How to Protect Strawberry Plants From Critters

Overview

A juicy crop of strawberry plants can be a sheer source of pride and good eating for the gardener who has taken the time to carefully sow and tend to the plant. It can also be a great source of food for hungry critters like birds, deer and squirrels. When their normal food supply is scarce, many animals find a bounty of strawberries to suffice nicely. Fortunately, gardeners can employ measures to protect their strawberry plants without causing harm to the animals.

Step 1

Keep birds away from strawberry plants with protective netting. Purchase netting mesh that is ¼ inch in diameter and that does not contain any holes. Drape the netting over the strawberry plants. Secure the edges with stakes, approximately every 6 inches. Place loose soil over the netting to further prevent birds from gaining entry underneath the netting.

Step 2

Make a barrier to prevent deer from browsing at strawberry plants. Install a traditional deer fence around the perimeter of the strawberry plants. Make sure the fence is made of woven wire, measuring 8 feet tall. Bait the fence with peanut butter to attract the deer to the fence rather than to the strawberry plants behind it.

Step 3

Provide an alternate source of food for hungry squirrels. Build a feeding station using unshelled corn. Drive a spike through a piece of 2 x 2 wood with a hammer. (Drive at least two spikes, spaced 6 inches apart through the wood.) Fasten an ear of corn to each spike. Attach the feeding station to the trunk or lower branch of a tree with heavy, soft wire. Replenish the food station as needed. Plan to provide three pounds of corn per week, for each squirrel.