Squirrels are cute and fuzzy, but they can cause damage to a garden very quickly. They are destructive and can be an annoyance. They dig up plants, eat fruit, and make a mess of your yard.
Nothing is more frustrating than squirrels destroying your garden and eating all your plants. Not only are they cute, but they are also brilliant and can be difficult to exclude from a house.
So every gardener is deeply concerned about their garden, and that is, “I am desperate to keep squirrels out of my garden.” Therefore, to help you, we will discuss some beneficial ways by which you can prevent squirrels from entering your garden.
Identifying Squirrel Damage in the Garden
It is essential to keep an eye out for telltale signs of squirrels. A damaged potted plant can sometimes be hard to identify with other animals in the garden, but there are some distinct characteristics that you should look for when trying to detect squirrel damage, such as:
01. Holes: Squirrels make distinctive round holes like someone took a hole-punch and punched out a circle of mulch or soil.
02. Burrows: If more than one squirrel is in the area, you may see small burrows dug under fencing to enter your garden.
03. Unusual Scat: Squirrels are not the only ones making droppings in your garden, so it is essential to identify what type of fecal matter you are finding.
A squirrel’s scat looks like small black jellybeans, while other animals will leave more enormous piles with seeds in it.
04. Chewed Fruit: As their name suggests, they love fruit and can do a lot of damage to fruit trees in search of their favorite treats. If you see chewed fruit on your trees, then it is not the work of a squirrel.
05. Stealing or Damage to Nuts: If you see that someone’s stealing your nuts from the ground, chances are they are squirrels. Since they carry nuts in their mouths as they run away, you will find open shells with no nuts inside.
Why Should You Be Concerned About Squirrels in the Garden?
In the garden, squirrels can cause a lot of damage. They dig up plants and eat fruit, and they make a mess of your yard, they steal your nuts from the ground, they destroy your seeds when burying them in the background, so you have to start all over again.
Squirrels have been known to carry diseases such as rabies and the plague, so it is essential to take preventative action to ensure that your garden is safe from these diseases.
Common Plants that Attract Squirrels
If you have a garden with fruit trees or nut-bearing plants, you will likely attract squirrels. To keep them out, it is essential to remove these plants from your garden.
If you can identify plants that attract squirrels, it will be easy to either remove those plants or block them from getting to them. Some common plants that attract squirrels include:
- Apple trees
- Peach trees
- Cherry trees
- Plum and Prune trees
- Walnut trees
- Tulip bulbs
- Sunflower seeds, etc.
Desperate to Keep Squirrels Out of My Garden
It’s a pain in the neck to have squirrels eat all of your flowers and vegetable garden. Most people will use their scare tactics, such as blowing an air horn or throwing water around to keep them away.
But these tricks only work for so long before they get used to it and start coming back more often than ever. There are many other ways you can try, though!
Remove the Things that Attract Them
In most cases, the fruit trees and nut trees attract squirrels. To keep them from getting into your garden, you will have to remove the plants that they feed on. If there are no food sources, they cannot come into your backyard.
Squirrels love to damage or steal nuts from the ground. Putting a wire mesh on the basis under your trees is essential to prevent this. This will make it impossible for the squirrels to get to the nuts, but they can still fertilize them with their droppings.
Relocate or Hide their Food
One of the best ways to keep squirrels out is to ensure they do not find food in your garden. If you have a bird feeder, it is essential to keep it out of reach from the squirrels or place it so high up that they cannot get to it.
Instead, try adding some water features to your garden where the squirrels cannot get to it.
Blocking their Way In
If the problem is primarily one area, you should try to block this area from the other regions of your yard. For example, if you have a tree near your fence line but it is not tall enough for them to reach over, then you can put a tall fence around your garden to keep them out.
Employ Natural Predators
If the above tricks do not seem to work, then you can try employing a natural predator.
Get a Cat
One of these is the cat. If you have a garden that is mostly enclosed with fencing or walls and your cats are allowed to roam free around your yard, they will chase away the squirrels from your park if there is nothing else for them to eat.
Get a Dog
Another option is to get a dog. Dogs can also eat the squirrels, so they cannot come back, but they can also dig up the fallen nuts around your garden, so be prepared for this.
Turn Up Their Noses
One of the best and easiest ways to keep squirrels out is to place a sprig of something they find distasteful in your garden. Some plants that squirrels tend to turn their noses up at include:
Hot Chili Pepper
Squirrels can’t stand the smell or taste of hot pepper. All you have to do is sprinkle the leaves around your garden, and they should stay out.
Garlic
Like hot chili peppers, squirrels also hate garlic, so all you have to do is plant a few cloves in your garden, which will keep them away.
Peppermint
It is not known why squirrels hate peppermint, but they can’t stand the smell of it. All you have to do is sprinkle dried peppermint leaves around your garden, and they should stay out.
Chives
Squirrels also tend to leave chive plants alone, so all you have to do is plant some in your garden, and they should stay away.
Rosemary
Just like with chives, squirrels also tend to leave rosemary alone, so all you have to do is sprinkle the dried leaves around your garden, and they should stay out.
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Mint
Squirrels will not go near mint because of the smell, so all you have to do is plant a few mint plants near your garden, and they should stay out.
Essential Oils
Just as with natural predators, squirrels can’t stand the smell of essential oil. This is a more natural way to keep them away, and it also leaves your garden smelling great!
Baking Soda
Squirrels do not like the taste or smell of baking soda, so all you have to do is sprinkle some around your garden, and it will keep them away.
Keeping Squirrels Off from Bird Feeders
If you have bird feed in your backyard, you must keep the squirrels away from it. Squirrels can quickly jump onto any hanging feeders and eat all of the seeds before the birds get there.
Use Repellents
If all else fails, you can try using repellents. There are many sprays and granules that you can use to keep the squirrels away! The only thing is that these repellents do not work for long, so you will have to continue reapplying for them every few weeks.
Use the Right Garden Supplies
Not all squirrel repellent sprays are created equal. Some can harm you or your pets, so you must get the right kind. When buying your garden supplies, make sure to get ones that can keep squirrels out of your garden.
Motion-Sensitive Water Irrigation System
This is an excellent option if your garden is mainly exposed, and they can quickly jump right in without you noticing.
A motion-sensitive water irrigation system is an affordable way to keep squirrels from entering your yard. You simply attach this device to your hose or spigot and set it for the sensitivity you need.
Why is Squirrels Hard to Repel?
Squirrels can be hard to repel because they are so intelligent and resourceful. They can get into small spaces and chew through some materials, so you often need an all-encompassing plan to keep them out of your garden.
If you only use one type of squirrel repellent, such as fencing, you will likely find that the squirrels will get through it after some time. Squirrels are smart enough to see your efforts and try different ways to enter your yard.
So to completely keep them from entering your garden, you need a multi-faceted approach with all types of repellents included.
Tips for Keeping Squirrels Out of Your Garden
If you want to keep squirrels out of your garden, the best thing you can do is make it as unappealing as possible. You can do this by:
- They were putting up bird feeders. Squirrels will steal bird food if they can find it, so this is an easy way to cut down on the number of squirrels in your garden.
- Plant some coyote brush or Bermuda grass. Both are known to grow thick and tall, making it difficult for squirrels to move through.
- Mix some cayenne pepper in with your standard garden soil. This will give the leaves of your plants a hot taste, which squirrels don’t seem to enjoy.
- Put up a fence around your garden. A wall is an easy way to keep squirrels away from plants because they can’t jump over it or climb through it.
- Use a motion sensor sprinkler to spray squirrels with water when they jump into your garden. This technique is also beneficial for keeping rabbits from getting into your garden.
- Put up some fake owls around the edges of your yard or garden. It may seem silly, but it might frighten off any nearby squirrels.
- Put bird netting over your vegetables. If you do this early enough, it’s possible to keep squirrels from eating all of your vegetables before they even grow.
- Hang up some tin foil on the fences and poles around your garden and yard. Squirrels don’t like shiny surfaces and will avoid them if they can.
- Keep dogs in your yard. Squirrels will avoid dogs if they can because dogs are a much more significant threat to them than humans.
FAQs
Let’s talk about some frequently asked questions that people are more concerned about:
01. How Do You Stop Squirrels from Eating Your Garden?
Install a cage or cover to prevent squirrels from accessing plants or beds. Various protective materials can be used, including hardware cloth, plastic bird nets, summer weight row covers, and chicken wire.
02. What is the Best Way to Repel Squirrels?
Scents such as capsaicin, white vinegar, cinnamon, peppermint oil, dryer sheets, coffee grounds, Irish Spring Soap, predator urine, garlic, and rosemary can be used to repel squirrels.
03. Does Vinegar Deter Squirrels?
Squirrels are repulsed by the pungent odor of apple cider vinegar. ACV is easily accessible and can be sprayed directly onto potted plants without causing damage.
04. Does Aluminum Foil Deter Grey Squirrels?
On potted plants, a thin layer of aluminum foil is all that is required to repel squirrels. For some reason, squirrels do not like aluminum foil.
In Conclusion
Squirrels are pesky critters that will do their best to ruin your garden every chance they get. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can keep them out and protect your plants without too much effort on your part. With the tips we’ve provided here, both seasoned gardeners and first-time plant owners should be able to repel these furry pests for good! Just be sure to stay persistent, and eventually, you’ll find the right solution for your specific situation.
