Family Rural Lifestyle 7 homemade wildlife and pest control hacks to try on your farm Trying to keep wildlife and other pests away from your farmland and your animals this summer? Successful Farming and All Around The Homestead have seven homemade hacks that are ready to try. By Successful Farming Staff Successful Farming Staff The content on Agriculture.com is by created by trained journalists who have become subject-matter experts in their fields. You may see some content using the byline "Successful Farming Staff." The content is primarily from information or a press release provided by other entities – such as the USDA, a university, or agricultural company. The press release has been vetted and reviewed by a staff editor. The content is edited and changed to reflect the voice and style of Successful Farming. Successful Farming's Editorial Guidelines Published on May 23, 2024 In This Article View All In This Article Fence fasteners No wasps Minty mice Nature’s pest control Suet holder Duck house baffle Rustic feeding station Close Deer grazing at Olympic National Park, Washington. Photo: © .Bala via Flickr Trying to keep wildlife and other pests away from your farmland and your animals this summer? Successful Farming and All Around The Homestead have seven homemade hacks that are ready to try. Fence fasteners Illustrations by Lant Elrod I have to fence in my gardens to keep deer, rabbits, porcupines, and other animals from grazing. To keep the fence tight at the bottom, I make stakes from metal hangers. –L.M., Maine 11 homemade livestock and ranch hacks to try on your farm No wasps All Around The Homestead To keep wasps and bees from building nests in the electrical boxes on your farm, put one livestock fly ear tag in each box. It will keep bugs away for about six months. –J.M., Texas Minty mice Treehugger / Jordan Provost Do you have a problem with mice or rats getting into your animal feed bags? Simply rub a bit of peppermint essential oils onto the perimeter of the sack. Rodents steer clear of this smell! –J.J., Virginia Nature’s pest control Sandra Standbridge / Getty Images Poison and trapping weren’t controlling the gophers in my alfalfa field, so I made some perches for owls and hawks. With a place to roost, owls and hawks control gophers and ground squirrels for about 50 yards around each perch. The badgers’ food supply is gone, too. —T.P., Iowa Suet holder All Around the Homestead We were plagued with blue jays stealing the suet from our feeder, so my husband added chains around the rain dome, making it harder for the blue jays to fly in and out. It seems to be working; the young woodpeckers appreciate the extra help! –L.Z., Pennsylvania 9 homemade garden hacks Duck house baffle All Around The Homestead Protect wood duck eggs from predators by repurposing a Christmas tree stand as a baffle. Simply cut a hole in the bottom of the stand, slip the stand on a timber pole, and secure it in place with eyebolts. Fill any gaps with spray insulation. –R.D., Texas Rustic feeding station All Around the Homestead Want to create a natural wildlife feeding environment or a place to display seasonal decorations? The materials may be close by. Timber a dead tree trunk or straight limb and plant it into a deep hole. Trim branches for hanging feeders, suet, or corncobs. –R.W., Indiana Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit