Kathleen,
I have one dog and two cats and still have major deer, rabbit, vole, and yes rat problems. I have come to the inevitable conclusion that critters are just a fact of life in the garden, but there are some deterrents that will help you combat them. I use the organic Bobbex that you will find at most nurseries but probably not the box stores. There are two types of Bobbex one is for deer and the other is for rabbits, I was told by a nurseryman that the Bobbex for rabbits was a stronger overall deterrent. This product really does work but I should warn you that it says on the label that after spraying it will work for three months which has not been the case in my garden. I suppose I should mention that the odor while spraying and for a couple of hours afterward always makes me gag which you may come to find is an understatement but the stuff works . Good luck.

You have my sincere sympathy.

We had a cat who kept the little critters at bay and that worked well for several years. She passed away a year and a half ago, and it was a nightmare until one of our little Cavalier King Charles Spaniels picked up where she left off. He has become an excellent "mouser" - in fact, he took on three woodchucks last summer - each one at least as big as he is. That was scary (for me).

What we have found is that preventing them from getting near our gardens to begin with is really the best way to avoid trouble. The dogs are good, but until the critters get caught, they can do a tremendous amount of damage. Last summer, they chewed everything in our vegetable garden down to the dirt, totally gutted my echinacea and yarrow beds, and started to destroy the rest of my perennials before the dogs decided they'd had enough with these unwanted visitors.

Lining our fence with chicken wire has been the biggest and most effective thing we've done to keep little critters out. Our yard is totally fenced with chain link on two sides and a wood picket fence on the other two sides (to keep the dogs in).

We lined the fence (on the outside) with 36 inch chicken wire that we unrolled and stapled lengthwise along the lower portion of the fence. We extended it down and below ground. We dug a narrow trench below the fence at least 8-10 inches deep - deeper where the ground allowed it - and buried the lower edge of the chicken wire well below the fence.

That has kept most of the critters out and the dogs have taken care of the few that managed to dig their way under.

Where you don't have pets, one other thing you might try is a "scarecow". I'm talking about a sprinkler head with a motion sensor. I included a link for one - just to give you an idea of what they are. We got ours at the pond supply store and it is a low to the ground one that was perfect for our needs.

We used them when the blue herons decided that our koi pond was the perfect buffet. After they got my blue koi, our local pond store owner/expert suggested we give it a try. You hook it up to a hose and when it sees something move, it shoots a stream of water across a span of ground and you can adjust how far and how wide an area to cover.

It was VERY effective, and between that and the dogs, we haven't lost another koi, but we eventually stopped using it as the dogs considered it their personal "sprinkler" and spend many hours a day running back and forth to set it off.

You would probably need several, depending on how large of an area you're covering, but it might help.

Sorry I can't come up with anything more magical. ;(

Cathy (MA)

Here is a link that might be useful: Motion Activated Scarcrow Sprinkler

I have had luck keeping the bunnies out of my veggies by using pin wheels. I have raised beds, mostly 2x8, and I put 4 pinwheels per bed - one in each corner.

I still see tons of rabbits in my yard feasting on the clover, but they have stayed out of my lettuce, peas, beans, etc.
Now the deer and the woodchuck are a different story

After trying everything, I got rid of most of the chipmunks and voles by hiring a wildlife pest guy who sets rat traps. He comes three or four times til the population is knocked down. I now have him come every season. This was a last resort after I lost a large part of my perennial garden due to their feeding on the roots.

Liquid Fence has been very successful for keeping away deer.

Just for the entertainment value, I have to pass on a tip that was published in the latest Fine Gardening...the gardener wrote that to keep the deer from squeezing through the gap in her fence, she placed an old motion-triggered toy dinosaur, which roared like a T. rex whenever its sensor was activated. So far, it has worked to keep the deer out!

I don't have deer, but do have rabbits...I wonder if it would work with them? LOL

I've tried the pie plates in the past with no luck whatsoever. They eventually ended up missing so I suspected they had taken those too and were off making strawberry rhubarb pies with their spoils. I eventually gave up and just started planting them their own favorites so they would leave mine alone. It has worked out rather well and I actually do enjoy watching the chipmunks and other little beasts scurrying around and keeping check on the insect population, especially the wasps. Since they've taken up residency they seem to also keep the self seeders in check so they don't become too invasive. This year I even bought some strawberries for them when the season had passed as one would sit at the strawberry pot and stare at me making me feel guilty. I just wish they would acquire a taste for the lily beetles.

Jey and Sequioa, you are both TOO FUNNY. I would love to see my dogs with one of those T.rex things. I'd like to put it in my living room. (They can unhinge any gate going.) We tried feeding them their own special garden favorites. They considered that an appetizer and it only made it worse. Of course, we live next to a conservation area, so we had huge populations of squatters looking for a sop kitchen of sorts. We became the local smorgasbord. Now, if they ever did acquire a taste for the red lily leaf beetles, I would definitely rethink my perspective. ;)

Cathy

We've been having a problem with a woodchuck. He's living in out brush pile, and has eaten just about everything in site.

My DH just left for work. He called me to say he just saw a dead woodchuck in the road about 100 feet up the road. I'm just wondering - is it my woodchuck? Can I be so lucky???