are, I need some protection. I've made the rounds at night with a light & 16 gage, but see nothing. My live trap sits empty, baited with a half-eaten immature ear of corn. My snap beans are eaten back to nothing.

So - - I'm thinking electric fence. I found this on line: Electric Fence Garden Protector:

www.mightypets.com/product.asp?3=28

Anyone used this product? Looks like I've got the option of 120 v. or battery [2 D cells] operation.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[heehaw]

it ususally doesn't take much of a shock to keep the critters at bay: check at your local farm supply or TSC...they have quite a few to pick from.
heehaw

 

[jeffinsgf]

I put three wires around my garden. One two inches above the ground, one 6 inches above the ground and one 30 inches above the ground. Been in place since March, and I haven't lost a single vegetable to squirrels, coons, rabbits or deer, and my yard is full of all of them. I used a solar powered charger, since it would have been quite a chore to get power where I needed it. Electric was by far fastest and easiest solution for me. Also, if your garden is designed to be a focal feature of your yard (mine is in cedar raised beds), the electric fence is just about invisible as you look across your property.

 

[WTA]

I see rabbits go through my electric fence all the time with no effect to them at all. It's hot enough to knock a horse down and knock a dog out cold too.

Cat food works best in my live traps BTW. I get a skunk or possum every time i use it with dry cat food.

 

[Bird]

Our youngest daughter has a pair of Maltese dogs. She and our grandson lived for several years in a double wide in a mobile home park, so the dogs were only taken out of the house on a leash. Well, daughter finished college last year, changed to a much higher paying job, got married this Spring, and they bought a big house with a fenced backyard, put a pet door in the back door, etc. so those two dogs can come and go at will. They recently found one small problem; the male Maltese is small enough to squeeze under that wooden fence to go visit the neighbors. Then the female dug her way out to join him. Daughter wanted to try putting chicken wire around the bottom of the fence while her husband was in favor of electric fence. I agreed with him. Anyway, he bought the electric fence at Home Depot and solved the problem. I didn't ask what it cost, and I've not looked at them myself, but he said Home Depot had the best price he found.

 

[wedge40]

When I first went to the website given, I was wondering how the heck he was going to put those collars on all the pests.

Neighbor used a two prong approach. He had three strands of electric fence for the smaller animals and then he would extend the height of the fence posts with PVC and put up a couple of rows of the white cloth tape to keep the deer from jumping in. Must have worked cause he had the best looking garden I've ever seen. I think his health is failing cause no garden this year..

Wedge

 

[MossRoad]

I fenced my garden with a fence material that has 1/2" gaps at the bottom, then changes to 1" gaps a bit up, then 1.5" then 2" , etc... progressing to 4" gaps towards the tops. It keeps the babies out at the bottom and the adults out towards the top. I stuck this an inch into the ground and mounted it to wood 4x4 posts. On the outside I attached 2" plastic stand offs and ran an electric fence wire 8" off the ground around the whole garden and another about a foot higher than the first. Then I power it with a solar powered electric fencer that I got at TSC. They carry them at most farm supply stores. I also till up a 2' wide patch of dirt on the outside of the garden all the way around and keep it nice and fluffy to promote good grounding abitlities. If an animal touches the dirt and the wire, it gets zapped. If it jumps up on the wire and touches the fence, it gets zapped.

This sytem works very well for us. In the spring before I turn the fencer on, I see lots of little paw tracks in the tilled buffer zone. After I plant, I turn the fencer on and see the tracks for about one more day. Then nothing. Animals learn quickly.

 

[Scott in IN]

I just gave up on my garden / salad bar for the local wildlife.

Two years ago the wildlife ate pretty much ate up everything, honking me off in the process.

Last year I declared war and went to TSC and bought posts, insulators and a charger (for around $120). The old farmer lady in line behind me says, "What you trying to keep in"? I replied, "I'm keeping the deer, rabbits and groundhogs out of my garden". She (in a foretelling voice) says, "You know you could buy a lot of vegetables at the farmers market for $120 (no kidding)".

So I get my supplies home, set my posts, hook up the insulators, run the wire (one at rabbit height and one at deer height) and figure I've got the invading vermin whooped. Buzzzzz, as the ground is uneven the rabbits and groundhogs (that I didn't shoot) found places to go under / over the wire (**** them) and proceeded to much away on my tasty veggies. The deer got in somehow, I'm guessing they just jumped over.

This year I'm buying my veggies at the store and using the fence posts to hold up my wood piles. That being said, you might be better off using a chain link and or some other type of tightly woven fence to keep them out as I had ZERO luck with the electric fence.

 

[nate_m]

I just gave up on my garden / salad bar for the local wildlife.

.....

This year I'm buying my veggies at the store and using the fence posts to hold up my wood piles. That being said, you might be better off using a chain link and or some other type of tightly woven fence to keep them out as I had ZERO luck with the electric fence.

My experience is exactly the opposite. Since putting up the electric fence, I have had ZERO invasion (other than a few bugs and birds and a snake). I put up 5 strands from 3 inches to 6 feet. also put some foil strips on the top strand. Using a "10 mile" fencer from TSC. Total cost for fence supplies - $200.
The idea that you can put in a garden to save a few bucks on veggies is ludicrous. Add up the fence, seeds, fertilizer, weed killer, bug killer, supplies for canning/freezing, etc, etc and it will be years before the garden breaks even in terms of cost (if ever).
I do it for other reasons. Fresh veggies are just better for starters but I really just enjoy working in the dirt and watching things grow.

 

[Knotbored]

I don't think they make a fence low enough to keep out slugs, the worst pest in this northwest corner of the country. I think rabbits get blamed for munching crops that are trimmed off at ground level by slugs (and mice and shrews.)

 

[Trainer]

Now that you have gotten all of this good advice, let me inject mine. No matter what kind of electric fence you install is no good if it is not working. I suggest you whiz on it once a day to verify it is working. Please post the video of your electric fence testing.

 

[Tdog]

Well Trainer, maybe I'll train the dog to do that for me!

Jack