Green-fingered enthusiasts will know that squirrels can cause havoc for potted plants, but experts have shared their tried-and-tested tips for keeping the pesky creatures at bay
Most people consider squirrels to be cute creatures, but it can be frustrating when the furry rodents dig up your plants and take up residence in your garden.
An RSPB survey found that grey squirrels are the most spotted species of garden wildlife in the UK, with 72 percent of people report seeing them at least once a month. The pesky animals have a reputation for digging up flower pots to bury their cache of food, as potting soil is easy for them to plough through.
Many green-fingered folk have been left with dug up bulbs and chewed plants as a result of their burying behaviour. This was the case for one unfortunate member of the Gardening on a budget Facebook group, who reached out for advice on the issue.
They penned: “How do I stop squirrels digging my plant pots and ruining my plants.” Fellow gardening enthusiasts were quick to offer their suggestions, as one user responded: “I lay pine cones on the bare soil around the plants and it seems to be bird and squirrel resistant.
“This has worked for me since I started doing it in 2020.” Others recommended planting plastic forks in the soil, with the points facing upwards. Taking to the comments, another shared: “I just did this yesterday, checked this morning and no digging.
“It’s just this time of the year for squirrels, so you don’t have to keep the forks in forever.” In response to the guidance, one group member wrote: “I also do this but the other way round to stop cats digging after putting in new plants.”
Shoppers can pick up 100 plastic forks from The Range for £1.79, working out as around 2p each. Similarly, they can bag 60 forks for £1 from Poundland, setting you back by just under 2p.
Meanwhile, other users revealed that cayenne pepper is an effective deterrent, as one member commented: “I sprinkle cayenne pepper around them and use plastic forks in the soil.”
Among the other suggestions included using chicken wire, moth balls, rocks, and broken up slate tiles. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), squirrels particularly favour tulip bulbs, crocus corms, sweetcorn, strawberries, apples, pears, nuts, sunflower seed heads and flower buds of camellias and magnolias.
They can also damage trees, with sycamore, maple, ash and beech being common targets. The gardening charity recommends using wire netting to keep the furry creatures at bay.
However, Green Backyard has highlighted that squirrels play an important role in the natural world, acting as essential pollinators and dispersers of various plants. They also make a noticeable contribution to pest control, as they will occasionally eat some insects and small vertebrates.
