how to keep squirrels out of garden

Ways to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden

Hide or relocate their food. Be diligent about cleaning up fallen nuts, acorns and berries. ...
Get a dog. Most dogs love to chase squirrels. ...
Turn up their noses. ...
Surprise them. ...
Employ natural predators. ...
Create a barrier. ...
Use companion plants. ...
Cover the ground.

What is the best way to repel squirrels?

Natural Squirrel Repellents

Some commercial repellents are made with the urine of squirrels' predators. ...
Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, pepper flakes, and/or garlic pepper on and around your plants when they are ready to bloom. ...
One reader claims blood meal sprinkled around the garden soil works against squirrels.

Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away?

Place fresh coffee grounds together with plant bulbs to keep squirrels from digging up potted bulbs. Plant the bulbs as directed and place discarded bedding from rabbits on top of the soil. The combination of odors from the coffee grounds and the rabbit bedding can be an effective squirrel repellent.

What do squirrels hate the most?

Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.

How do I rid my garden of squirrels?

9 Ways to Get Rid of Squirrels

Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper. Some gardeners swear by sprinkling a concoction of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika or other combinations of spicy seasonings around the base of the plants. ...
Don't Feed Them. ...
Set Up a Buffet. ...
Mulch It. ...
Use Netting or Fencing. ...
Netting in Action. ...
Be Dedicated. ...
Spray Them!

Do dryer sheets repel squirrels?

Bracikowski said the dryer sheets works for squirrels and mice as well. In his summer home, he's going to place sheets by vents and doors to discourage the rodents. In the beginning, he added new dryer sheets to the bamboo sticks every week, then added sheets less frequently.

How do you make homemade squirrel repellent?

Make a cayenne pepper spray to spray on the leaves of tempting plants. To do this, mix a small bottle of your favorite hot sauce with a gallon on water. Place in a spray bottle and use it directly on the leaves of the plants that the squirrels are going after.

How do I keep squirrels from digging in my flower pots?

Mix something into the potting soil that squirrels find distasteful. Natural repellents may include cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, vinegar, peppermint oil, or garlic (or try a combination of two or more).

What type of plants repel squirrels?

Here are seven garden plants that repel squirrels.

Daffodils. Daffodils and other members of the Narcissi family can deter not only squirrels but also deer and rabbits. ...
Alliums. Image source: Pixabay.com. ...
Fritillaries. ...
Galanthus. ...
Hyacinth. ...
Lily-of-the-Valley. ...
Geraniums.

How do I keep squirrels from eating my tomatoes?

Build Physical Barriers. Stop squirrels from eating your tomatoes by covering your plants with plastic bird netting, chicken wire or hardware cloth. All of those barrier items are available at many garden supply centers.

What food is poisonous to squirrels?

Toxic foods are poisonous to squirrels and should be completely avoided.
...
UNHEALTHY FOODS

High-sugar foods (candy, cookies, granola, sweetened breakfast cereals)
High-starch foods (pasta, bread, rice, potatoes)
Salty foods.
Human junk food.
Cashews.
Sunflower seeds.
Dried corn.
Pine nuts.

Does aluminum foil deter squirrels?

A reader who wanted to stop the little varmints from digging up his plants discovered aluminum foil works very well as a squirrel repellent. A layer of aluminum foil is all the squirrel repellent you need on potted plants.

How do you get rid of GREY squirrels?

‟Live-trapping gray squirrels, using metal box traps at least two feet long is often the most effective way to remove them. Place traps, baited with apple chunks, peanut butter, or various nuts, in heavily travelled [sic] routes or on rooftops, along porch railings, or within the attic.

How do you stop squirrels from eating your garden?

Ways to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden

Hide or relocate their food. Be diligent about cleaning up fallen nuts, acorns and berries. ...
Get a dog. Most dogs love to chase squirrels. ...
Turn up their noses. ...
Surprise them. ...
Employ natural predators. ...
Create a barrier. ...
Use companion plants. ...
Cover the ground.

Does cinnamon keep squirrels away?

Other scents that will deter squirrels from your gardens are nutmeg, cinnamon, Serrano and crushed jalapeno peppers. ... Using a spray bottle, this mixture can keep squirrels away from planted bulbs and trees. Even used cat litter can keep your flowers safe. However, it is not to be used on vegetable and herb gardens.

Do squirrels eat carrots?

What are Squirrels Favorite Foods? ... Other favorites aren't exactly natural, but the squirrels love them anyway. These additional foods include peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, grapes, corn, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, strawberries, carrots, apples, sunflower seeds and even snack items, such as Oreo® cookies.

Will Epsom salt deter squirrels?

Sprinkle a generous amount of Epsom salt over your plants, including the mature plants and any recently planted bulbs. The Epsom salt will not only keep away ground hogs and other pests, including rabbits and squirrels, it is will help your plants grow.

How do I get rid of ground squirrels permanently?

Install tall fencing or netting around gardens or bushes you don't want these animals getting into. Make sure the fencing goes at least a foot underground. Use motion sensor water sprinklers to scare squirrels away with water. Plant mint plants around your home to repel the ground squirrels.

Do moth balls deter squirrels?

The scent of mothballs might make many humans feel nostalgic for visits to Grandma's house, but squirrels dislike the scent. ... Repel squirrels by simply placing mothballs beside your plants or in household problem areas, such as the attic. Replace these mothballs when their smell begins to fade, every few weeks or so.

Does paprika deter squirrels?

Dry Repellents

From your spice rack, gather paprika, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sprinkle a mixture of these spices where you don't want squirrels to dig or tread. You can even mix them in with your wild birdseed to keep the squirrels from eating it.

Does chili powder deter squirrels?

Chili powder is one of the most surefire ways to deter squirrels from your garden. Squirrels tend to bury their noses into the ground when digging around in a garden. If they get a snout full of hot chili pepper they will run the other way and think twice before coming back around. The powder won't affect the plants.

Will cayenne pepper deter squirrels?

Guess what can? Sprinkle some cayenne pepper or a similar spice onto your birdseed before you put it out. Birds will eat the seed just fine, but squirrels will smell the heat and stay well clear. You'll have to re-apply the spice frequently, however, or it'll wash off or blow away.