Squirrel pest

19 years ago

I live at my place for 4 years now, and since last year I noticed a lot of squirrels out of a sudden invading my garden and terrace. They dig holes in my planter boxes and flower pots, leaving a mess. I am so agetated, I could blow a gasket in a heart beat. Several store bought sprays did not keep them away, neither did chilli pepper sprinkled on the soil. Nobody else in the neighborhood has flowers and plants out, so it seems I am the only one. Now this year I have not put anything out yet, exept for some pots with soil, and soon enough, I found holes in them and the dirt all over. Does anyone have the same problem and knows of a good solution? I really need help with this!

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Comments (4)

justaguy2
19 years ago
Chicken wire fencing laid over the soil surface prevents them from digging.

Squirrels are attracted to freshly dug soil. I suspect they think some other creature must have just hidden something good there. If you keep the chicken wire fence in place for a week or so they show less interest as it is no longer freshly dug. No idea how they detect freshly dug soil, but they do.

This works for planting bulbs, but can't be left on once they come up.

For containers you might try making a box out of the chicken wire to keep the squirrels out for a couple weeks and then with any luck you can remove it and they will have lost interest as it's no longer new.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
19 years ago
Ah, the tree rats. In lieu of firearms and dogs, chickenwire does work well. I will also use 6-8" sections of the roses I prune scattered around plants I want to protect. It works better on fur rats (rabbits), but also helps with squirrels. Of course this method is no good under a snow cover but hopefully were beyond that now ;-)

tj
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janetpetiole
19 years ago
I read somewhere that a layer of poultry grit on top of the soil will keep squirrels from digging. I haven't tried it so I don't know if it works.
chesnokred
19 years ago
Here in my city lot. Squirrels are enemy #1. Chili powder doesn't work for long as a deterrant. As mentioned above chicken wire is best. But I have found that using small short sticks stuck in the ground around my tender transplants seems to keep the digging down somewhat.

I just push them in an inch or so deep. The tops of the sticks only a few inches high seem to work well for me.
Doesn't have to be strong, just to make it a PIA for the varments to be digging in the fresh dirt.

I use sticks cause I can break them off to short lengths and they are free. But could try maybe popsicle sticks or maybe even toothpicks stuck in pots or around young seedlings.

Later is the season as the plants become established the sticks can be removed or I normally leave them in as the plants grow to cover them anyway.

Any bulbs I plant get covered with chickenwire or remay cloth until they start growing else they will be dug out.

2 weeks ago when I planted my shallot sets I went in for lunch and when I went back out to the garden less than 1 hour later I found squirrels had already dug out 2 of my bulbs - grrrrrrrrr. Chicken wire is now over the shallot bed.

Jim