Pest-Proofing Your Garden by Ruth Harley

Author:Ruth Harley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 1977-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Electric Fence

An alternative to the coon cage is a length of electrified wire or two stretched above a conventional fence. If your garden is on a farm or in a sparsely populated area, the electric fence can be the ultimate solution to the entire animal pest problem. However, electric fences in residential areas are a touchy subject.

Many cities and towns have ordinances prohibiting the use of electric fence controllers — particularly homemade units. Prior to using electric fencing, consult your local officials about ordinances.

There are companies that manufacture components for electric fences designed for use with large domestic animals in rural settings. They do not recommend electric fencing in urban areas for small animals. However, the gardeners who are using just such fences are enthusiastic about them. They believe a combination of chicken wire or snow fence and electric fencing is the best solution to all animal pest problems. The electric charge is not sufficient to harm a child or pet, but is dangerous to the person with heart trouble who has a pacemaker.

The cost of erecting an electric fence must be balanced against the value of your crop. Certainly its use is not justified to protect a row of lettuce and a few radishes. To build an electric fence using new components — a UL fence controller, wire, posts, insulators, battery, etc. — costs a bare minimum of $130.

The fence shown here is a combination of suggestions from many gardeners. First, there should be a fence of chicken wire that extends beneath the ground to discourage the burrowers. The fence gives raccoons an obstacle to climb on so they will touch the charged wires. Two strands of 16 gauge uninsulated electric fencing wire are stretched above the chicken wire or snow fence a minimum of 6 inches apart with the top wire at least 3 feet from the ground. An extra length of wire connects these two strands vertically at one post, thereby wiring them in parallel. This wire is then connected to an electric fence controller and attached to a six-volt “hot-shot” battery.

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