The squirrels are digging in my planters on my deck.?

Question

How do I get them to stop digging up my flowers and throwing the dirt all over the deck. I have tried moth balls, but that didn't work. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Make some insets/covers for the pots.  Hardware cloth can be cut and formed to fit in the pot and the squirrels will be stopped.  

  They do make things like this too. I've seen them in those cataloges they send unbiden to your mailbox.  

And or put some of the tack stips that hold carpet down around the edges.  They will not like the pointy edges.  

Mothballs are a bad idea. Nasty chemical stuff.  

They do make organic squirrel repellents. Look for Liquid Fence brand, or many others.

Answer 2

urine from a predator..... you're a potential predator....

Answer 3

Get a cat.

Answer 4

Anjoe actually has the best idea.  Squirrels can be determined enough to ignore dogs, cats, urine, mothballs, cayenne pepper, shotguns, and people yelling at them.

My property backs up onto a small wooded area.  Squirrels were destroying my peppers, tomatoes, and bird feeders.

I bought a squirrel feeder like this one http://www.birdhousesandfeedersonline.co... and put it on a post in the FAR corner of my yard.  I keep it full of black-oil sunflower seeds.

In the last 2 years, the only time the squirrels have gone into my yard was when their feeder was empty.

This won't attract more squirrels, by the way.  Squirrels are territorial and won't let other squirrels into their territory.

Answer 5

I cut landscaping plastic to fit around my plants and tuck the edges in.  A little blood meal on the plastic grosses them out.

Answer 6

Pesty little critters, I do say. Try to put a corn feeder some where in your yard away from your deck. I think that you can buy deer corn cheaper by the sack and use that to feed them with.  I have the same problem with them trying to eat my birdseed from a feeder on my deck.

Answer 7

I sprinkle cayenne pepper on the soil.  But it must be applied often after every watering if you douse the soil, less often if you use drip.   For my most precious plants, I cut wire mesh to fit the pot and put mulch thinly on that.  I have fewer squirrels since I quit feeding the birds - now hundreds instead of zillions.

Answer 8

try some crush mothballs