Are you designing your garden and looking for suitable fencing options that match your desired aesthetic? Or perhaps you already have a garden that is being regularly vandalized by unidentified visitors? To help you garden without your plants being invaded, we’ve researched the best protective fencing that will truly guard your garden against mischievous bugs.
We have developed elaborate fortress-like protections alongside basic fishing line designs, tailored to each of the primary garden menaces: deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and gophers.
Most gardeners expand their gardening skills by learning about the little menaces that invade their gardens and how they can be blocked out with simple yet reliable techniques.
Garden Pest Identification
Identifying the garden intruder is important because it decides the type of fencing to implement. Therefore, the very first step involves determining the potential threat. These are some of the most easily identifiable pests that can be repelled using a fence.
While traversing similar areas, don’t hesitate to ask local gardeners or plant nurseries as they are equipped with knowledge about the wider neighborhood.
Deer: While deer can be observed at dawn and dusk, they are primarily nocturnal. When feeding, they often tear at plants and leave rough, shredded or uprooted vegetation in their wake.
Deer reach much higher than other common pests, so damage more than two feet off the ground is a strong indicator. To familiarize yourself with deer identification and habits, go through these resources:
- What Deer Damage Looks Like (Fine Gardening) – Discusses how to identify deer damage with lots of exemplifying cases.
- Reducing Deer Damage at Home and on the Farm (Clemson University Extension) – A thorough analysis of deer damage, looking into all types of control measures.
Rabbits: They especially enjoy nibbling on new growth and tender young plants. Damage includes neater incisors, leaving about 45-degree angle cuts on leaves and stems.
Most active during twilight hours, rabbits are the cause of small round brownish-green droppings. This behavior along with damaging up to 2.5 feet above the ground, peaking in the spring and early summer. Here is a resource for identifying the rabbit behavior outlined above:
- Our Family’s Square Foot Garden – A video that showcases rabbit damage in the garden.
- Cottontail Rabbits (PennState University Extension) – An extensive discussion of control measures for rabbits.
Groundhogs / Woodchucks: Woodchucks are known for their nibbling habits on vegetables. An example would be cucumbers or beans with bite marks on them.
Additionally, woodchucks are known for devouring carrot tops. They are diurnal, with activity peaking in the early morning. They possess a large burrow with an equally sized entrance and an adjacent dirt pile.
- Protect Your Garden From Woodchuck Damage (VegetableGardener.com) – This article provides a summary about woodchucks, focusing on their garden damage and how to identify their burrows.
Gophers: Unlike gophers, pocket gophers work both day and night, primarily targeting root crops. Additionally, gophers will consume the roots of flowering plants and shrubs. Gophers or pocket gophers can be found above the surface eating soft vegetation. Tunneling is another characteristic of the gophers.
- Gopher ID 101 – Discussing the distinguishing features of a gopher hole compared to those of moles and voles.
- Pocket Gophers (Utah State University) – Discusses the general overview of gophers and control measures available.
Best Fence Solutions
It is time to explore different fencing possibilities once you have selected the pest(s) you wish to defend against. This is when you assess comprehensive garden fencing options (or solutions) that could work for your garden.
While some fencing options are considered inexpensive and straightforward, others might be effective but visually unappealing. To make informed decisions, we have consolidated various options and provided sources for further reading so you make the best choice.
Best Garden Fencing for White-Tailed Deer
White-tailed deer can jump to a height of 8 feet and crawl under 3 feet tall fences. Besides being willing to effortlessly step over, they are also nimble enough to take down weak fences by leaning or running through them. These videos are great visual examples.
- Deer Jump 12-Point Whitetail – A great example of how exuberantly a deer can jump and incredibly effortless it looks.
- The Deer Fence – This is a footage of deer on night cameras of them crawling under fences.
Fences and fencing solutions are typically 8 feet tall, electrified, or utilize a double-fence barrier (two fences 3 feet apart). Deer will avoid jumping into spaces where they cannot visually assess the area, or where there does not seem to be a secure landing zone.
They also avoid places where it seems they might get cornered. The effectiveness of the fence depends on the level of desperation on the part of the deer population — a high population of deer in the area combined with scarce food will encourage stronger attempts to access your garden. Some great examples of deer-proof fencing designs:
- Innovative Deer Fence (Michigan Land Use Institute) – At this Michigan blueberry farm, an 8-foot fence is topped with an outward-angled, 45-degree overhang. A combination of metal and wooden poles supports the fence, which has seven strands of wire placed every 12 inches, some of which are electrified.
- How to Build an Inexpensive Deer Fence (Jennifer’s Garden) – With a height of 7 feet, this fence is built using metal electrical conduits and bird netting. While it is easy to construct and inexpensive, it is not built to last.
- Gallagher Food Plot Protector Fence (Agway) – This fencing system consists of a simple double fence arrangement comprised of two electric fences. The use of fiberglass posts, polywire and polytape adds to its simplicity. The inner fence contains two polywire strands at heights of 10 inches and 24 inches. The outer fence contains a polytape strand set at 18 inches.
- How to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden – This is one of the cheapest fences one can make. This design features fishing line, tin cans, and plastic buckets and is only suitable for seasonal gardens that are not heavily populated with deer.
- Feral Pigs and Deer Controlled with Mega Fence (Georgia Peanut Commission) – This design is more advanced than the previous electric fence. It features a double fence design with one high-tensile electric fence with strands at 18, 36, and 54 inch heights, and a second electric fence three feet away from the first fence on the outside with one wire placed 18 inches above the ground. Although high-tensile fences require more work to install, they are one of the most durable options, lasting up to 20 years.
- A Deer-Proof Vegetable Garden Plan (Hubpages) – This plan includes 4-foot tall plastic mesh fencing and raised beds positioned closely together. The theory is that the raised beds act as a double barrier as the deer would perceive them as a broad jump with no clear landing zone. Would probably be enhanced by using lots of vertical structures to support the plants in the raised beds.
- Building Our Vegetable Garden Fence (Country Basket) – This section has an interesting photo essay on the construction of a fenced garden gate. The fence is made of 18 inches of chicken wire, 4 feet of wire mesh, topped with two strands of electric wire. Combining materials always helps in creating a tall fence while minimizing costs.
- To Get In, the Deer Have to Knock (New York Times) – This gorgeous and intricate garden design includes raised beds surrounded by tall walls and netting over the top which fully encloses the beds.
- Deer-Proof Electric Fence (Fine Gardening) – A solitary electric fence consisting of a single strand set at 30 inches would be considered simple. This version uses polytape treated with an odor-based deer repellent.
- A Better Deer Fence (Permaculture Activist) – This creative design resembles a double fence, except the inner “fence” consists of poles with wires attached to the top that connect to the outer fence.
- Deer Fencing (Notes from Windward) – An inexpensive way to extend the height of a fence is with baling twine. Simply extend your fence poles and string baling twine in strands spaced 12 inches apart.
- How to Build a Wood Privacy Fence (Buildipedia) – A six-foot privacy fence also works as an effective deer barrier because deer do not like to jump into areas they cannot see. These barriers, however, can be costly and can negatively impact the amount of sunlight your garden receives.
- Construct a Chicken Moat (Mother Earth News) – If you utilize a double-fence system and are wondering what to do with the space in between the fences, you might consider using it as a chicken moat!
- Houzz.com – Top landscape architects have uploaded images of attractive deer-proof fences for you to browse.
- TheDeerFence.com – This custom fence company located in New York showcases various deer fences and gates they have built on their website.
Best Garden Fencing for Rabbits
Rabbits can jump up to 3 feet high but are rarely inclined to do so. Any opening larger than their head is easy for them to squeeze through. While they will not actively dig to burrow, rabbits will crawl under gaps in fences.
- Rabbit Eating Garden Plants – An interesting video showing a speedy bunny munching on plants.
- One Rabbit Escapes from Cage – Adorable clip depicting a rabbit easily escaping through chicken wire by digging.
- Danish Rabbit Hopping Championships 2010 – Yes, there really is a championship for rabbit hopping and it’s quite fascinating.
While rabbits are not particularly adept at jumping, they do require a thick fence with no openings larger than 1 inch to prevent chewing. The fence should also be reinforced a few inches below ground to minimize the chances of burrowing.
- How to Install a Rabbit-Proof Fence (Howcast) – The fence is made from metal poles and vinyl-coated chicken wire, with the bottom section buried three inches under the soil. The coated chicken wire is a smart choice as bare metal rusts very quickly when covered with soil.
- Rabbit Fencing (eHowPets) – In this video, a segment of chicken wire is attached to the bottom of a pre-existing fence for the purpose of rabbit proofing it.
- How to Protect the Vegetable Garden (Heirloom Gardener) – To combat the rabbits, this gardener built 5 × 8 screens to surround her raised beds after two attempts with fencing had failed.
- How to Build an Anti-Rabbit Fence and Coldbox Frame (Tiny Prairie Farm) – This raised bed fence incorporates a wooden frame installed over the top, which allows the fence to support plastic and serve as a cold frame in spring and fall.
- Rock Solid Raised Bed (Handpicked Nation) – A 24 inch or taller raised stone block (or wood) bed effectively deters rabbits.
- The Art of the Electric Garden Fence (Mother Earth News) – Electric polywire or electric netting can also deter rabbits. One electric wire placed 3-4 inches off the ground is often enough. If you use netting, always ensure it is kept electrified, or rabbits will chew right through it.
Best Garden Fencing for Groundhogs / Woodchucks
These animals are tricky to keep out of gardens because they can both fly and burrow far down. The babies are adept at squeezing into small openings too. Take a look at these two videos to observe them up close:
- Woodchuck Eating Tree Leaves – This shows just how quickly a groundhog can consume leaves.
- Groundhog Climbing 12 Foot Fence – This demonstrates why just building a tall fence doesn’t work to keep groundhogs out.
To keep groundhogs from burrowing under the fence, it is important to extend the fence sideways at a 90 degree angle and bury it a few inches underground. For gnawing or burrowing groundhogs, the fence needs to be made of strong material that does not have any gaps bigger than 2 inches.
As for the height, the fence should be three feet high and wobbly at the top to deter climbing. The top foot of the fence can either be electrified wire or loose so groundhogs cannot easily scale it.
- C-Fence To Protect Garden (Completely Nourished) uses basic materials such as chicken wire. The fence comprised four feet of chicken wire with the top foot loosened and bent outwards, while the bottom foot also bent outwards at 90 degrees forming a ‘C’ shape.
- Groundhogs: Living with Wildlife (Mass Audubon) adds to this design by not bending the bottom half of the fence. Instead, they have the bottom of the fence extend horizontally, creating a flat base so the structure maintains static stability. In this case, the vertical fence would have to be fastened to the horizontal fence at intervals for maximum tension.
- Addressing Woodchuck Damage (University of New Hampshire) – This comprehensive analysis of groundhog control methods suggests using an electric fence with wires set at 4 and 8 inches above ground level.
Best Garden Fencing for Gophers
Gophers typically approach from underground, but they can also come from above the ground. They can climb over short fences or duck under and through them.
- Gopher In the Garden – Although gophers are generally elusive, they were caught on camera in this video.
- An Evaluation of Fencing to Exclude Pocket Gophers (University of Nebraska) – This research shows that even burying the fence two feet deep may not be sufficient. Some studies reported observing them burrowing over six feet deep.
The best solution is raised beds lined with hardware cloth. In the absence of raised beds, fencing should be a minimum of one foot high, extending at least two feet into the ground. The mesh should have holes no larger than three-quarters of an inch in diameter.
For buried applications, always use galvanized or coated fencing, or apply two coats of rust-proof paint to untreated metal. Make sure to inspect the wire every year.
- Living With Wildlife: Pocket Gophers (Washington Fish & Wildlife) – This publication recommends that 1/2-inch mesh hardware cloth be buried at a depth of 24 inches with the bottom section extending outwards at a right angle for 6 inches.
- How to Gopher Proof Your Raised Bed Garden (Growing Your Greens) – This video suggests the use of 1/2-inch galvanized hardware cloth to cover the sides of the raised beds.
- How to Build a Gopher Cage (Tasty Landscape) – For individual trees or perennial plants, cages can be constructed using hardware cloth for protective gopher barriers.
- How to Gopher-Proof an Existing Raised Bed (Northcoast Gardening) – Cover the previously prepared raised bed using galvanized hardware cloth.
- My Critter-Proof Raised Bed Garden Beds (DoItYourself.com) – Although the cost of this design is high, the use of raised beds and tall fences offers full protection. Within the beds, hardware cloth is placed, and landscape fabric is laid within the walkways to prevent any burrowing pests.
Fencing Cost
The cost of fencing can differ significantly due to the materials chosen, as well as the height and length of the needed fence. Consider calculating the cost associated with the posts, fencing material, fasteners for securing the fence to the posts, tools like augers for digging the holes, electricity for chargers used to keep stray animals at bay, and of course, the labor and time for setting up the fence.
The initial cost of a fence has to be evaluated with its potential lifespan, maintenance requirements to retain its condition, and any recurring costs, such as electricity. The type of terrain also affects cost. Rocky, hilly, or swampy land increases both time and cost for installation.
Most of these estimate resources focus on livestock containment rather than pest deterrent. However, the objectives of both types of fencing are largely the same:
- Fencing Materials for Livestock Systems (Virginia Cooperative Extension) – This resource offers an overview of fencing, weighing the cost and durability of fence posts and fence materials, discussing woven wire, barbed wire, board fences, high-tensile wire, polywire, and polyribbon.
- Estimated Livestock Fencing Cost for the Small-Farm Owner (University of Florida) – Farm Owner (University of Florida) – Focuses on pricing of barbed wire and woven wire, compared to electrified polywire.
- Fencing Out Wildlife (USDA Forest Service) – Analyzes costs of materials and labor for electric polyrope, plastic mesh, and high-tensile electric fences.
Fencing Installation & Maintenance
Fences serve numerous purposes, including aesthetics, privacy, security, and animal control. Understanding the requirements for installation and maintenance of a fence is prerequisite to choosing a fencing solution. Details to assist you with sound fencing practices are provided in the following resources:
- Guide to How to Build a Fence (Mother Earth News) – Excellent general advice on fence building.
- How to Build Long-Lasting Gates (Mother Earth News) – Make sure that your garden gate is not your weakest link.
- The Art of Electric Garden Fence (Mother Earth News) – All you need to know about electric fences.
Fences require a lot of work and it therefore makes good sense to help them last as long as possible. A wooden fence to your garden will rot faster if you live in a moist environment, as will weeds. Any part of your fence that touches the ground should be treated in some way.
Metal needs to be galvanized, coated with vinyl, polyester, or sprayed with two coats of rust-proof paint. Wood should be rot resistant or pressure treated. If you are growing edible crops, ensure that any materials that will come in contact with the soil of your garden beds is non-toxic.
- Building Raised Beds for Planting (EcologyCenter.org) – Best practices for constructing raised beds related to durable materials over time, their toxicity levels, and environmental concern are well documented.
Establish a weed control plan for your fence line. An electric fence is susceptible to weeds shorting out the power. Conversely,Non-electric fences are susceptible to moisture retention and rapid mildew growth, which accelerate the deterioration of the fence.
Weeds give critters shelter while coming close to your fence. If weed trimming is part of your maintenance plan, make sure the fence can withstand attack from weed trimmers, which will sever plastic netting and become entangled in wire mesh.
Mulch and gravel are good materials which can be used along the fence to keep weeds at bay, as well as sheet metal. This barrier also aids in providing a clear view of the fence line while visually inspecting the fence.
- Ideas to Get Rid of Weeds Along Fence Row (GardenWeb) — This collection from the gardening forum provides a wide range of suggestions for weed control.