Are you afraid of the destruction of your garden? Do you find half-eaten fruits and vegetables in it? Do you see some dug and shallow holes there? Then you should pay keen attention to this issue. These are perhaps the effects of damage caused by the little rodent: the squirrels. How to keep squirrels out of raised garden beds?
Squirrels are rodents belonging to the familySciuridae. They are in almost every part of land except Australia. Ranging in size, squirrels can be as tiny as five inches and as large as three feet. The tree squirrels are the most commonspecies that wander on branches of trees.
The other one is the ground squirrel, whose home is the burrow and tunnel in the ground. Their tail has lots of fur. Their whole body is somewhat grey to brownish, mostly. Around the world, there are four species of ground squirrels that are all quite active in their chores during the day. They weigh around four to nine ounces all year long, with lesser weight after hibernation and more weight in the spring season before going to hibernate.
They are fond of eating roots, seeds, and plants. This makes them dangerous for gardeners as they can destroy the garden in no time. How to keep squirrels out of your garden is the major question that arises in mind. This small creature with an innocent face canaffect your plantation badly.
Living in the burrows and digging deep holes, they attack the grown fruits and vegetables, damaging them. These half-eaten fruits and vegetables are just another thing to raise your blood pressure, making you enraged. You are working hard all day long in your garden. When the fruit of all the hard work is in front of you, these squirrels snatch it.
What Are Raised Garden Beds?
Raised garden beds are also known as garden boxes. They are a great choice for adding beauty to an area. Raised garden act as a barrier for pests and insects, preventing the compaction of the soil. They tend to provide nice drainage, too.
Growing flowers and vegetables in small plots is one of the most appreciable acts in raised garden. When you are growing some seeds in your raised garden bed, of course, you wish for the plants to grow. No one ever desires a damaged garden with many holes and burrows in the land. This article includes some key points for keeping squirrels out of your raised garden.
How To Keep Squirrels Out of Raised Garden Beds
When you are planting any flower, fruit, or vegetable, the first and foremost thing to keep in mind is to look after your garden with great care. Without proper care and attention, there seems to be no plantation or vegetation at all. Then, all of your hard work will go in vain when an attack of rodents and pests destroys and damages your plants.
Following are some tips about how to keep squirrels out of raised garden.
Keep Your Garden Clean
Relocating the fallen fruits and nuts is a proven method for making your garden free from the sight of squirrels. They love to consume free fallen acorns and berries. If you are not focusing on cleaning your garden and gathering these things, then you are welcoming a large number of not only squirrels but other rodents in your garden as well. The cleaning practice also includes the proper closure of the trash can lid securely.
Use Winter Mulch of Straw
Laying a winter mulch of straw in your raised garden bed may keep squirrels away in winter. They are fond of biting everything. Even if they do not like the taste, they will leave that particular fruit or vegetable half-eaten. A winter mulch of straw is a good choice for protecting your garden from squirrel attacks.
Plant the Bulbs Deeper Than Normal
Planting the bulbs deeper than normal is experimentally proved for defending them against squirrels. This, followed by covering the area with hen manure fertilizer or bone meal, is also beneficial for this purpose, as suggested by Venning.
Use Garden Net
Spreading some garden netting can discourage squirrels from making a place in your raised garden bed. They do not like to get their little feet trapped in the nets, so they will keep squirrels away from your garden, providing you relief. Moreover, the use of squirrel traps is another option to create hurdles in their way to reach your beautiful gardens for the purpose of destruction.
Keep a Dog or Cat
Keeping a dog or cat for frightening the squirrels is one of the techniques to deter squirrels. This tip may help, but the damage caused by the vigorous dog and cat may affect your garden even more. Your gardening may contain their hairs, and their paws may cause damage to your fruits and vegetables.
Training your cat and dog can also create some issues as some cats are not well trained to do these types of activities. Your dog may prove a good choice, but it can not be on this job for twenty-four hours. Your dog moves to somewhere else just for a moment, and the squirrels are back in action.
Use Cayenne Pepper Spray
For deterring squirrels, sprinkling a mixture of chili and cayenne pepper is effective as the content of the spray can result in temporary blindness of squirrels. After spraying peppermint oil, it reaches from their paws to their eyes via touch.
To deter squirrels, this method is highly painful, and The Humane Society of United States does not recommend it. Also, they strongly prohibit using any hot stuff. However, spraying some salad oils is recommended by PETA, but this makes the raised beds stinky. Sprinkling the blood meal around the periphery of your garden is yet another choice to keep squirrels away.
Use Repellents
The use of repellents like Plantskydd Deer Repellent is one of the other ways to deter squirrels . Turning up their noses, these types of smells offend these tiny creatures. Substituting the repellents with a thin layer of grounded coffee is also something great for preserving the beauty of your garden from the reach of squirrels.
Provide the Squirrels Their Food
Although it is not such a great step to be taken if the squirrels are attacking your tomatoes, then perhaps they are thirsty. You may add a water fountain there, and the squirrels will leave the tomatoes. Many people owning raised garden feed the squirrels with sunflower seeds. Therefore, they do not disturb their gardens. But as the squirrels are wandering freely in your garden as a pet where you are looking after their food, there is always a chance of their attack, leaving your fruits and vegetables damaged.
Pay Heed to Your Garden Bed at All Times
Squirrels are one of the most common rodents, especially in burrows. They love to dig holes and eat nuts and fruits. So, one of their favorite places to attack for earning food and to dig and live is in your garden. This is where they will have plenty of food to eat and a large place to live.
Raised garden is among the most valuable part of your house. That is because growing flowers there adds to the beauty and fascination of your house. On the other hand, growing fruits and vegetables will provide you fresh items by staying at your home for free. You will not have to rush to the supermarket to purchase tomatoes or berries. You just have to pay a visit to your raised garden bed and pluck whatever you have grown there.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, keeping your garden bed cleaned with proper care is the most effective plan against squirrels and other rodents. Attention and care are the major steps to achieve the biggest objective of defeating the squirrels and keeping them out of your raised garden.
Keeping the squirrels distracted by using nets, traps, and other similar items also helps to maintain the beauty and charm of your garden bed. You may also feed the squirrels with something they love to eat, like sunflower seeds. Then, they may not damage your raised garden. But this is not a good measure against them as there is always a chance of damage as long as the squirrels are there.
According to The Humane Society of United States, the use of anything that may cause any harm to squirrels, either cayenne pepper sprays or hot stuff, is strictly forbidden. Therefore, being a human and showing human attributes, you should go for something harmless for the squirrels.
On the other hand, something that keeps squirrels away from your garden is to maintain the beauty and charm of your raised garden bed, to preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables and the fragrance of flowers grown there.
