You cats get off my lawn!

May 15, 2009 3:40 AM

How to stop all this crap appearing on my lawn?

Hi, I hope the always helpful and ingenious hivemind could help me with this.

I am having problems with rubbish appearing on my lawn overnight.

There is a skip quite nearby, and it seems that cats or urban foxes get into it, and then come to party on the lawn outside my flat at night. In the morning I am left with plastic bags, food packaging, food and grosser stuff (e.g. used condoms) littered all over the grass. How can I stop this from happening?

I don't own the land, so can't put up a fence.

Bonus points for suggestions which don't involve spending money.

Thanks a lot, all.

posted by Ziggy500 to Home & Garden (14 answers total)

Not a free solution, but there are devices which combine a motion sensor with an ultrasonic siren thing. I use one to (successfully) dissuade cats from using my vegetable beds to bury their toxic waste. They tend to retail at around £15-25, and they definitely work.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:56 AM on May 15, 2009

You could try a product like Critter Ridder (the active ingredient of which is cayenne pepper).
posted by winston at 4:16 AM on May 15, 2009

(doesn't involve spending much money)
posted by winston at 4:17 AM on May 15, 2009

Can you check the skip at night to make sure that the lid is down?

Also products like crystalized wolf urine and liquid scent disrupters are available as mentioned by winston. Some work others don't. Most don't cost too much, why not give them a try?
posted by Pollomacho at 4:25 AM on May 15, 2009

There are devices like the ultrasonic cat repeller which use a motion sensor and connect it to a sprinkler. Cats love to be sprayed with water.
posted by caddis at 4:29 AM on May 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

and they definitely work.

I've never seen one that actually works. My dad bought some to keep cats away from his garden and they had zero effect. I had one to deter rodents living in your walls and that didn't work either.

If yours worked for you that's great, but you might want to share the specific product & brand that you used ;)
posted by missmagenta at 4:58 AM on May 15, 2009

Call owner of skip, and say "please close the cover on your skip."

If they don't have a lid to close, or the owner doesn't wish to do anything, call local dept. of sanitation or health inspector and say "this skip is a source of trash and vermin, please take care of it."

Whether anything happens here depends on how conscientious the owner is, and how involved your local government is in nuisance and health areas like this.
posted by zippy at 5:01 AM on May 15, 2009 [4 favorites]

you might want to share the specific product & brand

I have one of these. So far it's been completely effective, although we do have to recharge the batteries every few weeks.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 5:03 AM on May 15, 2009

Agree with Zippy, but also if the problem persists, this is free and effective: go to the vet, or an animal shelter, or a pet boarder, and ask for dirty, nasty, stinky dog hair from when they sweep out the cages. Put the dog hair in jelly bags or old pieces of nylon (something porous that will keep the hair from blowing away) and stake these little pouches unobtrusively around the perimeter of your property. Works on cats, skunks and raccoons (well, it has for me in the past, at least).
posted by Shepherd at 5:44 AM on May 15, 2009

Try shaking red pepper flakes around the perimeter, or wherever you think their route crosses onto the lawn. I've also seen bits of soap tied to stakes, but that was for deer, I think.
posted by motsque at 6:26 AM on May 15, 2009

skip = dumpster
posted by applemeat at 6:49 AM on May 15, 2009

You could dump $1 worth of ammonia into the skip every evening. This might be offensive enough to the critters that they will stay out. I have used this method fairly successfully to keep dogs from ripping up my trash bags after I put them out for pickup.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 6:50 AM on May 15, 2009

+1 for Zippy
posted by Mastercheddaar at 7:24 AM on May 15, 2009

Find out who is renting the skip, approach them and explain the problem. They should provide it with a tarp. or otherwise cover it securely after working hours. I'm not sure of the exact legal position. I do know that skips have to be covered while being transported. Most skip renters, in London at least, cover skips after working hours to dissuade local residents from dumping plastic bags, food packaging, food and grosser stuff in them. If a polite and friendly approach fails contact your local council as zippy said. Don't be fobbed off by your council, you have solid legal rights re businesses littering which they are obliged to enforce.
posted by Dr.Pill at 9:12 AM on May 15, 2009