Get Rid of Squirrels in the Garden

It’s one thing to battle with a squirrel who insists on hogging the garden birdfeeder. It’s another matter when squirrels, not the gardener, enjoy summer’s first tomato from the vegetable patch.

Squirrel Repellant
Organic squirrel repellants work because of the finely tuned sense of smell squirrels possess. Odors offensive or frightening to squirrels are undetectable to birds, and when gardeners apply the products according to package instructions, the odor should be minimal. Gardeners must reapply odor-based repellants after heavy rains.

Gardeners can buy powder or liquid organic squirrel repellants made with hot pepper to deter squirrels from feeding on vegetable gardens or from dominating bird feeders. Take care when applying these products, as they can cause severe eye irritation. Gardeners must wear gloves and eye protection, and wash hands after handling hot pepper squirrel repellants.

Another popular squirrel repellant contains liquid or powdered urine concentrate of predators, usually fox or coyote urine. When the squirrels smell the markings of their enemies on your property, their instincts warn them that this is the territory of the enemy.

Trap Squirrels
Several companies sell live traps designed to capture nuisance squirrels from the gardener’s property. Squirrel trapping has several pros and cons. Traps are inexpensive, humane, and gardeners can use traps repeatedly. However, gardeners may attract other animals to a trap intended for squirrels, including possums or skunks.


Over time, many gardeners will, at one time or another, face a squirrel opponent that is unusually wily and resistant to all other methods of deterrent. A trap is useful in this instance to remove that one ornery squirrel that vexes the gardener from one season to the next. Transport the squirrel several miles away, and break out the back up defenses for the rest of the rodent clan that will move in to fill the void.

Protect Bulbs from Squirrels
It’s a well-known fact that squirrels relish flowering bulbs, especially tulips and crocuses. Gardeners can treat bulbs with some of the aforementioned squirrel repellants before planting. Remove all traces of the papery husks that encase the bulbs after planting, as these can prompt the squirrel to dig for buried treasure. Gardeners can place strawberry baskets over bulbs for small bulb plantings. For larger expanses, gardeners can place chicken wire over the bulbs to deter digging squirrels.

Distraction
Like all wildlife in the garden, squirrels are part of a healthy ecosystem and thus deserve a modicum of tolerance and respect. Squirrels provide food for hawks, eagles, owls, foxes, snakes, and coyotes. The acrobatics and clowning of squirrels are fun to watch, and squirrels help repopulate native forests when forgotten nuts buried in the fall germinate in the spring. Install a corn or peanut feeder far away from your tomato plants, and keep it replenished at all times. A corn feeder that spins unpredictably when the squirrel attempts to reach the cob satisfies the gardener’s mischievous streak and occupies the rodents for hours.