Squirrels - Gardening - The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Squirrels can be entertaining to watch, but it can be very frustrating if they keep digging up your garden plants or take up residence in your garage. Here is how to keep squirrels away with natural squirrel-repellent ideas.

Squirrels in the Garden

With a fondness for fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, the common squirrel has long spelled trouble for home gardeners. From Maine to Montana, these wily critters yank geraniums from window boxes, pluck nearly ripe tomatoes from their vines, and strip apple trees like professional pickers. Though their foraging forays can happen any time of year, a squirrel’s raid at harvest time can drive a gardener nuts.

Squirrels are especially active in late summer and autumn when they stock up for winter. They do not hibernate (although they may “lie low” during cold spells), so their underground pantries are vitally important winter warehouses. They have a significant instinct for hoarding food, which helps them to survive.

Although North America is home to several species of squirrels, the suburb-savvy gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, gives gardeners (and people who feed birds) the most grief. Gray squirrels stash food by burying it scattered around their territory. How did the clever critters find those flower bulbs, anyway? All squirrels have a very keen sense of smell. The nose of these expert foragers is a tiny but powerful tool in searching for hidden nuts, berries, and bulbs.

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