Varmint Wars

I was dismayed to step out on the deck yesterday and see a brown shape near my garden.  I initially thought I had left a log out there, but I gave a shrill whistle and it turned to look.  A groundhog!  And it was checking out my garden enclosure.

Well, I sort of trust the garden enclosure.  Its chicken wire around all the sides and top, and there is even 2' of chicken wire off the sides and onto the lawn to discourage exactly that varmint digging under the enclosure.

But I'd rather not have a groundhog beat my defenses one day when my melons are ALMOST ripe.  So I set my live have-a-hart cage baited with a melon slice and strawberry trimmings.  Caught it that night!

I dispatched it humanely and swiftly as possible.  It is now returned to the environment...  I found the burrow and dumped a load of cat poop in there.  There is probably another opening to the burrow, but it seems to have pulled the boards off around the bottom of my raised toolshed and I can't get at anything under the toolshed easily.

So this time I will place cinderblocks against the boards and hope that discourages any new groundhog visitors looking for new homes.

I guard my garden zealously!