Things that dig in the night.....

[Ricardo]

Hello everybody - I need some advice please
I have just prepared some raised beds and have planted carrots and broad bean seeds already. The other two beds have compost in and are ready for their seeds.
Now we've had a nocturnal visitor that has dug up the beds, showering compost everywhere and heaven knows how many ungerminated seeds.
I had covered the beds with light nylon mesh to deter birds but I suspect this is the work of either urban foxes or a pesky cat.
Has anybody got a tip for stopping this. Chemicals are tricky as we have a dog.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[womble]

I put chicken wire over mine, nothing else apart from a covering works here.

[FoxHillGardener]

Cats, foxes, squirrels mostly. Some places maybe badgers too

Chicken wire can work so long as you take it off or raise it high enough once things start germinating and getting tangled with it. I've a selection of old oven shelves, chicken wire covered frames, wire baskets and all sorts to give things a fair start despite all the beasts set on digging it all up

I'm also a big fan of holly prunings laid across the bed and chilli powder sprinkled over the surface

[gan heather]

I stick short sticks and twigs into my beds and it seems to keep the diggers away (usually).

[Currysniffa]

I get cats and foxes on my plot at night so i sprinkle cheep curry and chilli powder round plants

[evenflow]

I'm also a big fan of holly prunings laid across the bed and chilli powder sprinkled over the surface

Great idea. We have a massive holly tree at the back of our garden...will try that.

[JamesM]

bloody cats were the bane of my life before we moved, as soon as the soil was turned they decided it was high time to come and go to the toilet and have a little rummage around so as said earlier that could be a possibility as could any of the others mentioned above

[ginger ninger]

Cat's aren't always to blame, although they do love newly turned soil. Mice are a pain in the bum when it come to digging up seeds, they also nibble the new shoots. I use this in stead of chicken wire, it works just as well. Trust mi...it keeps Jinny of mi veg bed and he keeps the mice at bay .

[debbie henri]

Sounds like cats to me. For these I push good long, stout sticks into the ground around the plants (as mentioned above) ALSO... I have found that cats do not like CINNAMON STICKS. I use these crushed up and laid on the soil surface. Okay, you're going to need a lot, but I use all my sticks in curry-making first and COOKING does not reduce their effectiveness. They last for years. Btw, do not use cinnamon powder, rain washes it away.

[Ricardo]

Thanks everybody. I've taken the chicken wire option. There's a Wilkinsons not far away and they do a very light gauge, very cheap wire mesh on a roll. That seems to be doing the job. Coming from a roll, its natural "spring" results in a kind of dome effect over the raised beds which keep it clear of seedlings for a good while.
Thanks again to everybody for giving their advice - much appreciated by a noob like me!