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Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Ken Salome 
Date:   04-13-16 07:10

We need 200 feet of electric netting for our vegetable garden. Enemy number one is woodchucks. I am concerned that they will dig under the netting after learning not to climb it.

I was thinking of installing galvanized wire fencing along the ground to discourage digging under the netting. The wire fence would be held in place using 6-inch long landscape staples and covered with a thin layer of mulch for visual appeal. The netting would be run above the wire fence. The bottom of the netting would be secured to the fence using the landscape staples. This is to prevent the woodchucks from slipping under the netting.

I was thinking of bonding the negative terminal of the energizer to the wire fence. Our soil is rocky and rainfall is a crap shoot.

Do you have any concerns with this idea? Another option is to use a pos/neg netting secured to the wire fence in the same manner.

What energizer would you recommend with this arrangement?

Much appreciated.

Ken Salome

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Sara 
Date:   04-13-16 09:29

The VersaNet Plus 20 inch #202810 should work. Make sure the netting is not touching the wire fence (this will short it out). Putting a thin layer of mulch will insulate the animal and it will not get a good shock. The best would be to lay the wire fence down flat so the animal is standing on it. This way he will be grounded when he hits the fence. Connect the wire fence to the ground rod and the energizer to the ground rod. This way if somehow they just touch the electric netting they may still get a shock. For an energizer would you like a battery, plug-in or solar? Please call us at 800-282-6631 we will be happy to help.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Ken Salome 
Date:   04-18-16 07:51

Sara,
Does pos/neg netting, such as Item #207080 work with woodchucks?

My thought is let the netting prevent the climbing and the galvanized wire fencing on the ground prevent the digging. Obviously, this only works if a pos/neg netting is effective against woodchucks. One breech and the garden and a lot of hard work is gone.

Thanks, Sara.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Sara 
Date:   04-19-16 08:50

207080 is Pos/Neg PermaNet® 10/48/6 (150' x 48" b/w roll), double spike. The 10 means it has 10 lines going across, 48 inches tall with 6 inch spaces.. This will give the wood chuck 6 inches to get past the fence. So Depending on the size of the animal. No fence is 100% guaranteed but it should work. Just make sure to have a good reading of 3000 volts or more.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Ken Salome 
Date:   05-15-16 09:03

Sara,
I have my 30-inch VersaNet installed and powered up.

Instead of installing wire fence on the ground as a physical barrier, I ran a 14-gauage bare copper wire around the outside of the fence, wrapping the wire around 8-inch spikes every five feet. This is to add addition grounding and having the bare wire as a contact point in case the earth ground is insufficient. (Very rocky, dry soil, unpredictable rainfall, etc.) I want the electric fencing to be the sole barrier against woodchucks.

I have the Patriot 5-light tester, which illuminates both the 8K and 2K lights (top and bottom LED's). The fence is killing every toad that comes in contact with it. What is the voltage that I am reading? The manual says a new installation should exceed 3,000 volts. Do you have any recommendations on how to spare the toad lives?

Thanks, Sara.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Sara 
Date:   05-16-16 12:47

What is happening is the toads are going between the ground wire and hot wire and getting a shock this is stunning them and they do not move fast enough to get out. You may need to move your ground wire out a little bit so they have more room to go between. But this will also leave more room for the woodchucks.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Ken Salome 
Date:   05-17-16 06:33

Sara,

My ground wire is located behind the fence where they are being killed. (This is the only location where the ground wire is behind the fence.) So the toads are not coming in contact with the ground wire. I have read that toads travel in the same path looking for food, which would explain why I find them in this location.

So I guess my question is - would a normal installation typically kill amphibians when they come in contact with the fence? If no, I could try removing the ground wire behind the fence in an attempt to make the earth ground less conductive.

Thanks, Sara.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: Sara 
Date:   05-17-16 08:30

I have never heard of or had this problem. So the only thing I can think of is the ground wire.

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Re: Electric Netting for Woodchucks
Author: gordon 
Date:   05-18-16 17:23

Turtles, toads and frogs have always had problems with low electric wires. They do not have the ability to turn or back up fast enough to get away before the next shock comes. So instead they keep trying to go through the fence and after enough shocks it can kill them.
With your fence you must have enough moisture in the soil to make the ground return work without the ground wire touching the toads.
There is not much you can do except for raising the fence, but that will allow the woodchucks to get also.

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