Garden Medley

Squirrels are cute, fuzzy and look so sweet… at least until they start destroying your garden.

Gardens are almost irresistible to squirrels. Gardens offer an easy food source to them, and many popular garden plants taste great to squirrels.

A fence is not sufficient to keeping squirrels out of the garden. They’re great climbers and many of them jump quite well too. Especially if you have a tree overhanging your garden, don’t assume that a fence will do much of anything to keep squirrels out.

Repelling them humanely is quite challenging. Most sprays and such aren’t all that effective. You can use products such as Ropel to discourage them from chewing on furniture and such. You can also install a motion sensitive water sprinkler such as Scarecrow to scare them away gently.

Some people do have success with repellants that smell like the urine of a predator, but others find that they don’t work so well. You’ll have to decide for yourself if these are worth your while. Similarly, some have luck with audio repellants while others do not.

Traps are always an option, but not so easy to use in the garden. Tempting that squirrel into a trap can be quite a challenge. There are humane traps that will allow you to capture the squirrel alive. Make sure you know local laws on trapping.

While most fencing is not terribly effective at keeping squirrels out, you can install fencing that they will find more challenging. Use 1 inch wire mesh buried at least 6 inches deep and extending at least 30 inches up, with another six inches bent at 90 degrees outward to make it more challenging. Add electrified strands to shock the animals away if they try to climb it. One should a couple inches off the ground and another about three inches above the rest of the fence.

I don’t recommend poisons, especially if you have pets or children. Poisons are a danger to more than the animals you are targeting. These humane options have the advantage that they are designed to discourage rather than injure.

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