Keeping monkeys out of garden?

hi all,

I just shifted to a new apartment and my balcony garden is being raided by the local macaques, mainly for the bamboo it seems although they're eating flowers too (they seem to love next door's hibiscus).

Any gardeners out there got any tips for keeping them away? They always come in the same place and walk along the railings.

Three of the blighters have just been past the window while I was trying to type this!

thanks!

Thank goodness we only have rats!

(And ants. And mosquitoes.)

I guess we ALL have ants and mosquitoes!

The challenge with the monkeys I guess is that they are SMART.... best suggestion I've heard so far is Tiger urine (or poo), but goodness knows where you get that. (Yes, from Tigers - thanks!)

Pet Langur....Seriously Bars seem to be that's the way most people deal with monkeys raiding the balconies, as draconian as that sounds I can't think of a better one. But maybe someone will be along shortly with a good idea.

I'm beginning to think along the lines of a small electric-shock device.... just enough to discourage them and re-inforce the idea.

To Mungbean, and Klompen, who rather finds your idea cool.. Be it small or big.. How the hell do you calibrate? You've done a thesis on level of acceptance of electric voltage for the various sub-species of monkeys?

Sounds foolish to give you some advice, but this may spare a few monkeys. Place a few staff/sticks in the balconies.. Make it protrude from the wall.. Monkeys have an innate aversion to sticks..

Oh come on, you hardly need to have done a thesis on it.

1. There is one species of monkeys that's causing my problem (it's 1 small troop).

2. A low-current 12V shock will be safe enough. Low-voltage electric fences are used by farmers around the world to keep animals out. I would of course test it on myself first.

we have both langurs as well as red face monkeys visiting our begonia and bougainvillea filled garden regularly for about 50 years I'd think....no permanent solution but left over crackers from deepawali do scare them away for sure.
I'd suggest keeping a stock of 'sutli' bombs (green thread wrapped crackers the size of an apricot) handy. over a period of time, they may learn to leave you alone....

There has to be a human at the other end, or else it will become a good play-stick for the young ones.

Monkeys are hard to control, not much you can do apart from iron grills etc. A mild electric shock is a good solution though.

Take care not to scare or hit the young ones.

Once upon a time, my wife and I visited a small temple in central Thailand that was crowded with monkeys. They would jump on you and try to snatch your glasses, bags, etc. All in the hope of a free meal.

As you entered the temple grounds, you met a small queue of young boys each with a home made slingshot. For a small sum, you hired a boy to accompany you through the temple. Your protector would shoot the monkeys with the slingshot to keep them off you. One big monkey pounced on my wife and the lad took aim and shot him as he clung to her legs (she screaming like a banshee!). Very effective!! (The slingshot ... Not the screaming.)

So consider hiring a boy with a slingshot and positioning him strategically in your garden - perhaps in a colorful costume! You will help the local economy, enhance the beauty of your garden and solve your infestation problem. A win win!!

I heartily endorse that screaming like a banshee has no effect on monkeys. Did that recently when a monkey jumped into our car through the open window. Needless to say, it had no effect whatsoever!


A lot of apartment dwellers who face monkey problems, simply install grills.

I once asked someone with a vegetable garden in Mussoorie how he kept the monkeys off his crops and he said that growing ginger nearby is a deterrent to them.

Has anyone else heard of this? Or tried it?

No way! they don't eat ginger, but anything that is edible to there taste close by will be relished...of course as a punishment for growing ginger, they will spoil all of it

My monkey genes are smiling at another funny human story

Thankyou for correcting me Jitu! I'm glad you're laughing like a monkey

I suppose if it was as simple a matter as growing a small bit of ginger then everybody would know about it

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Tiger urine or horse shit might work for other critters but not monkeys. Monkeys are not stupid. They move in gangs. What works is a watchman. A human being on guard during day light hours.

While appreciating the roses on Mount Abu garden, I found a teenage kid using a catapult and stoning monkeys on trees. I told him to stop doing it as it could hurt monkeys in the head and there is a danger they would drop dead from the trees. He continued doing it. This is when I seized his catapult. He immediately came back with an adult. I complained to him about what the kid was doing. He told me that the kid was specifically hired to keep monkeys away from eating the pretty roses in the garden.

It is not easy. Electric fences like the ones farmers use on ranches to contain cattle, sheep, goat and horses could be used but monkeys are much smarter and persistent. There is also a danger yourself or your family could get zapped with your contraption and monkeys will have the last laugh. →
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