Install fine netting on a simple hoop frame to protect watermelons from birds, insects, and small animals. Use fencing to protect watermelons from small animals, or to protect your melon patch from deer. Place melon cages over your watermelon plants to protect them from birds and animals.
What animal is eating my watermelon?
Animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, deer and woodchucks enjoy puncturing and eating melon crops. Coyotes and domesticated dogs also enjoy biting into sweet melons. Raccoons and birds make holes in the tops of melons and scoop or suck juices from the fruit’s inside.
How do you protect your watermelon farm?
Coolong stresses that the best way to protect vines is to turn them back in drive rows. Watermelon fields are set up in several groups of five or six beds that are divided by larger drive rows, which make the vines accessible by farm equipment.
How do you keep pests off watermelon?
How to Keep Bugs Off Watermelons
- Avoid planting the watermelons too early in the season when the soil is cold.
- Use floating row covers to keep the soil warm and to protect the plants from green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), a common watermelon pest.
- Prevent additional watermelon stresses, such as infertile, dry soil.
What backyard animals eat watermelon?
15 Animals Who Are Really Into Snacking On Some Watermelon
- Squirrels. tinierthings.wordpress.com.
- Apes. A Cute A Day.
- Guinea Pigs. Dodo Shows. Soulmates.
- Lemur. tinierthings.wordpress.com.
- Chickens. animalseatingwatermelon.tumblr.com.
- Dogs (corgis, in particular) Reddit.
- Tortoises.
- Bunnies.
How do you keep coyotes away from watermelons?
Over the years, the only deterrent we have found that works is putting a tomato cage over the watermelons as they start to grow. The coyotes have yet to figure out how to move the cages and the melons can’t be pulled through the wire. We manage to save a few watermelons each year using this method.
How do you keep raccoons away from watermelons?
Fences for Raccoons
The best way to keep raccoons out of the corn patch—or melons, tomatoes, and anything else that is ripe and tasty—is to exclude them from the area. Fencing works well, although raccoons are excellent climbers.
How do I keep squirrels from eating my watermelon?
Build a Fence
Ground squirrels are persistent pests, but the right type of fence around your watermelons and other valuable plants can be effective at keeping them out. Use 1/2- to 1-inch wire mesh that is at least 42 inches high.
What do you put under watermelon?
When you’ve got watermelon fruits growing, you’ll want to make sure they don’t touch the soil. In order to grow great watermelons, you’ll need to put a barrier between the watermelons and the ground. This is to reduce the risk of rot and disease. Good ground barriers are straw, or even cardboard.
Do rats eat watermelon?
Rats, much like people, love sugary treats, and sweet fruits are no exception. Berries are especially a hit with rats. Be aware that red berries can turn a rat’s stool red, which can resemble blood. Other fruits to feed pet rats include pears, watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, peaches, plums and grapes.
What pest eats watermelon?
Pickleworm and melonworm rarely attack watermelon. The principal insect and mite pests on watermelons in Florida are aphids, rindworms (caterpillars feeding on the rind, including beet and fall armyworms, cabbage looper, tobacco budworm, corn earworm, saltmarsh caterpillar, and others), whiteflies, and thrips.
What do you spray watermelon plants with?
Contact fungicides should be the backbone of most cantaloupe and watermelon spray schedules. Two contact fungicides for this purpose have the active ingredient chlorothalonil or mancozeb. They may be used all season-long.
What are the common pest in watermelon?
Insect pests of watermelon: A number of insect species including caterpillars, mites and thrips can cause damage to the plants but are readily controlled using registered insecticides. Aphids can be very damaging as they are the vector for mosaic viruses. Sucks sap and weakens plant.
Do snakes like watermelon?
Snakes do not, nor should not eat fruit. Snakes are strict carnivores and do not have the necessary microbes in their gut to process and break down the fiber and sugars found in fruit. This reptile’s gut system cannot support plant-eating behavior, so you should avoid feeding fruit at all costs.
Will squirrels eat watermelon plants?
Yes, animals like tree squirrels, rabbits, bugs, etc are common pests that damage garden plants such as watermelon plants. Raccoons and birds make holes throughout the melons which helps them to extract the sweet juice from within.
How do I keep deer from eating my watermelon?
Human hair (such as from a barber or hairdresser) and bar soap, also Bounce fabric softener sheets, are said to keep the deer away. For whatever reason, deer hate the smell of Irish Spring soap. Drive several stakes around the watermelon patch and hang a bar of it from each.
What smells keep coyotes away?
➢ Ammonia-soaked rags or apply to an area with a squirt bottle. Must be re-applied over time/after rain. ➢ Motion lighting, strobe lighting, and blinking holiday lights. ➢ Other odor deterrents (such as cayenne pepper or vinegar in water guns or balloons, etc).
Will a coyote eat watermelons?
Despite their reputation for grabbing small animals, coyotes also love juicy watermelons, especially in dry summer weather, just like humans do. The damage to watermelon crops can be extensive, with reports of coyotes eating as many as 20 melons in one night being common.
What are coyotes afraid of?
In truth, coyotes are afraid of people, objects thrown in their direction, loud noisemakers and sounds, bright lights, and predator urine. All of these can help to repel and deter coyotes from your property.
Will vinegar keep raccoons away?
Raccoons hate the smell of apple cider vinegar (and so do some humans!). Soak a cloth in apple cider vinegar and place it in an aerated container near the den. The smell will deter them!
What do raccoons hate?
Hot pepper, garlic, peppermint oil, onion, and Epsom salt are a few scents used to repel raccoons. Read on to see how you can discourage these pests from entering your house and make sure that they’re out for good.