Gardeners frequently face the challenge of protecting desirable plants from common garden visitors like squirrels. These adaptable rodents are omnivores, consuming a wide variety of plant material, seeds, and insects. While their diet is broad, many plants with intense fragrances or potent flavors are naturally less appealing. This aversion is often attributed to secondary metabolites that signal potential toxicity or provide an unpleasant taste. This raises the question of whether the strongly aromatic lavender plant is a target for a squirrel’s appetite.
The Direct Answer: Palatability and Preference
Squirrels generally avoid consuming lavender as a food source due to its unique biochemical makeup. The plant contains a high concentration of volatile organic compounds known as monoterpenes, including linalool and camphor. These compounds are responsible for the plant’s potent scent and bitter taste. The concentration of these essential oils is particularly high in the flowering parts and leaves, acting as a natural defense mechanism against herbivores.
When a squirrel samples the plant, the bitterness and strong aroma signal that the material is unpalatable. Lavender is rarely considered a preferred part of their diet because it offers little nutritional reward. Therefore, damage to lavender, when it occurs, is usually not due to the squirrel seeking sustenance.
Why Squirrels Interact With Lavender
Although squirrels do not typically eat lavender, gardeners often observe disturbances around the plants. The most common interaction is soil disturbance, where the rodent digs vigorously into the container or garden bed. Squirrels often choose garden beds because the loose, cultivated soil is easier to manipulate than compacted lawn areas. This behavior is usually driven by the instinct to cache nuts and seeds, or to search for soil moisture or invertebrate prey like grubs. This digging can severely damage the lavender’s root system or entirely displace newly planted specimens.
Another form of damage involves physical clipping of the stems and foliage. Squirrels sometimes snip off small branches to use the material for building or insulating their nests, not for consumption. Less frequently, exploratory chewing might occur on new sprouts or buds. This is often a way for the squirrel to “test” unfamiliar material before quickly rejecting the bitter taste.
Protecting Plants From Squirrel Damage
Mitigating disruptive behaviors requires focusing on physical barriers and environmental modifications. To prevent digging, gardeners can create a physical impediment over the soil surface. This might involve laying down sharp gravel, small stones, or a layer of coarse mulch that is uncomfortable for squirrels to maneuver. For potted plants or small beds, hardware cloth or chicken wire cut to fit the container’s opening is highly effective. This mesh barrier allows water and air to pass through but physically blocks the squirrel from accessing the soil beneath.
Securing the edges of the mesh is important to prevent the rodents from lifting the barrier, which they are known to attempt. Environmental adjustments also reduce the presence of these animals. Removing accessible food sources, such as nearby bird feeders, can lessen overall squirrel activity in the garden vicinity. For container plants, weighting the pots prevents them from being tipped over during digging or exploration.