Protecting Urban Crops from Wildlife

Urban gardening contributes to food security by providing community members with access to food within their own yard and neighborhood. One challenge urban gardeners may experience is damage to crops from wildlife. Wildlife damage poses a costly threat to urban crops and can be very discouraging for an urban gardener.

There are a variety of techniques that can be used to prevent and reduce wildlife damage to crops. Identifying potential problems and implementing appropriate methods will aid in growing a more successful and less-stressful crop.

Identifying the types of wildlife that are likely to enjoy your garden will help determine which strategies to invest in. Strategies used to protect urban crops from wildlife are usually a combination of:

  • Fencing
  • Barriers
  • Repellants and deterrents
  • Ecosystem management approaches

Below is a list of resources that will assist in protecting urban crops from wildlife. Note that some of these practices are targeted towards larger-scale farm operations, however many of these practices can be scaled down to be used in an urban setting.

Resources: