
Dogs, as lovable as they are, can destroy a hardy pumpkin plant in a single bound. For the most part some low fencing and a few words will deter them, but an excited dog in pursuit is hard to reason with. I've found that putting a few short pieces of bamboo randomly amongst the plants keeps the dogs from laying in and running through the garden.
Grasshoppers are another garden pest that New Mexicans have to deal with. My greatest weapon against this is our kitten Marx. She loves to chase them and can eat at least 20 a day. If you don't want a kitten I have heard guinea fowl work well.
All that I've read about keeping out deer and rabbits seems challenging. If you have these pest problems I would recommend building a 10 foot concrete wall around your garden. Birds and many insects can be deterred with a lightweight mesh. If you are very industrious you can build screened cages to keep your most vulnerable plants in.
What do you want buzzing around your garden then? Bats eat a lot of insects and grubs, and ladybugs and preying mantis are great for aphids.
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