Keeping squirrels and mice and who knows what else out.

[ringstrue]

So I have two issues. The first is that I have a raised bed connected to my deck where I put all my strawberry plants. (as in, the 4th wall of the bed is the deck side) The issue is that it seems they have been eaten by whatever lives under the deck. The deck is only several inches off the ground, so really it's a perfect spot for a mole or rodent house. There are a few really obvious tunnels from the bed to under the deck. I have seen a mole family come out from under there in years past. 

I'm fine with the idea of poisoning them but I don't wanna do anything that compromises the berries. I put chewed gum down the holes last year (a trick I learned about on here) and I think it worked fine but I think I'll always have a rodent or two to worry about year to year. I've seen chipmunks too. 

Any advice for a good blockade between the bed and the deck?

The other issue is that I got squirrels who get all up in my beds whenever I do work in them. I put chicken wire up to keep rabbits out so I'm pretty sure its squirrels as the garden butts up to the privacy fence. There are holes in the loose soil where they have dug, it seems. 

The only things I've read that seems reasonable is sprinkling ground pepper all over everything repeatedly. So I'm just wondering if you guys knew of anything better before I buy a suitcase of pepper . 

[treedimensional]

Snakes.

[mrsreynolds4]

May 6, 2013 10:14:57 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Snakes.

::shudders::

The one thing I truly hate about gardening.  Cold chills just thinking about them.  Yes, even the harmless little garden snakes that love this part of Colorado.

[nomad100]

Could you use some of the stinky spray stuff (I can't think of which one I have used in the past) and spray it all on the bottom edge of the deck?

Other than that, I have nothing since we wage the same war every year with the squirrels in our yard/garden.