topic Re: Squirrels in Garden

Squirrels

jannabelle1 — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:15:48 GMT

I can tell that Fall is around the corner. The oak trees now have plenty of acorns, and the squirrels have once again determined that my fence baskets and large pots are the perfect places to hide their acorns. I've tried to deter them with Cayenne pepper sprinkled on top of the soil and/or placing pebbles on top of the soil. Nothing seems to deter them. I end up with holes in my pots and soil all over the patio! Has anyone found something that works to deter the squirrels from digging?

Re: Squirrels

ValuSkr — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:37:12 GMT

I've completely filled the top of the pot with pine cones, thinking if they can't see soil, they won't try to dig. It's not foolproof - sometimes I find pine cones on the ground next to the pot, along with potting soil, where squirrels have thown them in disgust. And of course you need to have a good supply of pine cones.

Re: Squirrels

lulutoby — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:38:18 GMT

@jannabelle1 , Squirrels only dig when there is an open soil area. I have placed black bird netting cut to fit around the pot. It blends in and isn't noticeable.

Also, have used bird netting to cover the tomato plants and anchored them down with bricks.

It might be more bird netting than you need for just a pot or two. You can reuse bird netting.

I have also placed pine cones, fallen from my trees, in the bare spaces of the pots.

Squirrels are fun for me to watch, and can play havoc on our pots.

I also suggest:

Next year try to plant your pots very crowded with flowers/foilage as to deture them from finding a nice spot to bury their goods.

@jannabelle1

Re: Squirrels

queendiva — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:53:44 GMT

Yes! A squirrel or squirrels got under the vinyl cover of my outdoor furniture and chewed through a Laz-z-boy chair frame, the cushions and a throw pillow last winter! They were still hanging around in the spring. I bought a $10.00 plastic owl and have not seen a single squirrel on my deck since!

Worth a try for that price. If it does not work you could always return the owl to the store where purchased. Good Luck!

Re: Squirrels

jannabelle1 — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:54:06 GMT

@lulutoby, I bought larger plants in the spring to fill up my baskets and pots, and that helped a lot. They've found a few baskets with fading plants, so those are the baskets and pots they've chosen. I've got a large pot full of geraniums, and they like that one as well. Bird netting is a good idea that I'll look for next spring....I like the pine cone idea as well. Thanks for the suggestions. Actually, they are entertaining - until they tear up my baskets! LOL!

Re: Squirrels

queendiva — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 23:58:03 GMT

Forgot to add: I have several pots on my deck and none has been touched.

Re: Squirrels

jannabelle1 — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 00:09:31 GMT

@queendiva, I have one of those big owls sitting on my patio - they ignore it! They are nothing but rascals! We have woods behind us with deer that we feed (shelled corn), so that's what brings them in to feast....the acorns are just icing on the cake! I might as well just accept that they will not be defeated! LOL!

Re: Squirrels

sunshine45 — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 00:21:34 GMT

we get more holes from chipmunks than from squirrels.

they do tend to scare away some of the birds though.

Re: Squirrels

1Snickers — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 00:35:10 GMT

@jannabelle1 I’ve been feeding deer corn for years and just learned that it’s bad for them. They like it but don’t know better. They have a stomach like a cow and can chew cud. I googled deer food and oats are best. I weaned them to oats by adding small amounts of corn. I have acreage.

I hate this time of year because Sept 1 I have to stop feeding them through Dec. (due to hunters baiting them which they will anyhow.) There are 3 fawns and I hope they’ll be ok. I only have about 6 regulars. The bucks disappear in the Fall, mating season.

My neighbor complained about them.She has new shrubs. I told her they will eat our shrubs when I stop feeding them. Now she leaves her lights on all night. Deer don’t care!

I have salt licks out and will plant sweet rye grass with clover. Bird feeders in woods have sunflower seeds for squirrels and where they drop it looks like oats. Also high platforms for squirrels.

Where there’s a will there’s a way!

Re: Squirrels

Annabellethecat66 — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 00:57:02 GMT

@jannabelle1 You can order from Amazon Liquid hot sauce to deter squirrels. They drive me crazy and this stuff works.

Its it’s way more powerful than any cayenne pepper, plus it’s liquid, so you can dribble it down a pole too!

Of course it disapates after a few rains, just put a little more on the feeders, etc.

You can also buy it at bird stores. It is called “Coles Flaming Seed Sauce”.

It works great. I even lightly mix it in my planters.

There is absolutely no nuts in the planters and all Summer those buggers have pulled up my plants. I finally mixed this ( be careful not to ‘burn’ the plants) in the dirt and they leave them alone.

I go through a lot of this. I think it’s worth every penny. Be careful not to get it on your skin because it will stay with your skin. It’s not poisonous as far as chemicals, but it’s hotter than hot! Ha!

Another thing you can do is use animal or human hair and they’ll leave things alone.

Birds can’t smell or taste so it doesn’t bother them.

Re: Squirrels

Lucky Charm — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 01:08:35 GMT

Squirrels are rare where I am in the summer. I may see one a week (lots of rabbits though!).

Does the hot sauce/cayenne pepper burn their mouths or do they *sense* it before they injest it?

Re: Squirrels

jannabelle1 — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 01:32:43 GMT

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and comments! It's nice to know how others deal with their little critters! I'm going to look for the hot sauce, and I've also noticed that Duncraft and other sources sell the "hot" seed cakes that don't seem to bother birds, but squirrels stay away from.

Our deer don't rely on the corn only for their food source. I live in the midwest and deer spend a lot of time in corn fields for food, but they also search for other sources as well. DH and I have talked about getting clover to put down for them too, so we need to do that.

I think I'll have to put up with the fall onslaught of the critters, and plan for how to discourage them better next spring thanks to your suggestions!

Re: Squirrels

x Hedge — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 01:37:10 GMT

mint

Re: Squirrels

blackhole99 — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 01:18:18 GMT

Squirrels have not been a problem for me this summer for some reason. I think it may be because I planted veggies with vines that climb and large leafed squash plants where the squirrels like to hide their nuts. I sure do hope they have moved on.