Types of Fences To Keep Skunks and Other Wildlife Off Your Yard

If your house has a nice backyard, there is a big chance you want to keep it tidy and good looking. Unfortunately, the presence of wildlife such as skunks, raccoons, rabbits, or others, can make this task very difficult. Wild animals wander into our yards in search of food and a safe place to stay.

Unfortunately, this often leads to damage in your backyard, such as destroyed plants, dug up holes, or ravaged vegetable and fruit patches. The first step you can take in preventing wild fauna from being guests in your yard is installing a proper fence.

However, it takes know which fence to select to be successful in your attempts at removing wildlife from your yard. Below are easy tips and tactics for getting the right fence the first time.

Enjoy Wildlife Yard Protection with the Right Fence

⎆ Identify the animal

Before choosing the right fence, you should identify the animals you are dealing with. Do you need something for armadillo prevention? Are you at war with skunks? Or maybe fighting against deer? The type of fence often depends on the size of the animal and its behavior.

⎆ Small and medium-sized animals

This option applies to non-climbing animals such as coyotes and smaller burrowing pests such as skunks or groundhogs. These wild animals are more likely to burrow underneath a fence rather than try to go over it. If you are dealing with small to medium-sized animals, you should consider a lower fence of 4 – 5 feet that will be buried at least a few inches below the ground to prevent the animals from digging underneath it.

In this type of fence, an apron of wire is usually buried at least 2 feet deep around the outside perimeter to discourage burrowing. As this fence also works for smaller animals, make sure to use a minimum mesh size of 2 inches’ square – otherwise, some pests can slip through wire fences.

⎆ Large animals

Very often larger animals mean bigger problems. In the case of dealing with wildlife such as deer, moose, elk, or others, you will have to invest a bit more time, money, and effort into securing your garden. These raiders require a minimum 6-foot-high fence, but ideally, you should choose an 8 foot one to be safe. Animals like deer are born to run swiftly and jump, therefore most of the usual yard fences don’t pose any challenge for them.

⎆ Other things to keep in mind

Identifying the pests you are dealing with is definitely something you should start with, however, there are some universal tips that you should keep in mind at all times.

• Solid fences are always the best option as they provide a visual block, therefore the animals don’t know what they are missing. If a hungry animal sees available food in your yard, it will try harder to get through any fence;
• Electric fences are certainly more expensive, but often can be more effective than solid fences and have less impact on the view from your yard;
• Before choosing a fence, you should always check local ordinances; in some areas, large fences may violate codes or block desired views.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can find more skunk prevention information here.

Thanks for reading and if you have questions or comments please leave them in the comment section below. You will also find several informative links to all things design for your home or business.

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