Dianthus, often called pinks or carnations, is a popular choice for gardeners due to its spicy-sweet fragrance and vibrant, ruffled blooms. These colorful perennials and annuals thrive in sunny spots, providing cheerful color in beds and containers throughout the season. However, common backyard visitors like squirrels can cause damage to newly planted or established flora.
Do Squirrels Eat Dianthus?
Squirrels will eat dianthus, but it is generally not their preferred food source. Dianthus is often listed as a relatively squirrel-resistant plant because the foliage and flowers lack the high caloric content of nuts or seeds. Squirrels are opportunistic omnivores and will consume plants when their primary diet of nuts, seeds, and fruits is scarce. During drought or late winter, even deterrent plants like dianthus can become a meal. Squirrels may also chew on stems to extract moisture in dry conditions. The most common reason for disturbance is caching behavior, where they dig into the soil to bury or recover a nut, inadvertently damaging the roots or stems.
Recognizing Squirrel Damage
Identifying the culprit behind plant damage requires close observation of the physical evidence. Squirrel damage often appears as cleanly snipped flowers or buds severed from the stem. A squirrel’s sharp incisors leave a relatively clean cut near the flower head, unlike the ragged appearance left by deer.
The most telltale sign of a squirrel’s presence is the significant disturbance of the soil, especially in pots or garden beds with freshly turned earth. Squirrels dig shallow, conical holes to bury or retrieve cached food, frequently uprooting small plants. This differs from rabbit damage, which typically involves clean, 45-degree angle cuts on tender young stems near the ground. If you notice plants pushed to the side or small, circular indentations near the base of your dianthus, a squirrel is the likely offender.
Keeping Squirrels Away From Your Plants
Implementing a multi-pronged approach using physical barriers and sensory deterrents offers the best chance of protecting dianthus. Physical exclusion is effective; lay a layer of chicken wire or hardware cloth directly over the soil surface. This barrier should be secured or buried slightly into the ground, preventing squirrels from digging without harming the plant’s growth.
Scent and taste deterrents work by making the plant unappetizing. Squirrels are sensitive to capsaicin, and a homemade spray of cayenne pepper mixed with water and dish soap can be applied to the foliage. Commercial repellents containing predator urine scent or blood meal can signal danger, encouraging them to seek food elsewhere. Regularly moving objects like garden gnomes or plastic owls can also help, as rodents quickly grow accustomed to stationary visual deterrents.