Squirrels are deceptively cute as they scamper across your lawn, fluffy tails held high. But the reality is that squirrels are rodents and, left to their own devices, will decimate vegetable gardens, flower beds and trees. Keeping these thieves away from your vegetables can be challenging, but it is possible. There are a variety of ways to deter squirrels and, with perseverance, you will find the one that works in your garden.
- Skill level:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things you need
- Cayenne pepper
- Hot sauce
- Dish detergent
- Commercially manufactured squirrel repellent
- Coffee filter
- Live trap
- Mesh fencing
- Battery
- Power cord
- Electrical cord
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1
Repel the squirrels. Combine 1/4 cup cayenne pepper powder with 2 cups boiling water. Let the mixture steep for an hour and then pour it through a coffee filter to remove the solids. Add 1/4 cup liquid detergent. Pour the liquid into a large spray bottle and spray it over the garden. Another recipe is to combine one small bottle of hot pepper sauce like Frank's Hot Sauce, a gallon of water and 1 tsp. dish detergent. Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the border of your garden and up and down the rows. Reapply spray and pepper once a week and after it rains. Buy commercially sold squirrel repellents like Squirrel Away and Scoot Squirrel at garden stores, nurseries and hardware stores. Follow the manufacturer's directions for how to apply and when to reapply. Hang fake owls and hawks nearby. They are squirrels' natural enemies and the rodents will avoid them.
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2
Trap the squirrels. Catch the rodents in humane live traps, like those made by Havahart, and relocate them away from your property.
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3
Fence your garden. Place 1/4-inch-wire-mesh cages over your plants. Remove them to weed and harvest. Build a 1-inch-mesh fence around your garden at least 30 inches high. Bury the bottom at least 6 inches in the ground and run electrified wire around the middle and the top of the fence. Power the wire using a battery or an AC power cord.
Tips and warnings
- If you power an electric fence with a battery, be sure to have a battery charger.
- Prune back any tree limbs within squirrels' jumping distance of your garden.
- Using poisons to keep squirrels out of your vegetable garden is not recommended because it is dangerous to pets and children.
- Wear thick protective gloves when handling a live trap with a squirrel in it to avoid being bitten.
- Use appropriate protective measures and caution when working with or near electrified wire.
