Fencing out Wildlife

Nothing is more awe-inspiring than catching a glimpse of deer or chipmunks in your front or back garden. We all love the beauty of wildlife, yet it has a downside. And, depending on your location, different states or provinces across North America present wildly different wildlife encounters.

The growing urbanization of North America has altered the typical patterns of wildlife habitats. Many animals have learned to adapt to people in proximity. Whether they’re seeking food, shelter, or a place to nest their young ones, animals often look for places near or inside communities.

In certain areas, bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, moose, alligators, and even snakes are a direct and imposing threat to not just people, pets, crops, or livestock - but to property as well. While in urban communities, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, opossums, chipmunks, deer, and rabbits present multiple levels of concern – damaging gardens, further compromising fences, attacking children, and small pets, burrowing near or under foundations – the list is endless. Damages are not just unsightly; they can be surprisingly disastrous and always costly. These animals can damage crops, attack people, pets and livestock, damage home, vehicles, and outbuildings, just to name a few risks. Fencing can also be destroyed and allow wildlife access if it’s not in good repair. But protecting an urban or rural property can be done quickly with the right type of fencing and fence maintenance protection plan.

The best defense starts with a fence.

Start asking what the property’s fence needs are and the type of wildlife intrusions it might be facing: • Is it in in the country, the suburbs, or the city? • What kind of animals are local to the area? • What are the critical seasonal factors? Remember, animals are not unlike people; their priority is caring for their young. Spring is often the time when they look for nesting places. • What’s the state of the existing fence? Can it be easily breached? Does it need a total replacement, an addition, repairs, or replacements?

Make a solid investment.

Throughout North America, property fence lines are a number one priority. Many homeowners have fences to create privacy first and security second. If there is a pool or a hot tub, a fence is necessary to prevent trespassing or even an accidental drowning. The same can be said for wildlife – how many homeowners have ever had to scoop out drowned skunks, bunnies, or raccoons?

A fence that’s well planned, professionally designed, constructed, and maintained will protect property from wild intruders, season after season. When you factor in the cost of professional wildlife control, a fence represents an important investment. “Discuss the extra costs the homeowner could avoid by properly planning or maintaining their fence line,” says Al Martins of Fence Armor. “If an existing fence has weakened boards or posts, or if there’s evidence of digging under panels, or posts, chances are there is a family of critters, or multiple families calling their backyard ‘home’ already.”

It’s essential to keep fence panels and posts in proper repair as rabbits, snakes, and alligators can quickly push through weakened areas at the bottom of these panels. “Consider replacing rotted, leaning, or unstable posts with posts that are reinforced with the protection of Postsaver, below ground,” says Martins. “It’s also important to think about protecting these posts against trimmer damage – and even gnawing wildlife with Fence Armor Post Guards.”

Leaning fence posts will pull entire panels out of alignment, creating the perfect opportunity for the fence line to be breached, above and below. Hungry, determined, larger, or more dangerous wildlife, such as coyotes, bears, or cougars, can easily gain access to yards that to do not present a fortified front against their intrusions.

Small wildlife intrusion prevention.

During the process of repairing existing fence posts, it may be wise to consider installing a multi-purpose mesh barrier, such as chicken wire or a poly-hex patterned mesh at the base of each fence panel. Proper installation of this product

requires it to be secured to the length of the fence, with at least 6˝ of the material buried underground. This prevents burrowing or digging critters, as well as snakes and alligators, from breaching the fence line at ground level. “The most common fence types for this form of mesh are wood or vinyl privacy fences,” adds Martins. “However, chain link, ornamental, or even 3’ tall picket fences could benefit from this level of protection.”

Larger wildlife intrusion prevention.

In most cases, living in a rural area offers the greatest challenges. Larger animals such as deer, caribou, and moose, or more dangerous animals like bears, cougars, wolves, coyotes, or foxes, are most often searching for food – and it’s not always in the form of what’s in your garbage bin or growing in your garden. They can pose a real threat to property owners, pets, crops, and livestock alike.

“Although the property owner may have considerable acreage to protect. a ranch fence is still the best protection against wildlife intrusions” says Martins. “A two, three, or even four-rail fence will pay for itself in protection. And you can – and should – bolster it with extras, such as wire mesh to keep smaller animals out, and fence caps, or post guards to prevent deer, cattle, goats, sheep, and horses from nibbling at the tops or bottoms of posts.”

Proper design, build. maintenance schedules and defensive products will always protect the investment of any fence line far longer than if it were sitting in the ground with no protection or maintenance plan.

Build an effective electric fence.

If the rural fence is compromised, it may be worthwhile for the property owner to invest in additional preventative measures, such as electric fencing. Martins says to always check with your municipality regarding fencing restrictions. Building an excellent electric fence is important to the health and well-being of livestock and wildlife. It’s safe to use with animals because it doesn’t harm livestock or wildlife. It simply redirects them safely.

“Good fences make good neighbors” is an old saying that applies to more than humans. “Clearly, we want to live in harmony with animals that inhabit our communities – but that doesn’t mean allowing them access to our property,” says Martins. “By choosing the right kind of fencing, we can easily live in peace with our animal neighbors without the risk of destruction, disease, or nasty confrontations.”

Fence Armor designs, manufactures, and distributes products that provide outstanding post protection above and below the ground line. Visit www.FenceArmor.com for sustainable and effective fence maintenance products and other helpful tips on building a fence that delivers long-term benefits.