Regain Control Of Your Garden By Banishing Squirrels For Good

Is your beautiful garden being ransacked by pesky squirrels? Do they dig up freshly planted bulbs, nibble your ripening tomatoes, and steal the fruit right off your trees? Dealing with these furry garden invaders can be incredibly frustrating. But don't despair - with some determination and the right tactics, you can reclaim your garden and keep squirrels at bay for good.

You'll learn about physical barriers, scare tactics, garden maintenance, and repellents. With a multi-pronged approach, you can foil these greedy bandits and prevent them from destroying your hard work and harvest.

Use Physical Barriers to Block Access

The first line of defense is simply making it harder for squirrels to get into your garden in the first place. Erecting physical barriers can obstruct their access and prevent much of the damage.

Install Fences

Fencing around your garden's perimeter keeps squirrels from scampering directly onto your plants. Use fencing made from 1/4-inch mesh chicken wire or hardware cloth. Bury the bottom several inches underground to prevent squirrels from digging underneath. For added difficulty, bend the top outward at a 45-degree angle.

Around trees, wrap horizontal bands of sheet metal. At least 3 feet wide, this smooth material thwarts squirrels from climbing up the bark. Place the bands several feet off the ground.

Cover Beds with Netting

Draping bird netting or other small-holed mesh over your planting beds creates a protected canopy. The netting should be pulled taut about 1 foot above the soil. Be sure to anchor it firmly with stakes and weigh down the edges with rocks. This safeguards your seeds and seedlings from being dug up or nibbled on.

Utilize Row Covers

Floating row covers made of lightweight polyester or polypropylene fabric rest right on top of low-growing vegetables and herbs. When anchored securely, the edges seal out squirrels while allowing air, light, and water through. Row covers deter squirrels as well as many flying and crawling garden pests.

Shield Seedlings

When starting plants from seed outdoors, protect seedlings by using cloches, cold frames, or other protective structures. These mini-greenhouses form a barrier that keeps squirrels away until the plants are larger and more established. Hardened off cabbage, broccoli, and other seedlings can better withstand minor nibbling.

Scare Them Away with Deterrents

In addition to physical obstructions, you can also use scare tactics and deterrents to frighten squirrels and make them keep their distance. Once they associate your garden with alarming things, squirrels will look elsewhere to scavenge.

Set Up Motion Activated Sprinklers

These devices detect movement through heat and motion sensors. When triggered, they shoot bursts of water to startle intruding squirrels. Position sprinklers along frequently used paths and around susceptible plants. The element of surprise trains squirrels to avoid and retreat from your garden quickly.

Use Noise Makers and Predator Calls

Radios tuned to talk stations can generate chatter that disturbs squirrels when placed around your garden. Motion-activated ultrasonic, electronic noise emitters also help drive squirrels away with random sounds. You can even buy devices that play recorded predator calls like owls, hawks, and snakes when movement is detected.

Install Flashing Lights

Strategically placed flashing strobe lights turn on automatically when squirrels are present, disorienting them. Solar powered garden spotlights that suddenly illuminate and predator decoys like plastic owls can also startle squirrels. Shiny pie pans that spin in the breeze help discourage them too.

Relocating these deterrents every few days ensures squirrels don't become accustomed and unafraid. Varying the frightening devices keeps them guessing.

Remove Any Food Sources Drawing Them In

Even the most persistent squirrels will stop ravaging a garden that offers no tasty treats or snacks. Take away what's attracting them in the first place by thoroughly cleaning up your yard.

Keep Your Garden Tidy

Pick up fallen fruits and vegetables promptly. Squirrels love to scavenge for produce and will return to any free meals. Rake up debris like fallen leaves or woodpiles where squirrels like to hide. Store bags of fertilizer and soil indoors when not in use.

Use Sealed Compost Bins

Secure compost bins that fully enclose food scraps don't allow access to half-eaten leftovers. Even small gaps in poorly latched lids provide opportunities for determined squirrels. Close off access points to discourage exploring.

Manage Outdoor Cooking Areas

Be diligent about cleaning grill drip pans and sweep up any spilled food or crumbs. Don't leave pet food bowls sitting out. Keep trash bins tightly closed and consider anchoring them so they can't be knocked over or raided.

Plant Flowers and Vegetables They Dislike

Certain plants just don't appeal to squirrels, so incorporating these into your garden design can make the space far less inviting. The strong scents actually deter squirrels and some plants are unpleasant to nibble on.

Use Strongly Scented Herbs and Flowers

The aromatic leaves of lavender, thyme, sage, and oregano repel squirrels. Alliums like chives, garlic, and onion carry scents squirrels avoid. Plant marigolds throughout your garden, as squirrels dislike their pungent smell.

Add Prickly Plants as Barriers

Thorny bushes like roses, blackberry brambles, pyracantha, and barberry make movement uncomfortable. Squirrels will think twice about crossing these spiky obstacles. Plant them around the perimeter to thwart garden entry.

Dust with Spicy Pepper

Sprinkling cayenne, crushed red pepper, or chili powder over your garden soil and on plants makes mouths burn. Spread black pepper on planted bulbs. These irritants teach squirrels your garden is not a tasty retreat.

Provide Alternative Food Sources

One strategy is to give squirrels another place to fill their bellies besides your prized vegetable plot or flower garden. Set up feeders and feeding stations away from the areas you want to protect.

Place Squirrel Feeders in Trees

Stock feeders with corn kernels, nuts, and seeds to satisfy hunger. Position them far from your gardens, ideally with obstructions blocking a straight path. This focuses activity away from your plantings.

Toss or Scatter Food on the Ground

Put out treats like dried corn cobs, sunflower seeds, avocado halves, or hazelnuts in open areas of your yard. Check periodically and refresh the bounty to keep squirrels returning to these designated spots.

Make Plants Less Appetizing

You can also use taste deterrents to actually make your garden plants less enticing to snack on. Squirrels may take an initial nibble but they'll quickly learn not to return.

Spray Repellent Mixes

Coat plant leaves and stems with DIY sprays made from hot pepper, garlic, and water mixtures. Another easy homemade repellent combines vinegar, lemon juice, and dish soap. Reapply these foul-tasting solutions after rain.

Apply Predator Urine

The scent of coyote, fox, bobcat, or wolf urine mimics what squirrels instinctively know means danger. Use pure urine or a repellent product and re-spray weekly. However, research suggests urine works best when rotating repellent types.

Use Bittering Agents

Non-toxic bittering agents like Bitrex make plants unpalatable. Look for products formulated to discourage chewing on plants and follow label instructions carefully before spraying vulnerable fruits, veggies, and flowers.

Try Companion Planting

By using symbiotic companion planting strategies, certain plant pairings actually help deter squirrels. Some release scents squirrels dislike while others mask yummy aromas.

Mask Enticing Scents

Plant radishes near cucurbits like squash since their strong scent hides the vines' welcoming odor. Chives planted among carrots conceal the sweet smell squirrels hone in on.

Repel with Scent Confusion

Interplanting alliums like onions and garlic or herbs like basil throughout gardens creates aroma confusion. Squirrels struggle to isolate individual plant scents.

Beans enrich soil for co-planted corn but also emit an unpleasant scent. Lettuce interplanted with pole beans thrives but repels squirrels.

Defend Individual Plants

For prized plants like ripe tomatoes, you can provide extra protection tailored to that specific crop. Physical barriers just around high value plants prevent squirrel damage.

Install Tomato Cages

Sturdy wire tomato cages provide some shielding and support. Just partially wrap the cages with netting to create a fuller barrier while still allowing growth and airflow.

Wrap Fruit in Netting

Shield nearly-ripe tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other fruits by loosely wrapping them with netting bags. Leave the bottoms open for continued ripening. This keeps squirrels from nibbling holes that quickly ruin fruit.

Cover Seedlings

Small cloches, cold frames, plastic tunnels, and glass jars create protective greenhouses over vulnerable seedlings. Leave the covers on each plant until it is large and established enough to withstand minor damage.

Repel Squirrels with Scents and Texture

Natural scents squirrels dislike can be deployed around your garden borders. You can also use rough, uncomfortable mulch textures to discourage digging and burrowing.

Apply Strong Scents

Heavily sprinkle cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, or garlic powder around garden edges. Concentrated vinegar or ammonia soaked into rags acts as a repellent when placed strategically.

Use Rough Mulch

Pinecone mulch or jagged lava rock spread at least 2 inches deep prevents squirrels from digging. Lay landscaping fabric underneath to prevent weeds before adding prickly mulch.

We hope these comprehensive tips give you confidence that you can successfully defend your garden against these tricky critters. A multifaceted approach makes sure you've got all the bases covered.

It may take diligence and patience, but you can break squirrels' snacking habits and keep them at bay. With hardy plants, impenetrable barriers, frightening deterrents, and garden vigilance, victory over these pesky pests is within reach.

This season, take back control and banish squirrels for good. Employ as many of these squirrel-fighting methods as possible to reclaim and protect your garden. Soon, you'll have the upper hand over those wily squirrels!