6 Best Fence Height Extenders For Existing Fences That Deter Garden Pests
Boost your garden’s defense. Our guide covers the 6 best fence height extenders to easily upgrade your existing fence and keep common pests out for good.
A 5-foot fence feels tall until you watch a white-tailed deer clear it without breaking a sweat. Many of us start with a standard fence, only to realize it’s more of a suggestion than a barrier to determined garden pests. The good news is you don’t have to rip it all out and start over; extending your existing fence is a smart, practical solution that saves a ton of time and money.
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Why Taller Fences Keep Deer and Pests Out
It’s simple physics. Most deer can comfortably jump a 6-foot fence, but pushing it to 7.5 or 8 feet makes the effort and risk too high for all but the most desperate animals. A taller fence isn’t just a physical barrier; it’s a powerful psychological deterrent. They see a wall, not an obstacle.
This isn’t just about deer, either. Raccoons, while excellent climbers, are discouraged by height, especially when the top is wobbly or angled outwards. A taller fence gives you a buffer zone, making it much harder for ground-level pests to find a way over or through. It fundamentally changes the calculation for any animal weighing the effort against the reward of your prize-winning squash.
Freedom’s Fence Extender: A Versatile Choice
If you have a standard wood, vinyl, or ornamental metal fence, these extenders are often the path of least resistance. They are essentially post sleeves or brackets that bolt onto your existing posts, giving you an extra two or three feet of height. You can then string wire, run mesh, or even attach more lattice between them.
Their biggest advantage is adaptability. You aren’t locked into a single system, making them great for the common suburban privacy fence that suddenly needs to become a deer-proof barrier. The tradeoff is that the strength depends entirely on the integrity of your original posts. If your posts are wobbly, adding height will only make them weaker, so be sure to check your foundation first.
DeerBusters Post Extenders for Chain Link
Chain link is a common sight, but a standard 4 or 5-foot height is practically an invitation for deer. DeerBusters makes a simple and effective sleeve that slides right over the top of your existing round metal posts. This gives you a solid foundation to add another 2 or 3 feet of polypropylene deer fencing.
This is a fantastic solution because it’s a targeted upgrade. You keep the strength of your chain link at the bottom where pressure from smaller animals is highest, and add the lightweight, visual barrier of deer netting on top. It’s a cost-effective way to get the necessary 7.5-foot height without the expense and labor of installing a full-height chain link fence from scratch.
Tenax Fence Extension Kit: Easy Installation
Sometimes you just need a project to be done. The Tenax kits are designed for exactly that. They typically come with everything you need in one box: the extender posts, the fencing material, and the zip ties or fasteners to put it all together. This removes the guesswork of sourcing compatible parts.
These kits are perfect for someone who wants a reliable weekend fix for a medium-sized garden. The installation is straightforward, often just requiring you to clamp or bolt the extenders onto your existing posts. While they may not be the most heavy-duty option for areas with massive pest pressure, they offer a balanced solution of ease, effectiveness, and affordability.
Critterfence Extenders for Serious Pest Pressure
When you’re dealing with a relentless herd of deer or clever climbing predators, you need to bring out the heavy-duty gear. Critterfence extenders are built tougher than most. They are often made of thicker gauge steel and are designed to hold heavier metal fencing materials, not just lightweight poly netting.
Think of these as a permanent, structural upgrade. Many of their systems also offer an angled or outrigger option, allowing you to run wire at a 45-degree angle. This is a game-changer for climbers like raccoons and coyotes, as they can’t navigate the overhang. This is the solution you turn to when your livelihood, or at least your sanity, depends on keeping pests out for good.
Zareba Angled Extenders for Electric Fencing
A physical barrier is good, but a physical barrier with a memorable lesson is even better. Zareba’s angled extenders are designed to add one or more hot wires to the top of an existing fence. They bolt onto T-posts, wood posts, or round posts and hold the insulator away from the fence at an angle.
This setup is brutally effective for two reasons. First, it stops jumpers; a deer that might try to clear the fence will hit the hot wire first. Second, it’s the ultimate solution for climbers. A raccoon scaling a post will get a zap right on the nose when it reaches for the top. This is a powerful tool, but it requires a proper fence charger and clear signage.
Red Brand T-Post Extenders: An Affordable Fix
On a hobby farm, T-posts are everywhere, and for good reason: they’re cheap, durable, and easy to install. Red Brand makes simple T-post extenders that slide over the top of your existing posts, instantly giving you more height. You can then add more strands of barbed wire, smooth wire, or field fence.
This is the workhorse solution for large perimeters or internal pasture fences you need to fortify. It’s not elegant, but it’s fast, cheap, and uses a post system you already know how to work with. If you need to raise the height on a few hundred feet of fencing without breaking the bank or your back, this is almost always the answer.
Choosing and Installing Your Fence Extenders
Making the right choice comes down to answering three questions honestly. First, what kind of fence posts do you have now? Your options for a wood privacy fence are completely different than for a T-post line. Don’t try to force a solution onto a fence type it wasn’t designed for.
Second, who is the enemy?
- For deer: Height is everything. You need to get to at least 7.5 feet. Any system that achieves this is a good start.
- For climbers (raccoons, coyotes): An angled extender, especially one that’s electrified, is far more effective than pure height. They can climb anything vertical.
- For general pests: A simple height increase with a solid mesh can deter a wide range of opportunistic animals.
Finally, assess your existing fence. Before you add a single extender, go shake your posts. If they are loose in the ground, adding more height will just create a sail that will catch the wind and likely topple the whole thing in a storm. Reinforce or replace weak posts before you make them taller.
Ultimately, extending your fence is about working smarter, not harder. It’s a targeted investment that protects the time, money, and effort you’ve already sunk into your garden or livestock. By choosing the right extender for your specific fence and pest, you can turn a mediocre barrier into a truly effective defense.
