If you’ve ever arrived at your shared plot to find gnawed stems, toppled transplants, or fresh tunnels, you’ve encountered some of Denver’s most determined intruders. In community gardens where beds, compost bins, sheds, and fences are all shared, rabbits, voles, rats, and squirrels can turn one gardener’s headache into everyone’s crisis almost overnight.
Whether you’re a Garden Leader overseeing the entire site or a gardener focused on a single bed, the solution is the same: coordinated, low-tech habits that make the whole garden uninviting to pests. Fold the strategies below into workdays and daily plot care to keep harvests intact and critters out.
#1 Fortify the Perimeter — Keep invaders from digging, squeezing, or hopping inside.
- Install wildlife fencing 2 ft high with 1 in mesh (or tighter); bury the bottom 4–6 in or flare it outward to stop diggers.
- Line raised beds and compost bins with ¼-in galvanized hardware cloth.
- Close the gaps— even a hand-width opening under a gate invites rabbits.
#2 Cover the Crops — Shield ripening produce and tender seedlings.
- Drape lightweight row covers or bird netting over salad greens, tomatoes, and strawberries during peak munching season.
- Stretch mesh over simple hoop frames so gardeners can lift a corner and harvest without removing the whole cover.
#3 Control the Menu — Eliminate easy snacks.
- Harvest promptly and remove windfall produce every visit; one overripe squash can fuel an all-night buffet.
- Store seeds and fertilizers in chew-proof containers—metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids work best.
- Compost wisely: stick to garden debris only; never add kitchen scraps to community piles.
#4 Tidy Shared Spaces & Eliminate Hideouts — Reduce shelter and nesting spots.
- Keep paths mowed and brush trimmed back from bed edges.
- Elevate pallets and move lumber piles off-site.
- Skirt sheds and greenhouse walls with a ¼-in mesh strip or a 6-in gravel collar to block burrows.
#5 Deploy Gentle Deterrents — Make the garden unpredictable and unappetizing.
- Hang reflective streamers, pinwheels, or old CDs so light and motion surprise daytime raiders.
- Rotate taste repellents—garlic-pepper spray, vinegar solution, or commercial “critter-ridder”—every couple of weeks so animals don’t acclimate.
#6 Recruit Natural Allies — Let predators share the workload.
- Preserve existing high perches—mature trees, utility poles, and street-light arms give owls ready-made hunting lookouts. Where space allows, mount a screech-owl box 10–15 ft up a sturdy trunk.
- Create a “snake lane”: stack a low brush or log pile just outside the fence so harmless garter snakes can shelter by day and patrol for voles at dusk.
- Skip poisons and glue traps; rodenticides can sicken or kill owls, kestrels, and snakes through secondary poisoning. If trapping is essential, use snap traps secured inside locked boxes.
#7 Coordinate as a Community — Turn individual habits into a unified defense.
- Hold brief site-wide inspection walks each month so fresh tunnels or chew marks are spotted early.
- Post clear compost rules—plant debris only, no kitchen scraps—on the bulletin board and in work-day emails.
- Audit tools and supplies seasonally; designate a rotating “shed steward” to keep storage areas sealed and tidy.
- Maintain a rapid-response group chat so critter sightings are shared instantly and action is taken before problems balloon.
Critter-proofing succeeds when every gardener treats the entire site—not just their own plot—as a shared food system. Strong perimeters, tidy aisles, smart deterrents, and consistent communication dramatically reduce damage while keeping the garden wildlife-friendly where it counts.
