Will Animals Eat Watermelon Plants? (And How to Protect Them)

Only experienced gardeners know how challenging it is to keep plants safe from wildlife. Growing and nurturing your plants is just half of the work. The real struggle begins when you have to think about protecting them from opportunist animals. Now, will animals eat watermelon plants? 

Yes, animals like tree squirrels, rabbits, bugs, etc are common pests that damage garden plants such as watermelon plants. Raccoons and birds make holes throughout the melons which helps them to extract the sweet juice from within. Dogs also love the sweet taste of melons hence; they bite into them often. 

Protecting your garden from these animals might be challenging but not impossible. And in this article, I’m going to guide you on how exactly you can do that. So, keep reading till the end to find out more. 

Common Pest That Destroys Watermelon Plants 

Water melons are super tasty and nutritious. On top of that, they grow on the ground so virtually, every land creature can come in reach of them. So, you are going to have to worry about a diverse selection of pests when fortifying your watermelon garden. Generally, these are the animals that you need to be wary about: 

• Birds
• Racoons 
• Squirrel 
• Rabbits 
• Coyotes 
• Bugs 
• Rats

In the following section I will try to answer how you can protect your plants from each of them. So, keep on reading. 

Protecting Watermelon Plants from Birds

Specifically, crows are drawn to watermelons. Crows are omnivorous hence they have a diverse food choice. They enjoy tender and sweet fruits like watermelons. 

Crows poke holes throughout the melon to get the juice from the inside. That is how they destroy these fruit plants. Here how to protect your watermelon plants from birds: 

• Netting

Use plastic or nylon netting to cover the plants against birds. Place the net in a manner that perfectly surrounds the plant. Then use a weight to hold it tight onto the soil.

• Scarecrows

Use a visually scary object such as scarecrows, faces drawn on balloons, flags, plastic snake toys. Place them around the plants to avoid the crows from interrupting. 

• Grains and Corn Seeds

Scatter corn seeds or grains generously around the plant. This will distract them from damaging the watermelon plant and eating these instead.

Protecting Watermelon Plants from Racoons

Ideally, racoons have a sharp paw which helps them to create large holes in the watermelons. This allows them to successfully carve out all the inner flesh. Lastly, this inventive technique allows the watermelons to remain with an empty hollow. 

Racoons are smart creatures and naturally gifted at problem solving. Fending them off of your garden can be especially difficult. Let’s take a look how you can protect your watermelon plants from racoons: 

• Build a fence

A fence can be quite effective. Remember that raccoons can climb, so cover the top of the fence so the raccoon is unable to climb over it.

• Remove other food sources

Raccoons love rummaging through garbage looking for food. Leaving your dinner outside in the garden is a surefire way to attract animals.

Protecting Watermelon Plants From Squirrels and Rabbits 

Squirrels live by consuming plants, mainly fruits and vegetables. They are herbivores. Therefore, be ready to defend your garden from squirrels frequently attacking, in search of some pleasing watermelons. They are known to chew the watermelon in the seedling stage. They also like watermelon vines and leaves.

Rabbits also enjoy watermelons. Well, can you blame them as the majority appreciate fruits and vegetables rich in sugar. As watermelon grows on the ground it is easier for them to eat as well. They mostly prefer the leaves. 

Here’s how you can protect your watermelon plants for rabbits and squirrels: 

• Build Fence

This is effective when it comes to stopping them from entering your garden. Be sure to deeply bury the fence into the soil leaving no trace of space for them to sneak in. Make the fence using a wire mesh, as high enough so that they cannot climb up.

The tree squirrels are harder to deal with. Even more, if your garden is surrounded by plenty of trees. They can easily jump off the trees and invade. To prevent that, cover the top with netting also.

• Taste Repellents

This is a common method to keep the animals away from the plants. The repellents are great for the plant as they help against fungal infection. So, using these for crops is quite safe. Moreover, the awful taste created on the surface of the fruit allows the animals to walk away without taking another bite.

• Habitant Modification

By this, you can remove any natural vegetation, brush piles, debris etc. Furthermore, this will make the area a lot less desirable for the animals to live as they prefer open spaces with plants. 

Protecting Watermelon Plants from Coyotes

Coyotes are mostly found in North America as a species of native canine. They are amazing hunters who target both animals and plants during the nighttime. These animals can easily break open the entire fruit and eat up the flesh inside. Including the rinds.

Though it might be difficult to catch them, their unique way of creating damages can help you recognize their presence and act accordingly. They leave behind paw marks and fang marks quite similar to those of dogs. While dogs have wider spacing between the paw marks. 

To protect your garden from coyotes you must use a tomato cage. The animals cannot break open the cages nor can they eat or destroy any melons. Hence, they can be saved.

Protecting Watermelon Plants from Bugs

The ruins left by these small creatures can be very disturbing. The watermelon fruit gets attacked by insects such as Flea Beetles, Cabbage loopers, Grasshoppers, Cucumber beetles, Beet Armyworm, Squash bugs, and Melon Aphids are common insects to eat the plant. 

Mole Crickets, White Grubs, Wireworms, Seedcorn Maggots and many more affect the soil. Indirectly causing harm to your watermelons. Now, here’s how you can fend them off of your garden: 

Use hot pepper spray, garlic spray or soap to not allow them. Pepper sprays can be easily made at home by chopping hot peppers and mixing them in hot water. 

Similarly, make garlic spray by finely chopping onion, garlic and mix it in hot water. For greater effect add in cayenne pepper powder. Mix soap with water and spray it on the plant and fruit, for another quick useful spray.

Protecting Watermelon Plants from Rats

Rats are popularly known to eat cheese but surprisingly they love watermelons as well. They can eat watermelons without any problems aided by their sharp teeth.

They are the primary cause of destruction to many plants. But thankfully, getting rid of them is quite easy if you take the necessary measures. Follow these tips below to protect your watermelon garden from rats: 

• Rat Repellents

Rats can be easily driven away with the help of peppermint oil. They strongly dislike the scent. So, sprinkling them around the plant can cause them to maintain distance from your plants.

• Mesh Tubes

Netting or mesh tubes can be placed surrounding the plant which will deter them from destroying the plant.

• Hot Pepper Flakes

Sprinkling it evenly around the watermelon plant will make them more aware of the horrendous flavor. Hence, they will be prone to move away rather than eating it further.

Conclusion

So, will animals eat watermelon plants? Yes, they will. Undoubtedly, watermelons draw eyes. This applies to both humans and animals. 

Therefore, you will occasionally find animals trespassing your space in search of some delicious and juicy watermelons. So, taking necessary protective measures is your only option if you want to enjoy some melons by the time they properly ripen.