A friend of mine was complaining about her dog who was constantly digging in one of her flower beds. I discovered a big mess. A closer look showed that there was a kind of cave underneath the roots of a nearby cedar tree. No wonder - the dog was smelling a gopher or groundhog! But that was not all, squirrels played havoc, and a neighbor told me about raccoons that have been seen in the area.
What these critters do: they chomp on flower bulbs, dig up your favorite plants, eat the roots, might try to open garbage cans, and otherwise love to wreck your garden. I studied tips on the Internet and found the following tips
How You Can Shoo These Animals Away:
Irish Spring Soap
Protect plants by grating some Irish Spring soap around your plants. Squirrels can't stand the smell of it and will stay away.
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Coffee Grounds
While you might find the scent of coffee delicious, squirrels don't... Just sprinkle some fresh grounds on the soil surrounding the plants to keep squirrels away. Every week, add a new layer of coffee grounds. More tips:
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Garlic
Another smell that gophers, squirrels and other critters dislike is that of garlic. Cut it in pieces and sprinkle them into the flower bed
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Dogs
Dogs that spend a lot of time in the garden may be able to scare at least squirrels off. While your pet may not actually catch the squirrels, their presence alone will encourage the critters eventually to dine elsewhere.
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Cayenne Pepper
Sprinkle cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, or other combinations of spicy seasonings around the base of the plants. Almost all animals despise it.
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Plant Lots of Mint
Squirrels tend to avoid the strong smell of peppermint plants. Try planting mint pots at the edges of your vegetable garden to keep most thieves away. However, you need to plant mint into pots to avoid they are taking over your garden. Place some newspaper sheets and/or wire screen at the bottom of the planting pot to avoid that roots are sneaking through the watering hole and multiply in your garden beds.
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Don’t Plant Tulips
Instead plant daffodils, snowdrops, allium, and hyacinth. Daffodils contain a toxin that makes their bulbs inedible, and squirrels appear not to like the taste of them. After planting place a flat stone on top of the bulbs, but don’t forget to remove them in early spring.
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Netting and Fencing
Protecting your vegetables and edible plants with netting will help curb squirrels' (and birds') snacking. Protect ripening fruit by swaddling it with plastic bird netting. It will keep nibbling rodents (squirrels, chipmunks, mice) at bay,
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Spices, coffee grounds, and garlic need to be re-applied after rain or snow. Happy Gardening.
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