What Animal Will Keep Squirrels Out Of A Vegetable Garden

Squirrel perched on a backyard gate.

Though kids may call back they're beautiful and lovable, squirrels can be existent nuisances. After all, these bushy-tailed, food-stealing critters have a bad addiction of helping themselves to bird seed, tree buds and bark, ripe apples and tomatoes, berries, blossom blooms - the listing goes on. Squirrels also similar to dig holes in garden soil and planting pots, either to await for seeds or to bury food for later employ.

Here are some signs that squirrels are causing mischief in your yard and garden:

Minor holes dug in planting beds and pots
Half-eaten (or missing) fruit or flowers
Missing plants
Munched-on seed-heads

To go on squirrels out of your 1000 and abroad from your garden, you demand to brand those spaces unattractive to them. Here'south a whole-yard program for keeping squirrels away.

Take away like shooting fish in a barrel food sources.

Squirrels are enthusiastic foragers, so selection up fallen nuts, fruits, and seeds. Don't forget to secure trash tin can lids tightly and bury food scraps deeply into compost piles.

Scare them away.

Rodent-chasing dogs and motion-activated noisemakers, such equally garden spinners, pinwheels, and aluminum pie tins, all brand good squirrel deterrents. In addition, if you're watering your lawn anyhow, consider using a move-detecting sprinkler to increase the scare factor.

Use repellents.

Chili peppers and mint are common home remedies for keeping squirrels at bay, since they hate the taste and smell of both. Y'all can whip upwardly a spray concoction using one of the many recipes found online. If y'all prefer the take hold of-and-go approach, attempt a no-stink commercial repellent spray like rain-resistant Tomcat® Repellents Animal Repellent Ready-To-Use, which uses essential oils that create a olfactory property and gustatory modality squirrels naturally detest. For large areas, get fast coverage by using Tomcat® Repellents Animate being Repellent Granules. Be certain to follow all label directions.

Spread some mulch.

Although squirrels are natural diggers, you can discourage digging and help protect seedlings by covering the soil around your plants with a layer of mulch.

Cover your plants.

Consider using a physical barrier, such as plastic netting, fencing, or craven wire, to assistance keep your plants from harm.

If you accept bird feeders, you know they present their ain set of anti-squirrel challenges. Try these tactics:

Be strategic about feeder placement.

Consider relocating the feeders far away from jump-off points (like trees). Another option is to get a bird feeder with a weight-sensitive bar that lets birds (not squirrels) get to the food.

Brand feeders hard to climb.

Hardware cloth, aluminum ducting, plastic pipe, netting, wire screening, craven wire, or plastic bottles fastened around the base of your feeders may help keep squirrels away—at least for a little while.