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Rodents are a problem for Canadian farmers, gardeners, and keepers of chicken. They are very good at hiding and they reproduce faster than most of us can keep up. Besides the messes they can make, it is important that you keep rodents away from your livestock because they are carriers of disease. Rodents spread harmful pathogens that can infect both humans and animals.

Mice and rats are attracted to barns and chicken coops for their warmth, security, and easy access to food. If you’ve started a hobby farm, you may be wondering how to keep them out. The key is to physically exclude them from the coop and to keep food out of reach. The following lists what you can do to keep rodents and other creatures out of the chicken coop, so your chickens can be safe.

1. Exclude the chicken coop

The first thing you should do when managing rodents is to block the pests out of the coop. Seal up any gaps you find in the structure of the coop so that mice and rats cannot get in. Remember that mice can squeeze through gaps only 6mm wide. Use caulking or mesh to fill in the gaps.

Ideally, your chicken coop should be above ground. Rats are burrowers that dig tunnels to get around. Dig a trench around your chicken run, then secure a mesh along the sides of the fence. Ensure the mesh is at least a foot deep into the ground to prevent rats from digging through. Use a quarter-inch, 16-gauge, galvanized steel mesh or similar. Bury the mesh when you’re done. For bonus protection, you can cover the ground with concrete.

2. Store feed in sealed containers

Proper feed storage is a must. Store feed in airtight containers and keep them in a shed, out of reach. The better the seal, the less it will smell to rodents. Use heavy plastic or metal containers that cannot be chewed through and place the containers above ground, in a cool, dry place. Remove feed from the chicken run at night so you do not attract predators.

3. Switch to an automatic chicken feeder

Some feeders are designed to reduce waste and lessen the risk of a pest problem. Check out covered automatic feeders that open only when they are triggered. It is only when a hen steps onto the platform that the feeder’s lid opens, and the chicken can feed. These feeders require a little training upfront for the chickens to understand, but they will get the hang of it in no time.

4. Clean regularly

Every night, remove wasted and extra feed and throw it out or use it for compost. Pick up spilled feet as best as you can. You should also clean up droppings from your dropping boards every day and clean up the floor of your run if you have one. Rodents are just as likely to eat droppings as they are to eat feed. Deep clean the coop every 6 months and keep it clean.

5. Maintain the yard

Mice and rats love clutter and foliage where they can hide. So, it’s important that you maintain the exterior of the chicken coop as well. Pull weeds, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and keep the yard and garden as tidy as you can. Keep woodpiles away from the chicken coop. If you grow fruits and vegetables, cover them in an ultra-fine mesh to help keep pests out. Harvest your produce on time and don’t let anything rot on the ground.

6. Use proper fencing

Rodents, raccoons, and other animals can tear through chicken wire. If you want to keep rodents out, the best fencing consists of welded, galvanized steel mesh. Use a 16-gauge, quarter-inch mesh so that rodents cannot chew through. Use this same material to secure the perimeter of the run, one foot underground.

A small bird’s beak can cause big trouble in your garden. Just let the feathered reach the tasty plants and seedlings, and you will see. Fortunately, you are already reading this quick guide by Pest Control Hacks experts and will learn how to protect your entire garden from hungry birds’ invasions.

Employ Bird Deterrents

Placing the right bird deterrents in the right places can make your garden a lot less attractive landing surface. Here are some of the best options you have:

• Repellent disks or reflective scare tape – this humane deterrent uses sunlight to scare small and medium birds with sunlight reflections. It’s also a pretty nice accessory for any garden! If you live in a sunny area, hang repellent disks around the garden for extra protection. Reflective scare tape works the same way, but you can apply it to any landing site to make it unattractive. Both remedies aren’t that effective against large birds, though.
• Bird spikes – these aggressive deterrent is very effective against those larger birds as it doesn’t let them land without hurting themselves. It’s probably too powerful for small birds, but can be used if you don’t have any other choice but to combat large pests with sharp metal spikes.
• Gel bird deterrents – gel deterrents can be applied to any surfaces that look like potential pest landing sites. The sticky texture of gel makes them feel uncomfortable and avoid the site in the future. It’s a 100% humane remedy that won’t deal any damage to your property.
• Fake horned owls – most small birds are very scared of owls. A fake owl can effectively deter smaller species during the day and at night. Look for the owls that can make sounds, turn their heads, and/or flash their eyes as they look more natural to other species. Don’t forget to relocate the decoy regularly to maintain the high grade of realism. You can also try fake snakes, but they might scare you as well!
• Put garden spinners (wind vanes) and windchimes – spinners can produce sudden movements when the wind blows, which can be quite scary for those smaller birds. Windchimes works the same way but also produce sounds for a better effect.

Cast Garden Netting or Fleece

Garden netting isn’t the most aesthetical solution, but definitely the most effective way to protect plants from pest infringements. You can place hoops of any shape and height above the plant beds and cast butterfly netting over them to create impenetrable protective barriers. The good news is that butterfly netting lets in beneficial insects. You have to keep the netting pulled taunt to ensure that those determined birds don’t get caught in the loose netting.

It’s also not recommended to use standard bird netting as it catches birds very easily due to the larger holes. Finally, the netting must be made of temperature and UV-resistant material. Low-quality materials break and quickly become hazardous for the wildlife and the environment. Alternatively, you can cover some of the smaller greens with garden fleece.

Let the Dogs Out

That’s right, you can train your dog (if it’s big enough) to scare away the birds. Isn’t it a great option?

Relocate the Birds

Some species, including pheasants, feral chickens, and alike, can be live-trapped and relocated if the local population is too large and encroaches on your garden all the time. Unfortunately, this won’t work with pigeons, magpies, or crows as they are clever enough to return.

Don’t Forget About the Benefits

Even though the birds can destroy your garden, many of them are also beneficial and can save the plants from dangerous insects! Analyze what’s more dangerous and make the right moves to protect the greens.

Fallen leaves can be a serious issue. Especially if you don’t know how to deal with them. Hopefully, you find this guide before your yard drowns in leaves as it will help you prepare in advance. Use our best tips to get rid of leaves effectively and get the most out of them afterward!

Shred (Mulch) The Leaves

If processing the fallen leaves sounds like the best option for you, prepare your leaf shredder to make some high-quality mulch! But are your $100-$200 worth an option to shred leaves into smaller pieces? The answer is yes, regardless of the use case. First, you can mulch leaves to reduce the space they take. It can simplify disposal a lot. Second, you can use the mulch around the garden to:

• suppress weed growth in the plant beds;
• prevent plants from frosting in winter;
• improve soil drainage for plants that require well-drained soil;
• improve soil nutrient capacity;
• make the garden bed look more visually appealing in places where lawn cannot be grown.

Compost or Make Leaf Mold

Alternatively, you can use leaf mulch as a brown material for your compost pile or make leaf mold. The first option requires mixing the mulch with other compost materials in the right proportions. It’s a good way to process any organic litter and reuse it for good. Fallen leaves include the important nitrogen component that balances nitrogen levels in the compost.

If your compost pile is full, you can store the leaves in garden composters and take out the brown matter when needed. The second option requires you to rake the leaves into one huge pile. Keep the leaves moist, and you will receive a valuable soil conditioner in 1-3 years. You can later add it to the tired garden or potting soil to supply it with more calcium and magnesium.

Vacuum Them Up

If raking the leaves and mulching them afterward isn’t the best option for you, you can benefit from using a vacuum leaf shredder. These tools let you simply vacuum the leaves from the entire yard and mulch them right away. Once the container gets full, you can easily relocate the leaves into the trash bags for disposal or anywhere else for processing.

Mow the Leaves into Lawn

This may sound crazy, but you can actually mulch the leaves with the mulching lawnmower and leave them right on the lawn as a fertilizer. Set the blades 3” high and mow once a week until the leaves stop falling. Evenly spread mulch will fertilize the soil and add up the strength to your lawn. However, you should avoid thick layers of leaves as they may block oxygen and destroy entire patches of the lawn. Use rakes to spread the mulch more evenly if needed.

Use Leaves to Store Root Vegetables

Root vegetables, such as kale, carrots, and kale can be stored between the layers of fresh, crisp leaves. Blow or rake some leaves into a bag, relocate them to a cool humid spot and put all your carrots, beet, and any other root veggies to keep them fresh for months. You can sprinkle the layers of leaves with some water to make the environment more humid if it’s too dry.

Use Leaves as Insulation

Unmulched fallen leaves can be used as winter insulation for trees and shrubs. You have to circle plants with wire fencing and fill the space inside with leaves. They will keep the temperature higher up until spring. When the warmer days come, simply remove the fences and relocate the leaves to the compost bin.

The Most Underrated Crops

Congratulations! Your gardening skills are now much more advanced. You can give a second life to the fallen leaves in your yard and save up on fertilizers and disposal. The power of the fallen leaves is underrated, but it is all under your control now!