Gardeners often face the frustrating sight of a newly planted bed of pansies suddenly disheveled or damaged overnight. This common issue leads many to question the specific culprit behind the missing flowers and disturbed soil. Understanding the feeding habits and natural behaviors of local wildlife is the first step toward preserving the visual appeal of a cultivated space. This analysis clarifies the relationship between squirrels and pansies, providing insight into the motivations behind the damage and actionable ways to protect your plantings.
The Definitive Answer: Why Pansies Are Appealing
The direct answer to whether squirrels consume pansies is yes, they will eat them when the opportunity arises. Pansies are not typically a preferred food source over nuts or seeds, but they become appealing, particularly when other food sources are scarce. Young pansy seedlings and established plants present an easily accessible, soft, and moist meal for foraging squirrels. The tender leaves, stems, and colorful flowers provide a necessary source of hydration and fresh greens, especially during periods when the soil is dry or during the cooler months when other vegetation is dormant. Newly planted pansies are especially vulnerable to attack because they are highly accessible in garden beds and containers.
Understanding Squirrel Behavior Beyond Eating
Not all damage observed in a pansy bed is directly caused by a squirrel consuming the plant material. Much of the disruption is a result of the animal’s instinctual caching behavior, which involves burying food for later retrieval. Squirrels frequently use the soft, recently tilled soil of a flower pot or garden bed as a convenient spot to bury nuts, acorns, or seeds.
This digging process often results in pansy plants being uprooted and left lying on the surface, sometimes with a small hole visible next to the plant’s root ball. The squirrel is focused on creating a cache, not necessarily on eating the flower, although exploratory nibbling may occur. Distinguishing between a clean-cut bite mark and an entirely excavated plant helps a gardener diagnose the specific behavior causing the issue.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Flowers
Implementing physical barriers is a straightforward method for preventing both feeding and digging damage to your vulnerable pansies.
Physical Barriers
Placing a layer of small-gauge wire mesh or bird netting directly over the planting area can make the soil inaccessible for digging. The barrier should be pulled taut and secured at the edges. This allows the plants to grow through the material without the squirrel being able to easily push it aside.
Taste and Scent Deterrents
Taste and scent deterrents work by making the pansies unappetizing or signaling a potential threat to the foraging animal. A simple homemade spray using capsaicin, the compound found in chili peppers, can be applied to the foliage. The unpleasant taste discourages the squirrel from taking a second bite. This application must be reapplied after rain or watering. The use of predator urine, such as fox or coyote urine, also signals a nearby threat and causes the squirrel to avoid the area.
Habitat Modification
Modifying the immediate habitat can reduce the appeal of your pansies as a target. Covering the soil surface in containers with a layer of rough gravel or small stones makes digging less appealing for caching behavior. Providing an alternative food source, such as a dedicated feeder with nuts or corn placed far away from the flower beds, may divert the squirrel’s attention from your plantings.