How to Keep Your Pumpkins From Rotting & Keep Wildlife Safe

Pumpkin season is upon us and with pumpkins come cute little porch decorations.

My husband, Joe, is a neighborhood favorite among our local squirrels and raccoons because he always leaves a bag of corn in the driveway after he hunts and boy to they come from miles around to enjoy the buffet. He gets frustrated because they open the bag but I mean really all they are doing is surviving.

The same goes for your porch and decorative pumpkins you put out each year. I see Facebook posts all the time of frustrated folks mad because the "stupid" squirrels ruined their pumpkins. Here's the deal they are just looking for something to eat and pumpkins are food.

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I decided to look up how the preserve your pumpkin and keep wildlife. I read a lot of articles that claim you can make a bleach wash and spray it all over your pumpkins to keep them from rotting. This is all fine and good if you don't have squirrels or other furry animals in your yard. However, I don't know many homes that don't. So here's what I found to keep your pumpkin pretty and your furry friends at bay according to Taste of Home:

Just fill a large tub with 10 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Let the gourds soak for 20-30 minutes in the bath, then pull them out and let them air-dry. The vinegar kills fungus, making it hard for the pumpkin to rot. That’s why vinegar-soaked pumpkins look so new; they’re unblemished by the grossness that inevitably befalls their untreated peers. And best of all, this method is safe for wildlife, too, so if a squirrel or bird thinks your pumpkin is a tasty snack, they can chow down.

PUMPKIN HOLLOW OUTDOOR PUMPKIN TRAIL

The Brizendine Nature Park has a half-mile walk decorated with pumpkins and Halloween scenes perfect for the whole family. Families are encouraged to stop and take pictures, judge the pumpkins and pick their favorite ones, and even post to the Greenville Tourism Facebook Page

Select Wildlife You Could Encounter in Kentucky

With all the bear stories--and occasional bobcat stories--that are popping up, maybe it's time we take a look at some of the wildlife you could encounter within these Kentucky borders. Some are harmless and some you want NO part of, in my opinion.