No Time for Lyme (Disease)

Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is the most common tick-borne illness in North America. Contracted by humans, lyme disease is well documented and relatively easy to treat.
For dogs, however, the situation is a little more complicated. Dogs are at greater risk as they may carry ticks that aren’t as easily detected – a dog’s fur can allow ticks to remain hidden. A dog which has contracted lyme disease may exhibit symptoms ranging from soreness to depression and loss of appetite. High fevers are also common. If left untreated, lyme disease in dogs can be fatal.
Stopping ticks from entering your property is the goal, because although a dog carrying the disease cannot directly pass it to a human host, your pet could potentially bring ticks that can into your home.
The best way to keep ticks out is to install a fence that will work to keep animal carriers, such as deer and rodents, out. By keeping wildlife carriers off of your property, you can also reduce the damage done to your garden or plants. A physical barrier will also allow your pet to run free in an area you specify.
Specialized tick and “electric” collars may keep your dog in the yard. The problem, however, comes from the animal trespassers that carry ticks into the area. A sturdy fence is clearly the best way to stop the problem before it starts.
Healthy pets and untouched plants are worth the effort. -Max Barth

The resident deer, wildlife and dog protection experts!

We at Benner's Gardens, love when our customers call us with questions! These questions range from how to put up a deer or dog fence the best possible way, to questions about keeping deer, rodents and other wildlife from eating valuable plants and vegetables. We pride ourselves with keeping up with current research and ideas in our field so that we can best answer and inform our customers. This summer, we have an intern on board, Max, who is focusing on just that...research! As he goes about his daily duties, we are constantly being amazed at the wealth of infomation on deer, dogs, gardening and other topics that is out there just waiting to be utilized and we can't wait to share it with you! Stay tuned to share in our constant learning experince.

Rabbits....keep out!

This year, as gardens begin to spring up everywhere, the bunnies are feasting and flourishing. Gardens are swiftly becoming destroyed faster than they can grow. Just when your hopes of having a beautiful, productive vegetable garden are disintegrating into thin air, take heart! There is a solution.

My dad owns an old farm near Lancaster County, Pa, and I have noticed that each year the rabbit population seems to be multiplying by the hundreds! This spring, my dad took the Benner's Gardens 2’ x 150’ Rabbit Groundhog Barrier and installed it like a fence around his vegetable garden. He used small wooded stakes as posts and attached the Rabbit Groundhog barrier to the posts with zip ties. He then staked the bottom row of the barrier into the ground so that the critters could not wriggle underneath. Since the erection of this “Rabbit Fence”, his produce yield has dramatically increased. Finally we, not the local bunnies, can enjoy our very own homegrown produce!