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Nature is a thing of beauty, from verdant plant life to adorable critters. But for those trying to grow a garden of their own, animals can completely devour a vegetable patch overnight. But there's a simple and unexpected trick to humanely keep animals away from those precious plants: plastic forks. Chemicals that fulfil this purpose have advanced over the years to become efficient but they still come with downsides. Also, those who love nature probably don't want to be totally isolated from animals - just their appetites that can ruin months of work. Plastic forks are a peaceful way of saying "Off Limits." Plastic forks are a simple way of keeping animals from eating up a vegetable garden Plastic forks ward away animals by being unfamiliar / Wikimedia Commons Biology has taught just about every living creature what it needs even without any blatant lessons. For example, some birds understand quickly that vibrant butterfly wings mean toxicity. In that same vein, small animals will be wary of foreign objects like plastic forks stood upright between plants. They're unfamiliar, and so should be avoided or approached with extreme caution. The shiny texture also may make birds wary, similar to how birds stay away from wreaths if the decorative arrangement has aluminum in it. RELATED: More Cleaning Tricks Your Grandma Used That Still Work Today If an animal does investigate, the area, it will then be confronted by the tines. It doesn't have to necessarily touch it - at all, or in a very hard manner - before it gets spooked by the tine's point. Just touching it will teach the animal that the fork is a threat and to stay away. Other methods to keep animals from feasting on a garden's contents, besides plastic forks There are many ways of keeping animals from eating up a garden / Unsplash Animals keep away from plastic forks stationed throughout a garden because they look out-of-place. They look out-of-place to the gardener too. So, there are more subtle ways of keeping various critters from munching on the flowers and vegetables, all humane. There are various plants that repel animals like deer, including hyacinths and marigolds. In these cases, it's the smell that really does the trick - although marigold scent can win over or repel people too. Some animals are naturally repulsed by some flowers / Unsplash There are also humane tools that can protect a garden, whatever its layout. Family Handyman suggests a wire cloche, which acts like a large mesh bubble and can keep deer away, although squirrels will have no trouble getting in. The same outlet also notes that milk serves as a deer repellent, and gardeners can use baffles to keep the smaller critters away. How do you keep your garden safe? There are many humane tools that keep animals from accessing plants / Wikimedia Commons RELATED: 7 Incredibly Clever Tricks For Cleaning Your Bathroom