When you've cultivated a garden that you're proud of, you'll desperately want to keep various pests from devouring your hard work.
That's why some turn to garden netting, a mesh that can keep insects and small mammals from nibbling leaves and fruits but can still let in vital sunlight, air, and rainwater.
However, one Redditor found it to be entirely too effective, leading to strong feelings of remorse.
"I had a little chipmunk friend that lived in my backyard," they began a post on the r/Gardening community thread. "Every day he'd come to me, sit on my lap and I'd give him a couple of peanuts. Until today, when he got tangled up / strangled himself in some garden netting that I had put around a young pumpkin plant I was growing. I feel so incredibly guilty and ashamed."
It's such a sad story. While they no doubt wanted to stop little critters from turning their vegetable patch into an all-you-can-eat buffet, they definitely did not want to cause any harm to their rodent friend.
"I will never use this stuff again," they added.
Netting is a much more environmentally friendly method of pest prevention than pesticides, which can contain harmful chemicals that can harm larger creatures, other plant life, and the humans that spray them. If you live near a river or stream, those chemicals could wash into water sources in flooding conditions, potentially leading to contamination.
But Redditors had some advice for the appropriate use of garden netting that should help to reduce problems in the future.
"There is good information on how to make garden netting wildlife safe," one said. "The main points are: No holes big enough to poke a finger through; White so more visible; No monofilament (it cuts); Keep it taut, preferably on a rigid frame, so they cannot get wrapped in it; Remove as soon as it is not needed; Check it frequently."
"The majority of people don't use garden netting properly, so this is good information to put out there for people who still feel that they have to use it," someone replied.
Another method of pest control that avoids harmful sprays is planting trap crops, like nasturtiums or marigolds. These sacrificial plants are adored by insects, who will flock to them instead of your prized produce.
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