Urban Wildlife

Last night's speaker at my monthly Master Gardener meeting was from the Colorado Division of Wildlife.  Ashley gave a great lecture and slide show concerning the urban wildlife we have in Denver.  She pointed out how we have created a habitat for the red fox, raccoon, fox squirrel, skunk, coyote and many more. Just think about it, if you were one of these small animals would you choose to live in the desert or in an area where there are ponds for water, shrubbery to lie under out of the sun, gardens for you to pick your food and raised porches/decks that you could live under where you would be protected from the elements and predators?  Unfortunately, these animals usually feed on our spring and summer gardens, and that makes them not welcome visitors to our homes. Even though it seems counter productive, in some instances it's wise to set up a feeding station in the opposite corner of your yard to draw their attention away from your prized vegetables.

From  www.urbanwildliferescue.org is a recipe that will deter animals without the use of potentially dangerous chemicals. It is safe for use around pets and children.

Hot Pepper Repellent Recipe:

Ingredients: One Chopped yellow onion

                  One chopped jalapeno pepper

                  One Tablespoon of Cayenne pepper

Boil Ingredients for 20 minutes in two quarts of water.  Let cool and strain the mixture through cheesecloth.  Apply with a pesticide sprayer or a spray bottle.  This will deter just about any animal from an area where it is applies.  It will last about 3-5 days.  Reapply as needed.  Typically after maintaining it for a week to several weeks the animals will stop coming around.  May need to reapply sporadically as a "reminder".