Squirrels and Your Garden

Watching squirrels frolicking is a late summer pleasure. Let’s face it, they’re adorable – chasing each other across the yard and gathering food for the cooler months to come.

They may be cute, but are squirrels truly welcome on your property? And what about your garden: do they do more harm or good for your plants?

Are Squirrels Good for My Garden?

Squirrels are an important part of the ecosystem. They are helpful pollinators that spread nuts, seeds, and spores that spawn new trees, plants, and fungus growth. They mainly eat nuts, seeds, and berries, but squirrels are omnivores that can also consume certain insects and small vertebrates. They may be useful in a general, ecological sense, but they probably aren’t very good for your garden.

Do Squirrels Mess with Gardens?

Squirrels can wreak havoc in your garden. They nibble on leaves, flowers, buds, seeds, and seedlings… as well as any fruits or berries you may try to grow. They also dig up roots and strip bark from trees.

Even worse, once they’re in your yard or garden, they can easily find their way into your house. Once inside, they could cause extensive damage and even create health risks and fire hazards.

How Can I Keep Squirrels Out of My Garden?

If allowed, squirrels could damage your garden quite a bit. To protect your garden from these furry invaders, you need to create squirrel deterrent protocols to exclude and repel them.

You can exclude squirrels with garden netting or chicken wire. Squirrel netting is especially helpful in protecting vulnerable, freshly planted bulbs in the fall.

Although squirrels are attracted to a wide variety of foods and scents, there are quite a few smells they find repellent. Over-the-counter predator urine products are an old standby. Squirrels are also put off by scents like mint, cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, cayenne pepper, and garlic – which can be co-planted or applied as essential oils.

High frequency ultrasonic devices with sensors are another, technology-based way to repel squirrels. Some gardeners also swear by coffee grounds around the base of your plants as a squirrel deterrent.

How Do I Keep Squirrels Out of My Potted Plants?

You might think potted plants and container gardens are safe from squirrel incursions, but that’s not the case. Squirrels are agile jumpers… making even raised container gardens vulnerable to their depredations.

The same techniques that keep squirrels out of your garden will work to keep them away from your potted plants or raised beds as well. Just be sure to choose a product that is compatible with the type of plants you are trying to protect (and use it in a safe quantity). Products like essential oils and chemical repellents may damage plants if they are concentrated too heavily in a small pot with less drainage than an in-ground plant bed.

Twin Forks Pest Control® Solves Your Squirrel Problems

If you have squirrels in your garden in late summer or early fall, there’s a risk they will enter your home when temperatures drop. Twin Forks Pest Control® has more than 25 years of squirrel removal experience. Our trained professionals can give you peace of mind by humanely removing squirrels from your home or property. If you have a squirrel problem, contact us online, or call (631) 287-9020 in Southampton, (631) 324-9020 in East Hampton, or (631) 298-0500 in Southold.