Gardeners planting fall bulbs often face squirrels, leading to the frustrating discovery of freshly dug earth. This conflict is confusing when planting garlic, as its distinct, pungent odor might suggest it would naturally repel pests. The question of whether these small mammals target the garlic for consumption or simply disturb the planting area is central to protecting the harvest. Understanding this behavior is the first step in implementing an effective strategy to safeguard newly planted garlic cloves.
Are Garlic Bulbs a Preferred Food Source?
Squirrels generally avoid consuming garlic bulbs; they are not a primary food source for these rodents. The strong, sharp flavor and intense odor come from sulfur compounds, characteristic of plants in the Allium family. These compounds are unpalatable to squirrels, especially when desirable options like acorns, walnuts, or sweeter flower bulbs are available nearby.
The taste aversion is strong enough that garlic is often recommended as a companion plant to deter pests. A squirrel may pick up the scent of a freshly planted bulb, but quickly recognizes the clove as an undesirable meal. Consumption of the entire garlic bulb is extremely rare, marking it as a low-preference food item.
The Difference Between Digging and Eating
The main issue for gardeners is not consumption, but that squirrels disturb the soil and uproot the bulbs. Squirrels dig for reasons unrelated to eating garlic, primarily for caching other food items. A recently planted bed offers soft, freshly turned soil, which is an ideal spot for a squirrel to bury a nut or acorn.
This behavior turns the planting area into a communal storage site, often resulting in the accidental displacement of the garlic cloves. The strong scent of the bulb and the disturbed earth can also trigger a squirrel’s curiosity, prompting an investigation. Digging is often a search for a better cache location or an existing stash, rather than an attempt to find a meal of garlic.
Physical Strategies for Protecting Bulbs
Since the primary threat is disturbance, physical barriers are the most effective way to protect newly planted garlic. One common method involves laying half-inch mesh chicken wire or hardware cloth directly over the planted bed before covering it with a light layer of mulch or soil. This wire creates a permeable shield that allows emerging garlic shoots to grow through in the spring but prevents squirrels from digging down to the cloves.
For smaller or container plantings, individual bulb cages can be created using galvanized hardware cloth. These protective cages are buried with the bulb, allowing roots to grow freely while blocking access to the clove. Planting the bulbs deeper than the recommended depth, perhaps eight to ten inches, also makes the digging effort too significant for most squirrels. Anchoring a layer of sharp material, such as crushed oyster shells or thorny branches, on the soil surface can physically deter the animals from attempting to burrow.
Using Strong Scents as Deterrents
The strong odor that makes garlic unpalatable can be leveraged as a deterrent to keep squirrels away from the planting area. Squirrels have a highly developed sense of smell, and overwhelming their olfactory senses with intense aromas makes the garden bed unappealing. This strategy focuses on masking the subtle scent of the freshly disturbed soil and the bulb itself.
Sprinkling ground spices like cayenne pepper or chili powder directly onto the soil surface creates a taste and smell barrier that squirrels dislike. The active compound in these peppers, capsaicin, is a potent irritant to the squirrel’s sensitive nose and paws. A liquid solution of water and hot pepper extract can be sprayed over the area, though rain or watering necessitates reapplication to maintain the deterrent effect.