Your yard is a place to relax and spend time with your family, but deer, rabbits, and other critters can wreak havoc on your outdoor paradise in no time. The solution? Well-designed fencing. In this article, let’s explore the best fences to keep animals out of your garden.
Why Fence Your Garden?
Fencing your garden has many benefits, including:
- Prevents animals like deer, rabbits, opossums, squirrels, skunks, gophers, and raccoons from entering.
- Protects plants from diseases caused by animals, ensuring healthy growth.
- Protects your family from diseases these critters carry.
- Keeps your kids and pets safely inside your property.
- Improves the value of your home.
Best Fences To Keep Wildlife Away
General Note: Residential fences are typically 3 to 8 feet tall. While 8 feet fences are the most effective in deterring animals, not all local ordinances allow high fences, however, so check with local authorities before installing one. Some municipalities will allow fences taller than 6 feet if you get special permission.
1. Privacy Wooden Fence
From deer and woodchucks to groundhogs and rabbits, privacy wooden fences can keep all wildlife away from your garden. They range in height from 6 to 8 feet and act as a solid wall.
Privacy wooden fences cost between $6 and $15 per linear foot (only material). They require frequent maintenance to keep them in good shape. Privacy wooden fences have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
Pros:
✓ Attractive appearance
✓ Highly customizable
✓ High privacy
✓ Eco-friendly
✓ Affordable
Cons:
✗ Difficult to maintain
✗ Shorter lifespan
2. Privacy Vinyl Fence
Vinyl is a common garden fence that ranges in height between 6 and 8 feet. Privacy vinyl fences are solid, so you can effectively keep wildlife out of your garden. They are durable and have an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years.
Privacy vinyl fences cost between $19 and $35 per linear foot, including material and professional labor. They come in various colors, so you choose one that best suits your home.
Pros:
✓ Low-maintenance
✓ Durable
✓ Variety of colors
✓ High privacy
✓ Long-lasting
Cons:
✗ Expensive
✗ Difficult to repair
✗ Not eco-friendly
3. Composite Fence
Composite fences are usually made from a combination of recycled plastic and wood, making them more eco-friendly than vinyl fences.
They are durable and require low maintenance while offering the aesthetic appeal of traditional wood fencing. They come in various colors and cost between $17 and $41 per linear foot (without installation). Composite fences have an average lifespan of about 25 years.
Pros:
✓ Low-maintenance
✓ Durable
✓ Long-lasting
✓ Eco-friendly
✓ Variety of colors
✓ High privacy
Cons:
✗ Expensive
✗ Difficult to install
✗ Difficult to repair
4. Masonry Fence
Masonry fences are made of bricks, concrete blocks, natural stone, or stucco. They can be as tall as 8 feet, are strong, and solid. Too tall to scale and too sheer to climb, they are excellent as a barrier between wildlife and your yard. They also make excellent security fences.
If you want your home to stand out in your neighborhood, masonry fences should be your go-to choice. You can customize them to suit the appearance of your home. They require little maintenance and can easily last over 50 years.
Masonry fences cost between $45 and $80 per linear foot. Installing them is labor-intensive and complex, so only pros can handle it.
Pros:
✓ Durable
✓ Aesthetically pleasing
✓ Available in multiple styles
✓ Low-maintenance
✓ Adds to the resale value
✓ High privacy
Cons:
✗ Expensive
✗ Difficult to install
✗ Hard to find the materials
5. Electric Fence
Electric fences are an excellent, cost-effective solution to keep critters away from your garden. They consist of electric wires that deliver a short, non-lethal shock to animals, discouraging them from entering. Electric fences require a power supply from electricity or a battery to function.
Electric fences last between 10 and 20 years with proper maintenance. They cost about $2.25 per linear foot on average (including labor).
You can install 9 fence line wires and space them at 4 inches apart to deter both small and large animals. Leave a 4-inch gap between the bottom wire and the ground level. This type of fence is about 3.5 feet tall.
Note: Installing electric fences is legal in most cities, but some have restrictions. So, before installing an electric fence, check with your local building department. Also, follow the installation procedure they suggest.
Pros:
✓ Affordable
✓ Effective deterrent
✓ Customizable
Cons:
✗ Regular maintenance
✗ Legal restrictions
✗ Difficult to install
✗ Unattractive
✗ Low privacy
✗ Requires a power source (electricity or battery) to work
6. Chain-Link Fences
Chain-link fences are good at keeping some animals out of your garden, but they’re not as effective against animals that are skillful climbers like raccoons. Most residential chain link fences are about four feet tall, but the taller they are, the better they are at thwarting animals.
Chain-link fences cost between $3 and $20 per linear foot (without installation), depending on the fence material. Heavy-duty materials like stainless steel are on the higher end of the price range but can easily last over 50 years.
Chain-link fences are easy to install and don’t require much maintenance. But they aren’t as attractive as wooden, vinyl, composite, or masonry fences.
Pros:
✓ Affordable
✓ Durable
✓ Low-maintenance
✓ Easy to install
Cons:
✗ Not so attractive
✗ Limited customization options
✗ Low privacy
Tips To Keep Animals Out of Your Garden
Here are some additional tips to keep wildlife away from your garden.
1. Bury The Fence
Some animals are excellent diggers. To prevent them from tunneling under the fence, bury it at least 15 inches underground. You can use a trencher to excavate the ground.
2. Install Visual Deterrents
Visual deterrents like reflective tape and scarecrows discourage animals from entering your garden.
You can hang strips of reflective tape to scare animals. You can also install human-shaped scarecrows to create the impression of a person patrolling the garden, deterring animals.
3. Use Repellents
Repellents make your garden less appealing to animals. You can spray your property with scents that animals find unpleasant, such as garlic. You can also place substances like hot pepper spray but don’t use chemicals as they can harm the animals if they consume.
4. Seal Entry Points
If you spot creepy crawlies in your neighbors’ homes, there’s a good chance they will find their way into your garden. To block them, find and seal all access points, especially those in the pipes and retaining walls.
FAQs
Composite and privacy vinyl fences do a great job of preventing animals from entering your garden. They are durable and can last for over 25 years without much maintenance.
DIY fence installation is a tiring and time-consuming job. Hiring a pro is more expensive, but you will have peace of mind. The pros will handle everything from buying the right fence and other materials to installing them. Most fence installation companies also warranty their work.
● Chicken wire fences are a popular choice but are only effective in deterring rabbits and other smaller animals. The same is the case with hardware cloth and wire mesh fences.
● Deer fences are designed to deter deer and other larger animals. Smaller animals like squirrels can make their way in through the mesh openings of these fences.
If you only have a problem with specific animals, you can install a fence designed to deter them. However, if you want an all-in-one solution, go with the fences listed above.
The Final Word
Installing the right fence can help keep animals out of your garden for the most part. But determined animals might still find ways to get around them. The key is to make it as difficult and unappealing as possible for these critters to enter your garden.
If you need help installing the right fence for your garden, get in touch with FenceGnome, and we will connect you with the best fence pros in your area. The pros are just a few clicks away and offer free quotes in minutes.
Main Photo Credit: jsur-mac / Canva Pro / License
