I'm mostly into Bonsai culture but I thought that I might get some input here on what to use on/in, or around my trees to keep squirrels from digging them up.
This has been a repetitive issue for me for years and I've still not found a solution for it.
I know that Garlic is often used by gardeners as way of keeping rabbits out of the garden and/or container plants.
What can I use for squirrels?
Squirrels dig in my containers all the time. It's their nature to want to bury seeds and stuff. For my purposes, it doesn't do significant damage, but I can see how it would with a bonsai.
When I need to keep the squirrels out, I cut a piece of hardware cloth -- chicken wire would probably work, as well -- to fit over the container. I cut openings in it to fit around the stems of any plants that are growing. (Sometimes, you see, the little critters are just digging up seeds I've planted ...
) I put duct tape on all the cut edges of the wire, so neither I nor the stem of the plant gets cut. Unless the wire is cut to fit around the stem of a plant, I bend the edges down to kind of grip the edges of the container to help hold it in place. Otherwise, the squirrels will just knock the wire off and go on with their digging.
Anyway, that has worked well for me over the years. Keeps cats out, too.
When I need to keep the squirrels out, I cut a piece of hardware cloth -- chicken wire would probably work, as well -- to fit over the container. I cut openings in it to fit around the stems of any plants that are growing. (Sometimes, you see, the little critters are just digging up seeds I've planted ...
) I put duct tape on all the cut edges of the wire, so neither I nor the stem of the plant gets cut. Unless the wire is cut to fit around the stem of a plant, I bend the edges down to kind of grip the edges of the container to help hold it in place. Otherwise, the squirrels will just knock the wire off and go on with their digging.Anyway, that has worked well for me over the years. Keeps cats out, too.
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rainbowgardener
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In my experience, cayenne can sometimes work to prevent plants from being eaten, but sprinkling it on the soil has had no beneficial effect to prevent animals from digging. Others may have had better luck with it ... it just never really worked successfully for me. The only thing that ever worked was creating an actual physical barrier over the soil where my plants grew. 
I don't make wire cages for my containers, just flat sections of wire cut to lie flat on top of the container or soil surface, with holes cut to fit around any plant stems. It's not fancy, but it works.
I don't make wire cages for my containers, just flat sections of wire cut to lie flat on top of the container or soil surface, with holes cut to fit around any plant stems. It's not fancy, but it works.
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MysticGardener67
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
- Location: Lexington KY
I hope I got your username correct. I thought about your squirrel issue. If they are that much of a challenge, then perhaps you will have to build a screened in enclosure to keep the squirrels out?
I mean it all really comes down to how much te digging irks you, right?
Or perhaps you can work out a way to take advatage of the squirrels own diggin habits? Give them a place to dig that is more atractive to them than your pots? Or perhaps we need to think more along the lines of what squirrels fear.. Predators. Squirrels are preyed upon byut owels and other large birds of prey like hawks. Other predators include snake and canines ( wolves, coyotes, ect) .
Try scattering snakeskins about your trees. That may work. The inflatable or hard plastic owls used to chase off pigeons might work.
there are also repellants on the market containing hot pepper extract and "putrescent egg solids" basically rotten egs. Dried blood or blodmeal may work as well for the rodents in question ( this case squirrels) are very sensitive to the smell of blood. They smell the blood , figgure siomething very bad had happenned that they don't want any part of and they will tend to stay away. Same with clumps of dog hair tied to the trees.
Problem with the scent based repellents are that they A. Smell bad to us as well and B they need to be reapplied on a regular (like weekly) basis and after every rain ( or watering)
there is also a product on the market that is primaraly made to chase off deer. Is essentally a motion sensitive impulse style sprinkler. It detects motion then hits the offending critter with a high pressure jet of water. That might work as well
You have to rember that squirrels are very very intelligentand persestant rodents that may negate every single means to controll them, so I think you will need to use combination of all the above control methods.
I mean it all really comes down to how much te digging irks you, right?
Or perhaps you can work out a way to take advatage of the squirrels own diggin habits? Give them a place to dig that is more atractive to them than your pots? Or perhaps we need to think more along the lines of what squirrels fear.. Predators. Squirrels are preyed upon byut owels and other large birds of prey like hawks. Other predators include snake and canines ( wolves, coyotes, ect) .
Try scattering snakeskins about your trees. That may work. The inflatable or hard plastic owls used to chase off pigeons might work.
there are also repellants on the market containing hot pepper extract and "putrescent egg solids" basically rotten egs. Dried blood or blodmeal may work as well for the rodents in question ( this case squirrels) are very sensitive to the smell of blood. They smell the blood , figgure siomething very bad had happenned that they don't want any part of and they will tend to stay away. Same with clumps of dog hair tied to the trees.
Problem with the scent based repellents are that they A. Smell bad to us as well and B they need to be reapplied on a regular (like weekly) basis and after every rain ( or watering)
there is also a product on the market that is primaraly made to chase off deer. Is essentally a motion sensitive impulse style sprinkler. It detects motion then hits the offending critter with a high pressure jet of water. That might work as well
You have to rember that squirrels are very very intelligentand persestant rodents that may negate every single means to controll them, so I think you will need to use combination of all the above control methods.
Yes, well I've tried enclosing plants/trees inside patio enclosures previously and basically what you get is holes dug/gnawed/clawed through them until the little )(*&(*&)&)*($$#@s get in. Then you patch the hole and they gnaw through that. It's not hunger......my wife is a birder and they get plenty of seed that falls out of the squirrel-proof feeders.
There are over a hundred in my back yard and my dog has killed 11 of them and makes life miserable for them for which I am unceasingly grateful, but that doesn't deter them. They do this for the enjoyment of destroying property.
You don't have to tell me about their intelligence or their drive. I don't want to try to outwit them. I just want to make them approach my trees and go "Yuck!!!!!!"
I've been growing Bonsai trees for 40 years and to this point have not tried any kind of pepper. If it won't hurt my trees to sprinkle it around I'll give that a go.
Oh, one other thing. That Deer Off spray is ridiculously expensive. I can get a can of Cayenne at Sam's for probably less than $10.
There are over a hundred in my back yard and my dog has killed 11 of them and makes life miserable for them for which I am unceasingly grateful, but that doesn't deter them. They do this for the enjoyment of destroying property.
You don't have to tell me about their intelligence or their drive. I don't want to try to outwit them. I just want to make them approach my trees and go "Yuck!!!!!!"
I've been growing Bonsai trees for 40 years and to this point have not tried any kind of pepper. If it won't hurt my trees to sprinkle it around I'll give that a go.
Oh, one other thing. That Deer Off spray is ridiculously expensive. I can get a can of Cayenne at Sam's for probably less than $10.
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MysticGardener67
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
- Location: Lexington KY
One bottle of the meanest peppersauce you can find at the grocers
(I prefer melindas XXXX Habenero nearly pure habenero wthout chunky bits of other stuff)
A typical 16 ox spraybottle
a few drops of detergent to act as a dispersant
water
put about a tablespoon of the pepersauce in the bottle, add a few drops of cheap dish detergent ( Dawn is cheapest I can find, about 70 cent at Walmart) and enough water to fill the bottle. Shake well. Apply lliberally.
This peppersoap works as a scent detterant ( man I cannot spell for ANYTHING today!) if made strong. A weaker solution is good to deter insect pests. Nobody likes an unexpected snoutfull of hot pepper!
(I prefer melindas XXXX Habenero nearly pure habenero wthout chunky bits of other stuff)
A typical 16 ox spraybottle
a few drops of detergent to act as a dispersant
water
put about a tablespoon of the pepersauce in the bottle, add a few drops of cheap dish detergent ( Dawn is cheapest I can find, about 70 cent at Walmart) and enough water to fill the bottle. Shake well. Apply lliberally.
This peppersoap works as a scent detterant ( man I cannot spell for ANYTHING today!) if made strong. A weaker solution is good to deter insect pests. Nobody likes an unexpected snoutfull of hot pepper!
We've had some *extensive* discussions about squirrels, but many of the participants seem to be in hibernation right now.
Using the search criteria of
hate squirrels
and "All terms," "All forums,"
you'll find many creative suggestions for dissuading squirrels from coming around. They don't all work for everyone, but like the suggestions on this thread, they're a good place to start.
Cynthia
Using the search criteria of
hate squirrels
and "All terms," "All forums,"
you'll find many creative suggestions for dissuading squirrels from coming around. They don't all work for everyone, but like the suggestions on this thread, they're a good place to start.
Cynthia
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MysticGardener67
- Senior Member
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
- Location: Lexington KY
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Bear in the garden
- Full Member
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- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:53 pm
- Location: Ma.
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, I no longer have squirrels digging in my pots, I have a pair of Blue Jays that live in my yard and they run the squirrels off when ever they see them in the yard, I'm not sure yet why they hate them so much or why the even would chase them off, but what ever the reason is, I'm happy having Blue jays living in my back yard 
Bear
Bear