Squirrels are the animals that are bad for your garden as they tend to eat the plants or fruits and even dig the plants, pots, and vegetables.
As squirrels are flood lovers and they aren’t picky eaters they can eat and destroy the plants and fruits that you grow in your garden.
So here are some of the strategies for keeping your garden safe from squirrel attacks that can destroy your plants:
1. Hot Chilli Pepper
Hot Chilli Pepper is one of the easiest and most natural methods to apply to keep your garden safe from squirrel attacks. The smell and taste of the hot pepper that they don’t like helps to keep them away.
All you have to do is sprinkle the pepper flakes around the soil of the plants which need to be protected from the squirrel including the potted plants. You can also sprinkle the paper directly on the plant’s leaves.
You need to wear protective gear to protect your hands and eyes as the hot pepper can get into your eyes.
2. Essential Oils
Essential oils can also help squirrels get away from your plants and protect them from being destroyed. Squirrels dislike the scent of essential oils and peppermint, geranium, and clove are also effective.
All you have to do is simply soak the cotton balls with essential oil and place them in shallow trays directly in planters or you can put them around the garden. Most of the commercially sold deterrents use essential oil and o to use them you can simply spray them around the garden but don’t spray them directly on plants.
3. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be the best deterrent to keep squirrels away from vegetable gardens.
All you have to do is mix the leftover coffee with soil and sprinkle it around the plants as it helps to keep squirrels away from your plants.
4. Garlic
While humans enjoy and love the scent of garlic while cooking squirrels are not fans of the smell and taste of garlic. All you have to do is chop some garlic and mix it with water and vinegar in equal parts. Let the mixed ingredients sit for a day so they combine well and then spray them on fences, stakes, and flower pots.
But don’t spray them directly on the plants or the plant leaves as the vinegar can harm them. Also, keep the mixture away from pets and children too.
The garlic deterrents can also be purchased from an online store or you can buy them from a garden supply or hardware store. Just remember to spray the garlic mixture every few days and after the rain as they can fade away.
5. Old Soap Trick
According to the Farmers’ Almanac trick an Irish Spring soap is also a great way to keep squirrels away from your garden. All you have to do is grate the Irish Spring soap and sprinkle them around the garden plants as the squirrels don’t like the smell of it.
6. Create Physical Barriers
You can also protect potted plants for the garden sections using the hardware cloth or mesh cloth and make barriers around the plants or the garden. Use the hardware cloth or mesh cloth around the garden or plants and cover the ground touching part with more soil or gravel or pebbles which are unfriendly for squirrels.
Chicken wire can also be used as they are hard just make sure to bury them 6 inches below the ground so the squirrel won’t dig in the garden.
You can also buy squirrel fence spikes which can be found in different stores. Just attach them on roofs, walls, or fences.
7. Electronic Devices
A lot of electronic, solar, or battery-operated devices are available that can help you keep your garden safe some of the common devices are ultrasonic soundwaves at frequencies that bother squirrels.
Some flashlights and some devices even make predator noise to help you keep your garden safe and sound from squirrels and other animals too.
You can also use motion-activated sprinklers which are a lot more effective as the device detects movement and sound a spray of water will follow them. It can help frighten squirrels off and it can also water the plant at the same time.
8. Plant What They Don’t Like
Even the squirrels are not picky eaters there are some of the plants they don’t like and tend to stay away from them. Some of the plants they hate are alliums, mint, catnip, geranium, hyacinth, and daffodils which have strong scents, and avoid coming near those plants.
You can use those plants as a natural barrier to keep squirrels out of your garden.
9. Get a dog
You can also get a dog to keep the squirrels off the garden. Most dogs love to chase squirrels and can guard your garden from squirrels and other animals.
So these are some strategies to keep your garden safe from squirrels and keep your plants and fruits safe from being destroyed.
FAQs
Q. How do I keep squirrels from digging into my potted plants?
You can use different methods to keep squirrels from digging into potted plants as you can use Physical Barriers around the plants, a Garlic strategy, an essential oil, and you can also use hot chile paper.
Q. Do hot peppers keep squirrels away?
Yes, hot peppers keep squirrels away as they hate the capsaicin that is found in hot peppers, and the squirrels hate them, and they tend to stay away from those places.
Q. What is the best squirrel deterrent for a vegetable garden?
Coffee grounds can be the best deterrent to keep squirrels away from vegetable gardens. All you have to do is mix the leftover coffee with soil and sprinkle around the plants.
Q. What are the plants squirrel hates?
Hot chile paper, alliums, mint, catnip, geranium, hyacinth, and daffodils are some of the plants squirrels hate and tend to stay away from.
Q. How do you keep squirrels out of trees?
To keep squirrels out of the trees all you have to do is wrap the aluminum flashing around the tree trunk as aluminum flashing is slippery and makes noise when they try to climb.
Also Read: 10 Vegetable Gardening Mistakes Beginner Gardeners Can Make