Oh, how we love our gardens. How many other things can nurture us, body and soul, quite like a lovingly tended garden? Unfortunately, there’s no lack of pesky pests who love our gardens too. Even a novice gardener knows that keeping the bugs and hungry animals away from a garden is more than half the battle. One of the most common pests that make their way into our gardens are squirrels. As you notice signs of these pests, such as bite marks and missing plants, you’re likely asking yourself one glaring question: How do you keep squirrels out of a garden?
These days, there are all kinds of chemical weapons to use to keep both bugs, squirrels, and other animals aways from your garden. However, these chemicals can be harmful to you, your garden’s bounty, and the surrounding wildlife. And besides, who wants to ingest chemically polluted plants? Luckily, there are ways to keep animals out of your garden naturally – and cheaply, too. Here, you’ll read some of the top ways to keep bugs, squirrels, and other animals away from your garden.
Tip #1: Use Your Kitchen Waste
Our first tip to keeping squirrels out of your garden, along with avoiding other pests, is to put your kitchen waste to use. Squirrels, along with other animals and bugs, can be kept at bay by putting certain kinds of kitchen waste around the patch. Items like coffee grounds, egg shells, and citrus fruit rinds are unfavored amongst these pests, keeping them at a distance. These cute but naughty garden devastators have a very developed sense of smell – so these strong odors work well at keeping them away.
If you’re trying to keep squirrels out of your garden in particular, use garlic! While we love this tasty, fragrant food when we cook, squirrels certainly do not feel the same. Mix some chopped garlic with equal parts vinegar and let the mixture sit for a few days. Spray the garlic mixture around your garden, such as on fences, stakes, and pots. Its strong scent will keep squirrels and other animals away, keeping your crops safe and sound.
Tip #2: The Age Old Soap Trick
This old Farmer’s Almanac trick has stood the test of time, proving to still be effective at keeping squirrels and other animals out of gardens. First, cut up some Irish Spring soap and place it in a few small drawstring pouches. Place the pouches around your garden, making sure to cover all areas. The strong scent of the soap should help to keep animals out of the garden, including deer and those pesky squirrels.
Tip #3: Create a Physical Barrier to Keep Animals Away
When figuring out how to keep animals out of a garden, a good physical barrier is typically the best defense. To do so, create a barrier around the entire perimeter of the garden. There are a few options you can choose, including hardwire cloth, chicken wire, or a wooden fence. If you’re trying to figure out how to keep squirrels out of a garden in particular, use squirrel fence spikes. These are specifically designed to keep squirrels away by placing pointed spikes atop the barrier. Don’t worry though, they won’t harm the squirrels. They’ll just save you from the havoc they wreak on your garden!
Tip #4: Use Plants to Keep Bugs Away From a Garden
If you’re asking yourself how to keep bugs away from your garden, here’s a tip for you. Bring in the good guys. There are many types of insects that are actually beneficial to your garden. That’s because these good bugs, like wasps, actually feed on the bugs that often damage our crops. To bring in the good bugs, you can incorporate plants into your garden that attract them. Queen Anne’s Lace, Butterfly Weed, parsley, carrots and chamomile are all known to attract wasps and other beneficial insects that will protect your garden.
Another tip to keep bugs away from your garden is to plant insect repelling plants near the crops. Some plants have insect-repelling properties that will work to keep these garden-damaging bugs at a distance. Some of these plants include lavender, basil, mint, lemongrass, and petunias. Not only will these plants help keep bugs away from your garden, but many of them look and taste great too! Finding that rabbits are the culprit for your garden’s damage? Planting onions around the perimeter works best at keeping these cute, but havoc wreaking, animals away.
Tip #5: Use Motion-Sensor Sprinklers
Placing motion-sensor sprinklers near your garden is another tip for keeping squirrels and other animals out of the garden. When these animals arrive to steal your crops, the sprinklers will activate once they get too close. Squirrels, and other animals like rabbits and deer, are notoriously skittish. The alarming sound and spray of water will deter them away from your garden, keeping your crops safe (and watered)!
Garden pests are a pain and a nuisance that most gardeners have dealt with. After putting hard work into creating a bountiful garden, it’s hard to watch its bounty get stolen by squirrels, other animals, and pesky bugs. Next time you’re wondering how to keep squirrels out of your garden, along with other common pests, follow these simple tips. With some vigilance and perseverance, you’ll be on your way to keeping your garden safe!
And if these common garden pests make their way into your home, call an expert like Eliminate’Em to take control of the problem. We offer squirrel removal and other wildlife control to keep your family safe! The professional technicians at Eliminate’Em are available to you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Give us a call at 1-866-652-1367 (7378) for Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts pest removal today!
