Squirrel and Chipmunk Deterrents

Question:

Hardiness Zone: 5b

Thanks,
Jeanne from Albany,NY

Answer:

The most effective way to prevent squirrels and chipmunks from digging in your garden is to cover your soil with metal screening or hardware cloth (using a 1/2 inch grid squares or smaller). Bury the screen just below the soil and use rocks to hold it in place. Of course, covering your soil with screen or mesh is really only practical if your garden is small or you're trying to protect individual pots. Some temporary deterrents you might want to try include predator urine, mothballs and other strong smelling scents-all readily available at garden centers. I don't recommend sprays or other products containing hot peppers. If these get into the animal's eyes, they can seriously injure or even blind themselves in an attempt to alleviate the pain caused by the oil in the peppers. I can think of nothing more horrifying than watching a half blind animal run frantically around the garden writhing in pain. My method of dealing with these garden critters isn't always popular with everyone, but it works for me. I've resorted to feeding them. Squirrels love corn, peanuts, peanut butter, fresh and dried fruit, dry dog food and black oil sunflower seeds. By feeding them during the height of my garden's productivity, I have successfully distracted them from deflowering and de-fruiting my plants. I use a simple wooden box on the ground placed about 50 feet away from my garden. As an added bonus, they seem to have lost all interest in my bird feeders, too.

Good luck!
Ellen

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