Here are tips on how to keep squirrels out of the garden, off the bird feeders, and out of the attic—especially when they are most active in autumn!
Why Worry About Squirrels in the Garden?
With a fondness for fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, the common squirrel has long spelled trouble for home gardeners. From Maine to Montana, these wily critters yank geraniums from window boxes, pluck tomatoes from their vines, and strip apple trees like professional pickers. Though their foraging forays can happen at any time of year, a squirrel’s raid in late summer and early autumn can drive a gardener nuts.
Squirrels are especially active in autumn as they stock up for winter. They do not hibernate (although they may “lie low” during cold spells), so their underground pantries are vitally important winter warehouses. They have a major instinct for hoarding food, which helps them to survive. Gray squirrels stash food by burying it in a scattered fashion around their territory.
Although North America is home to several species of squirrels, it is the suburb-savvy gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, that gives gardeners (and people who feed birds) the most grief. How did the clever critters find those bulbs, anyway? Why do they ransack some borders and leave others alone? What do squirrels eat?
The average squirrel gathers acorns, pinecones, nuts, bark, fruit, berries, fungi, and insects, but is not above stealing bird eggs and bulbs. Sometimes they will even ruin your flowers just for the fun of it! Keep an eye out for these pesky visitors and try some of our tips below.
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Nuisance squirrels
Can't you find them difficult and not "hate" them? Likely squirrels were around before humans. Maybe there just giving us payback for destroying their safe world. :- )
Squirrel deterrent
I have tried Human hair in stockings and in the soil to keep squirrels away. As soon as the rain washes the scent of Human away the squirrels will return. Crush oyster shell into 1"-2" pieces and spread them around the area where digging has occurred. This usually keeps the squirrels away, the shells scratch their paws and they will not dig there anymore. Windshield glass works as well but the oyster shell is better for the soil. You should use caution if you dig in your garden bare handed.
squirrels
We have container gardens in our yard. We have placed mint plants in our gardens for the last 2 years. It is very effective in keeping them away. Before the mint plants they would dig in my flowers constantly. Now they stay away from the gardens.
Thanks for sharing about mint plants
I was hoping that mint PLANTS might deter them since people talk about peppermint oil being a deterrent as well. I have several types of mint that I keep in containers around, and I might just move those containers into garden area or consider planting mint outright. It can spread, so a bit concerned about that but I prefer to deter rather than annihilate if I can. Go live your life squirrel... get the heck outta mine ;)
Squirrels
We treat them as yard pets, and mostly enjoy them. I am of the notion that we need to accommodate other critters we share space with. We live in a small village, and realize that we humans are seriously displacing fauna and flora alike. We keep squirrels happy with corn cobs. They don't bother our plants. Same is true of rabbits, we leave out corn, and I cultivate wild clover plants for them -which they love.
mouse traps
have tried everything from human hair to repellents,,,mouse traps seem to work..They get really scared,and haven't bothered my flowers so far.....good luck
squirrel resistance
i use 1/3 +/- C neutral food oil to 1/3 C cayenne fine ground on bulk 2-3 Gallon bucket oil sunflower seeds. Blend carefully and put in squirrel resistant feeders. Birds get used to the spice but squirrels don't. Save on seeds.
Read our tips at the top of
Read our tips at the top of this page and also scan some of the Q&As. There are some repellents available and some people use netting and chicken wire.
The squirrels ate all the
The squirrels ate all the unripe peaches out of my two peach trees last spring. Is there any way to keep them out of the fruit trees?
Peach trees and squirrels
I have the same problem as a previous commentor. Squirrels and chipmunks are eating my beautiful peaches, that we have been doting over!
Get a Silent Cat pellet rifle
Get a Silent Cat pellet rifle and be consistent. Don't be fooled by all these other gimmicks- elimination is the only way.
Squirrels
Live in Southern California and have a few tomato plants that produce fabulous tomatoes! Started seeing ripe & green disappear during night! Set test with 2 big ripe tomatoes on flat surface! They were half eaten, cleanly, then carried remainder about 30 feet and departed! Set trap with new tomatoes surrounded with white flour smoothed over and sure enough, looks like squirrel prints!! They do not like the flour on their paws do they are not taking tomatoes after they get flour on feet!! Pretty sure rats would naw at fruit and not carry carefully so far!! We have a few squirrels in neighborhood so I am assuming I
Have identified thief!! I moved other pots of tomatoes up on deck! So far, so good!
A band of baby Squirels
A band of baby Squirels destroying my pecan, please help. What can I do to get rid of them. Tried sound but need more permanet measure. Thanks
There seems to be no (easy)
There seems to be no (easy) solution to the squirrels in your pecan trees. Here are some thoughts:
Try wrapping the tree in a two-foot wide metal barrier to prevent the squirrels from climbing up it. Note that squirrels will just from other trees into it, however.
Cut off any branches that hang low to the ground, especially nut bearing ones. Cut down any trees or the like that provide the squirrels a jumping off point into the tree.
Provide an alternative food source, such as corn cobs.
Finally, having the same problem with a peach tree, one Almanac editor was advised to hang sparkly Christmas ornaments in the tree. (Squirrels are spooked by sparkly things.) It worked ... until the tail end of season—but she still got more of the harvest then the squirrels did.
We hope this helps!
I HAVE A PROBLEM SQUIRREL OR
I HAVE A PROBLEM SQUIRREL OR RABBITS HAVE EATEN MY BELL PEPPER PLANTS DOWN TO NOTHING PEOPLE SAY PLANT LEMON GRASS AROUND GARDEN AND WE HAVE A BIG ONE 27 DIFFERENT VEG WHAT CAN WE DO BESIDES A GUN AND LEMON GLASS THERES STUFF YOU CAN BUY IN WALMART BUT ITS EXPENSIVE HELP THANK YOU LINDA AND BILL
Hi, Linda: There are many
Hi, Linda: There are many relatively easy and inexpensive deterrents that you could try. Please see the tips above as well as comments in the thread below. A lot depends on your own layout and circumstances, so it's tough to be specific. One thing we would suggest, though, is to try a lot of things at once and just really make it uncomfortable for the critters to be around. Most folks just try one thing at a time, if for no other reason than this allows them to figure out what works. But we really don't care what works, as long as something works -- so feel free to try multiple things at once. Good luck!
I have been using Hot Pepper
I have been using Hot Pepper Suet blocks for yrs. birds will eat them, squirrels will not. Can be found in Home Depot or Walmart. NO MORE SQUIRRELS. Doesn't kill them but they won't be hanging around.
I have dogs and cats. In the
I have dogs and cats. In the garden I bury pet poop in mole tunnels, sprinkle used coffee grounds and crushed egg shells around young plants, and feed the squirrels up by my kitchen window, so I can enjoy their presence
Interesting!
Interesting!
I have read all the books and
I have read all the books and magazines and there are two standard squirrel deterrents. use a metal post and a tin barrier that prevents squirrels from getting into bird feeders. This is good but consider this.
Squirrels are God's creatures also. I even had one for a pet when I was a tiny little girl, so small that I don't remember but have a video of the squirrel. Bird's need food and so do squirrels. So don't just deter the squirrels but put up a feeder for the squirrels as far away from the bird feeders as possible. That may not be possible in a very small yard but large backyards; parks that will give you permission, and wooded areas will work wonderfully for this mission of mercy.
The only thing was a regular wooded area where other animal roam, is that the racoons, opossums and deer may also find the food and eat it. If a person has enough money they might set out bales of hay, corn stalks, and other deer food, pieces of fruit and peanut mixed with nuts and fruit, bird seed, and carrots; all chopped up and mixed into the peanut butter. If the birds and squirrels can not get to the food because of the other animals,plant berry shrubs, nut and seed trees, and wildflowers which help birds a great deal also. Elm trees have seeds, maple trees have seeds, hack-berry trees have little berries which I have seen Robins devour in the winter when migrating, and berry trees are also good. When you plant trees in a wooded area you need to surround the trunk with a flexible wire cage to protect the bark which deer will eat. Than expand the cage periodically so that the tree has room to grow. A wooded area like this along with extra help from human friends can be bird and animal friendly. I wish everyone who has money would consider doing this, for there is not a lot of land available for animals to survive on anymore.
What a fabulous artical you
What a fabulous artical you have written! Good on you! I agree we need to be civilized and learn to live cooperatively with nature and not kill animals that are just going about their business of survival! I have a few things to add:
1) Are people positive that squirrels are doing the damage? I had whole cucumber, tomato and pepper plants knawed away at the base and the plants eaten. After observing day and night, it turned out to be rats (I thought it was rabbits, racoons or squirrels). They were the type that burrow under large tree roots.
2) I do feed my squirrels sunflower seeds and they are happy and have never touched anything in my yard or large vegetable garden. I dont feed peanuts because they will bury them and I want to avoid having them dig in my garden.
3) To get rid of the rats, i set traps. After one was caught, the others avoided the traps. So, i leave unset traps all around my rows of tomatoes and cukes and the rats stay away. As an extra precaution, i wrapped the base (18") of all 40 plants with copper mesh or remay cloth. It took a few hours to do this but it was worth it as no more damage!
4) I also put bunched up netting on the ground around the base of my tomato and cucumber plants and also around some raised beds. This will deter all small critters. I check daily as birds very occasionally get tangled.
5) Finally, i found that rats, being nocturnal, dont like light. I put solar powered spotlights throughout the garden, shining directly on the 'at risk' plants! Works like a charm!!
Note: My vegetable 'raised bed' gardens are also surrounded by 8' deer fencing.
My only problem now are bugs that chew leaves, mostly earwigs and vine weevils here (Victoria, BC).
Please stop killing the little wild creatures! When you kill rats or squirrels, new ones will simply move into the territory. Better to train the established ones as they will educate their babies.
Good luck! Diane
Squirrels are natural creatures but I need my food too
It's lovely for you to be so pro-squirrel. I'm not one to kill them. However, what am I to eat when they stole every single green pepper and tomato I grew last year? Every - single - one. How do I know it was squirrels? I have a security camera (we live in a high crime area) which captured them dining on my dinner. I container garden as it's all I can afford to do. There are plenty of plants in the area to sustain squirrels - they just love to eat what I've spent all summer working on. I had an apple tree on the other side of the house with apples they loved too - they had PLENTY of food with just that tree. I had to forgo buying some foodstuffs in order to afford the plants and containers. When I get zero back, it's an issue. For those who garden just because they enjoy it that's one thing - but for those of us who have invested time and money as a way to be able to eat healthier in the long run, this is a serious problem. I am hopeful that the tips the Farmer's Almanac provided will help. I can buy an entire bag of hot peppers for less than $5, grind them myself, and hopefully have a summer free from squirrels eating my food.
hot peppers don't work
Bought a home that hadn't grown a garden so I was in seventh heaven.....until I tried to grow corn. The little grey buggers would snip it down to ground level and if I was able to fence it in when the corn got larger they somehow managed to take my ears off the stalks and ruin the stalks in the process. I tried "Ghost Peppers" you know, the really hot ones. They didn't work the little darlings weren't discouraged in the least. Next year I'm building a tall type of tent of material that is porous enough so the rain gets in (and the little devils don't) Save your money on peppers, that is unless you use them yourself they don't work. They don't really do a number on my other veggies so... Good luck.
I have a problem every Spring
I have a problem every Spring with squirrels digging up my Lilies in search of their previously buried nuts. I have used cayenne pepper and black pepper sprinkled on top of the mulch near the flowers and this has discourage them. However, I will give the hair suggestion a try as well. Thanks for the advice.
I have a fisher eating my
I have a fisher eating my lettuce off of my deck. Would these tips help for it?
It may work; however, fishers
It may work; however, fishers have very, very long claws that can slice through just about anything.
It's surprising that a fisher would enjoy eating lettuce. In many instances, they would rather eat something warm-blooded.
Thank you for your interest in the Old Farmer's Almanac and our Web site.
Squirrels...I have Fishers
What's a Fisher ?
Also, regarding getting rid of squirrels. My neighbor used to trap them...they just can't resist a big old walnut...then kill them in some fashion and feed it to his dog...yuck...but affective.
My wife and I recently purchased an anti-squirrel Birdfeeder from Tractor Supply Co. that consists of an inner clear plastic container surrounded by a metal housing that slides down when the squirrel places his weight on the feeding perches. It has been quite affective. I have a video of one trying his best to get a seed...unsuccessfully...lol.
This year I plan to try feeding corn cobs, etc. them away from house. Will keep you apprised.
After planting vegtables in
After planting vegtables in my present home here in Connecticut for over 10 years I now seem to have a problem with squirrels grabing my cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and squash and who knows what else and leaving a few bites and then droping them on the ground. I have never had this problem ever before but it started last year and we actualy caught them red handed a number of times, this year so far they are into my strawberries, ( to early for the veggies ) HELP What can I do.
We feel for you. You may want
We feel for you. You may want to invest in some netting and put that over your plants. A dog or cat is a great squirrel chaser if that's an option. There are many repellents on the market, including natural ones with garlic. If you're really going crazy, explore the idea of a raptor perch and owl nest box for natural predators who will eat them in no time.
Squirrels...What can I do ?
I've read several responses from your staff regarding "raptor perch and owl nest boxes" and I wanted to caution your readers who are bird enthusiasts. That inviting predators like Raptors to your yard will be hazardous to your little bird friends visiting your birdfeeders.
Our property is bordered by a wooded church cemetery that is home to approx. 30+ squirrels. Many but not all who enjoy making a daily visit to our garden & birdfeeders. (See previous comment regarding 'Fishers' for birdfeeder suggestion)
I plant a 4 x 4 "Square Foot" raised garden utilizing an enclosure of 1/2" wire fencing with a detachable top (for your access & tall growing plants, etc). I have found this to be an effective deterrent for many different foraging pests.
I caught a squirrel in it once before using a wire fencing top and I spent approx. 15 min. chasing him round and round as he evaded my grasp.
Wire Box type Squirrel Traps: be sure to use heavy gloves when picking up the Trap and cover it with a pc. of cloth, etc. as the squirrel will injury himself flinging his body into the end of the trap trying to escape...unsuccessfully.
Living in a (sparsely populated w/large open lots where beautiful homes once stood) part of Detroit one would not imagine that we would observe the largest Groundhog I've ever seen or a pretty big raccoon...and our latest visitor in winter & spring a beautiful male Pheasant.
Thank you for a wonderful magazine and website !
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