Fidel Castro
Member
cant you buy green chicken wire?
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Making cages to keep animals away from plants
- Thread starter JJScorpio
- Start date
BELOW FRIGID
Member
Almost 100% Animal Proof!
Almost 100% Animal Proof!
Major rat problem where I am at. I trap, poison, and the cages. 06 was the first year I did not loose any to them. Looks good for 07 as well!
Almost 100% Animal Proof!
Major rat problem where I am at. I trap, poison, and the cages. 06 was the first year I did not loose any to them. Looks good for 07 as well!
BELOW FRIGID
Member
Yeah, all you have to do is get some string and tie it around the branch you need to support without strangling your plant and tie the other end to the top of the cage. Metal cloth (squares) works better for this than chicken wire as it is more rigid. I use this for tying them down more than holding them up but it works for both. I don't know if you can see it but the plants in the cage on my previous post are tied down all over the place.
3BM said:
most definitley. the only thing then is whatever buds are sticking out arent exactly animal proof. depending of your area sometimes the deer will leave them alone later into flowering.
i also like to use the cages to do some training on the lower branches
not that these buds really needed the support, though i do think they got more sun this way
here a few more tips!
here a few more tips!
1, easy to paint wire when still in a roll, i use 6 foot chicken netting the easiest way i have found to paint it is when still in a full roll with a spray gun.
2, if you have problems with rabbits or other animals that will dig under cage, dig a trench and start your cage a foot and a half in the ground.
3, we have parrots here that love to rip your buds to bits looking for seed, you can get away using plastic bird mesh for the top.
4, to join wire together i use small stick about 1" to 2" long, put netting next to each other along where u want join and twist the two together, this will form a good join and just slide stick out.
5, run a hot wire(electric fence around cage) this will keep possums from climbing up and eating any buds sticking out the top.
6, rat bait in a plastic tube is dgood for rodents, it keeps it dry so it lasts a lot longer, just a few in each cage or 1 in single plant cage
i will take photos on the stick twist, it is easy and quick.
pest i have to deal with pigs, deer, possums, rabbits, rats and mice, parrots
and bloody pot theaves
here a few more tips!
1, easy to paint wire when still in a roll, i use 6 foot chicken netting the easiest way i have found to paint it is when still in a full roll with a spray gun.
2, if you have problems with rabbits or other animals that will dig under cage, dig a trench and start your cage a foot and a half in the ground.
3, we have parrots here that love to rip your buds to bits looking for seed, you can get away using plastic bird mesh for the top.
4, to join wire together i use small stick about 1" to 2" long, put netting next to each other along where u want join and twist the two together, this will form a good join and just slide stick out.
5, run a hot wire(electric fence around cage) this will keep possums from climbing up and eating any buds sticking out the top.
6, rat bait in a plastic tube is dgood for rodents, it keeps it dry so it lasts a lot longer, just a few in each cage or 1 in single plant cage
i will take photos on the stick twist, it is easy and quick.
pest i have to deal with pigs, deer, possums, rabbits, rats and mice, parrots
and bloody pot theaves
Last year's lack of water really made a bigger problem with gophers & moles. Chicken wire baskets, even tall ones weren't enough. I took wads of bird netting & wrapped the baskets on the outside before planting. I'll do this again this year as it was 100% successful. You could see the mounds & holes around the plant's perimeter, but none were able to get in. We'd lost atleast 5 plants to the critters before coing up with this idea. I'm sure that hardware cloth is better, but not in my budget at that time. In the long-run, it's worth the cost because you're not losing your babies.
I had also tried putting fish emulsion in each hole to repel gophers, but then the racoons thought it was dinner time! They dug out each plant looking for the fish, but left the plants intact w/roots as they were still only about 18" tall. I've learned that pelleted fish emulsion is better for the job than the liquid. I've also heard that planting a fish at each corner of your garden will repel gophers.
I had also tried putting fish emulsion in each hole to repel gophers, but then the racoons thought it was dinner time! They dug out each plant looking for the fish, but left the plants intact w/roots as they were still only about 18" tall. I've learned that pelleted fish emulsion is better for the job than the liquid. I've also heard that planting a fish at each corner of your garden will repel gophers.
tokinjoe
Active member
I don't have problems with gophers (we call em groundhogs) or rats here but for sure deer and caterpillars are my biggest enemies. I use chicken wire for the deer and Dipel for the caterpillars. As for painting the chicken wire, I use a 1" nap roller. The thick nap roller actually absorbs the chicken wire into it when it rolls across the wire and coats both sides very evenly. I use a dark green flat latex outdoor paint and a standard 1" nap roller head. In the spots where I use my 20 gallon buckets I simply measure the wire to fit tightly around the lip of my bucket and slide it down the top of the container.
Last edited:
G
Guest
Just read this thread from the start, glad to see there are members around who take the time to discuss their ideas and experiences with others. I see some good ideas in here, but I think Im just chiming in to mention that not all scenarios are good for chicken wire which can help pin point your exact grow location if you're not careful.
BELOW FRIGID
Member
The painted wire also makes it easy to hang a branch of surroundig vegetation here and there for added camo.
are you doing a grow this year JJ?
legallyhomeless
New member
Hey,
When I was on a camping trip late last month, I noticed that the campground hosts in USDA Forest Service Campgrounds plant veggie gardens. They light chicken wire. They roll it roll tight enough to slip, slide, set over there plants and are about 18 inches tall. I remember thinking about ICMAG when I 1st started seeing them.
It's an idea anyways...
When I was on a camping trip late last month, I noticed that the campground hosts in USDA Forest Service Campgrounds plant veggie gardens. They light chicken wire. They roll it roll tight enough to slip, slide, set over there plants and are about 18 inches tall. I remember thinking about ICMAG when I 1st started seeing them.
It's an idea anyways...
has anybody heard from JJ lately?
JJ......where are you at buddy? i am worried for you. please don't tell me leo got the best of you. i know you are smarter than that. please bring back some good news......such as twin girls......or a nice new boy. anything but what i am thinking.
SeatleHomegrown
New member
flowering early
flowering early
i figured that with those cages, if your the type of outdoor grower who needs to flower a bit early than others, thats great because you can throw a garbage bag over the cage to block out light, so you can flower even if the days are 14 hrs, you just have to go out there EVERY DAY tho
flowering early
i figured that with those cages, if your the type of outdoor grower who needs to flower a bit early than others, thats great because you can throw a garbage bag over the cage to block out light, so you can flower even if the days are 14 hrs, you just have to go out there EVERY DAY tho
Good news to report here, we didn't lose anything this year to the critters!!!
There was 2 minor attempts around one basket, but we put rotten eggs in the hole, covered with dirt & they never came back. I really swear by that bird netting wrapped around the chicken wire for anybody who has moles & gophers.
And that's a good idea about using the black plastic bags over the tops of your cages, way easier to isolate the plant if need be
There was 2 minor attempts around one basket, but we put rotten eggs in the hole, covered with dirt & they never came back. I really swear by that bird netting wrapped around the chicken wire for anybody who has moles & gophers.
And that's a good idea about using the black plastic bags over the tops of your cages, way easier to isolate the plant if need be
DIRT DIGGLER
Active member
Nice method....gonna be doin this for sure....thanks
