Squirrels are underhand bandits who will raid your garden and run off with the goods . There are several species of squirrel in North America . The grey squirrel is found throughout the lower 48 and is the one most likely to be steal from your garden .
Most squirrel are “ strewing hoarders . ” That means they store food for the winter in legion places . This is actually good for the surround as it scatter seeds throughout the area and provide winter food for other animals .
That does n’t think of you need them to run off with your crop . Here are some humanist ways to handle your squirrel problems .
All About these Acrobatic Pillagers
squirrel are opportunistic omnivore . In the wild squirrels eat a variety of vegetation , fruit , insect , and even bird eggs . And , of course , nut .
Squirrels are lifelike diggers and will uncover seeds and flower bulbs in the garden . They love tomato , geranium , and helianthus in special . In addition , they are big lover of fruits and will park themselves in your orchard to crunch on orchard apple tree and plums .
Keep in nous that squirrels love the branches of fruit trees as well as the fruit . What they especially adore is the inner level of cambion . You may need to cover young fruit trees in the spring as the new folio are quite redolent and draw the squirrel ’s aid .
Squirrels have the Napoleon complex and can be quite bossy and even belligerent . Do n’t attempt to hand feed them or pet them with bare helping hand . Enjoy their fun antics but keep some space .
There are a variety of room you’re able to humanly win over the squirrel that you have not laid out the welcome mat just for them .
1. Fencing Is Your Friend
fencing material and its cousin-german netting are the best deterrents for protect your works from squirrels . If you have a small garden , I intimate you have wire on all four sides , plus the top .
Traditional Fencing
You ’ll need something that completely encloses your garden on all four sides , with bird netting or something similar strung across the top .
Obviously squirrels are good at climb and jumping . vindicated tree limbs from around your veggie and bloom garden to make it harder for the squirrels to figure out how to enter from above .
In addition , squirrels can dig , so make trusted your fencing is buried about 12 column inch in the ground . Since they are smaller critters you need little space conducting wire such as 2×3 .
Chicken conducting wire works well for squirrel . They are not strong enough to rip through it . However , if your fence is also protect your garden fromraccoons , you want a stronger welded conducting wire .
Netting
Netting works well as long as you have the material on some sort of reinforcement organization . Do n’t just rest the netting on the plant life because the squirrels have agile mitt and will pull the intellectual nourishment through .
Build a batting cage around your plants to string the veiling over . It does n’t have to be very strong as the squirrel do n’t count much . Bamboo pole work well .
Dig a deep and put the netting under the ground to deter grok . Use cage around your most vulnerable plants , such as strawberry mark or blueberries .
Floating row covers also work well to deter squirrel . They do n’t like to be trapped under the wavy , light fabric and are frightened to push their way in .
Electric Fence
galvanising fencingworks to dissuade squirrel and keeps them from getting into the garden . One thing to notice is to ensure there are no tree nearby that the squirrel can climb up and out onto a arm and drop down into the garden .
Space your conducting wire about four inches aside and use three to five wires total . jump the first conducting wire at four inches above basis level . For safe , be persevering about making certain the grass under the wire stays trimmed .
2. Break Out the Repellents
Squirrels are sensitive to smells and somewhat picky about what they eat . you may use this to your advantage .
Chili Powder
Chili powder leaves a rough smell in their nose that squirrels do n’t like . This is a tactic that is often used by bird watcher to protect their tributary . you could also expend cayenne white pepper .
Mint
Mint has a unassailable scent and may repel squirrels but honestly , I ’m not confident of its effectiveness . It does n’t pain to hear produce a few plants around your garden .
Coyote Urine
Repellents made from the urine of predatory animal can be efficacious in frightening squirrels and their tribe . Urine repellents are made by dehydrate the urine so you may besprinkle it around the works or reconstitute it with H2O .
When using predator pee , you need to apply it every few day to keep the olfactory sensation strong . Rain will wash it forth .
Human Hair
Human tomentum does n’t function as well as you would think it should . There is an honest-to-goodness nation method acting of using human hairsbreadth to deter wildlife . This is based on the assumption that wildlife is naturally afraid of multitude .
Squirrels have become urbanized , with many living in urban area . This means that they are used to the fashion humans smell out and look , and are n’t they afraid of your presence .
3. Trap and Release
trap and releasing squirrels wo n’t lick your problem in the long political campaign . Once you create a void in an ecological recess it will just get occupy with more animals .
In addition , animals may reply to population decline by have more babies .
In some areas of the country , it ’s illegal to trap and put out wildlife so hold back with your local Department of Fish and Wildlife first .
Squirrels have babies in the spring and downslope , so if you immobilize a female squirrel verify she is n’t nursing babies who would thirst to expiry without her .
As a licenced wildlife rehabilitator , I take in many squirrel babies who have been injured or orphaned .
4. Dealing With Fallen Fruits and Nuts
Fallen fruits and nuts can go both way in the garden . Fallen acorns , hickory nut , and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree fruits will definitely appeal squirrels to your yard , but it may also fill them up so they do n’t bother your crops .
Some citizenry preach that you clean up all the fall crops so that the squirrels do n’t issue forth into your yard . After all , once there , they may be tempt to look for some other tasty bite such as tomatoes .
On the flip side , if the squirrel fare into your yard and eat the acorn they may have satisfied tummies and not bother your garden . In fall squirrels are go to be most interested in crops they can store , like ball and also seeds such as sunflower .
Do you acquire sunflower seeds for your Bronx cheer friends and find the squirrels are grow to them first ? you’re able to also growsafflower seeds . Safflower is often a recommended replacement in birdfeeders because squirrel do n’t like it .
In addition , you may shroud the helianthus heads with cheesecloth so that they can ripen without interference .
5. Protect Fall Plantings
spill has do and you ’re planting flower medulla and Allium sativum for next spring . Unfortunately , this is the time of year when squirrel are most meddling scavenging and reckon for food to put by for the winter .
Fall is a popular time to garden when you ’re out there imbed your declension conditions harvest , and repeated plants and bulbs for next twelvemonth . worm pests are pass away off , the weather is cooler and it ’s a gravid time to be outside .
However , this is the clock time of year that squirrels are scavenging and storing intellectual nourishment for wintertime .
You do n’t want next year ’s bloom bulbs to be in a empty tree somewhere waiting to become a wintertime bite .
When squirrel see your nicely till or cut into earth , they come to look into . Squirrels often labor in the turd looking for seeds or insects . They may uncover your plantings .
Even more irritating , they may pull up your bulbs , take one bite , and then leave it sitting on the background somewhere .
Protect Your Bulbs
you’re able to protect your flower bulbs in two ways : you’re able to lay chicken telegram either under the ground or on top of the undercoat .
For lowly bulbs such as crocus , it work well to place a section of one - inch wimp wire over the bulbs buried in the ground . Cover the electric light and wire with soil . In the spring , the incandescent lamp will grow through the telegram .
For larger medulla , such as tulips , you may lie a subdivision of wimp conducting wire flop over the solid ground . Leave this in position till spring . When the plant start to produce remove the chicken wire .
There are also several type of incandescent lamp cages you may purchase at your local garden essence that are made to protect new plantings .
Take marrow , if you ’re planting aperennial gardenyour flora will fill up in after that first class . This will make it tough for the squirrel to dig in the garden .
6. Feed the Squirrels
Squirrels are very persistent but they can be disquiet if given a adept opportunity .
One maneuver to prevent them from digging up your fall electric-light bulb is to reserve the squirrel to have the acorn , walnuts , or hickory that may fall from your trees . This is a dear way to feed the squirrel as it advance their instinctive gather and does n’t use them to human help .
This gets us to the question of feeding our squirrels . We all make out that they ’re going to do their darndest to slip food from your birdfeeder . You may permit this , or you’re able to set up baffles to keep them out of the bird self-feeder .
Should you give them their own feeding post ?
That answer depends on if you revel the squirrels and want to help them . gift squirrels their own feeder will certainly advance them to come into your yard . However , it may also live up to them and keep them from trying to run through plants you want to protect .
Squirrels are fun to catch and certainly entertaining as they squabble over their finds . However , it can be thwarting when what they find out and need to slip is your garden produce . By follow these rule of thumb , you’re able to avail deal with them in a humane personal manner . It ’s a winnings - win for everyone !
Was this article helpful?
What went wrong?
This clause contain incorrect information
This clause does not have the data I am looking for
How can we improve it?
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your answer will be used to ameliorate our content . The more feedback you give us , the better our page can be .
