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Followup To
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Perhaps I was not clear or didn't give enough information. Before resorting to enclosing my garden, I DID have the 2' chicken wire around my garden (1" mesh) and the kangaroo rats and ground squirrels went through it and the rock squirrels went over it! That is why I knew I had to go even smaller with the mesh size and higher with the fence.  I also DID have onions,garlic and marigolds.  I tried everything before I enclosed it-and by that I mean it the mesh COVERS it, sides and top. The critters are not the problem anymore.  Do you have a suggestion that would aid me in pollination?

"I live in SE New Mexico and have a 500 sq ft garden.  Year before last, I had great yield but the squirrels harvested almost everything before it reached maturity and I ended up with no 'fruits of my labor'.  After trying everything else, I enclosed my garden with a 1/2" X 1" wire mesh and covered it with a camouflage Army net(for a little shade as our sun is intense and drying). The next season,this solved my critter problem 100%-no squirrels, pack rats, or mice, however, no pollination either.  Although my plants were lush, vigorous and healthy with flowers, not much set due to what I assume is lack of pollination.  I tried to simulate it by using a feather to go from flower to flower much as butterflies and bees would, but still had very little yield.  I would like to reap what I sow and was very disappointed as I thought I had finally come upon a viable solution. HELP!"
Answer -
My suggestion would be to purchase a 50' roll of chicken wire.  Bend the chicken wire to fit at a height of 2' above your vegetables.  The openings will allow bees in for pollination, but still keep out pests.

Other options include interplanting garlic, onions and marigolds.  The smell of these plants often deters most pests.  There are also animal repellants available at garden centers that are highly effective.

I hope this helps.  Good luck, and have a nice weekend.

Regards,

Mike  

Answer
Tami, I'm sorry I misunderstood your first question.  I thought you wanted to eliminate the covering due to the lack of pollination and was looking for another means to elimate pests.  

I also cover my plants to protect them from flying insects such as whiteflies and aphids.  I use reemay, a product that is made from a fleece-like material similar to sheer curtains.  But I always remove the cover once the plants begin to flower.  I eliminated my critter problem several years ago when I bought two male cats.  The reason I did this in lieu of the chicken wire was to enable bees to once again do the pollination for me.

If bees do not have access to your plants due to the covering, you can hand-pollinate the flowers by taking a Q-tip or small paint brush and transferring the pollen from the male flower to the female (the female always has a small fruit on the end).  This must be done within one day of the female flower blossoming.  Be aware, however, that this process is extremely time consuming and not nearly as effective as bee pollination.

If you do decide to remove the covering, even for a few hours in the morning, you want to attract as many bees as possible. To attract more bees, grow sunflowers, zinnia, cosmos, salvia, or some other bright annuals in the immediate area.

You can also spray the plants with a bee-scent spray.  This product can be purchased at many garden centers or on-line through companies such as Gardens Alive.  Attached is a link to this product on their website:

http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=3007

One last recommendation would be growing as many vegetables as possible that do not require pollination, such as lettuce, spinach, and root crops, and flowering vegetables that are self-pollinating.  These include many varieties of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers that do not need a male pollinator for production.  These are identified in many seed catalogs, including Park Seed and Burpees.  Both companies have on-line catalogs and offer free mail catalogs by request.

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike