Squirrels, particularly the common gray squirrel, eat shrubs and other landscape plants, causing damage that ranges from minor cosmetic issues to the destruction of entire plants. This destructive feeding behavior is driven by specific biological needs and environmental pressures. Damage often escalates when a squirrel’s preferred food sources, like nuts and seeds, become scarce. This prompts them to turn to the buds, bark, and young shoots of ornamental shrubs for sustenance.
Why Squirrels Target Landscape Plants
Squirrels are rodents, meaning their front incisor teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. This necessitates constant gnawing to wear the teeth down and prevent them from growing too long. This is a primary reason they target woody materials like shrub bark and branches, leaving behind parallel markings from their teeth.
The second motivation is dietary, especially during colder months when buried caches of nuts may be inaccessible or depleted. Shrubs and trees offer a source of moisture and nutrients when other food is scarce. Squirrels strip the outer bark to access the inner, softer layer known as the cambium, which is rich in sugars and water.
Squirrels also frequently consume the tender, nutrient-dense flower and leaf buds from shrubs, often clipping them cleanly from the branch tips. The growing tips and young shoots of plants are appealing because they provide concentrated energy that is easier to digest than mature leaves. This opportunistic feeding behavior means that plant material becomes a potential meal when winter stores run low.
Recognizing Squirrel Damage vs. Other Pests
Identifying squirrel damage relies on observing specific, clean-cut markings on the plant material. Squirrels possess sharp incisors, which create neat, small cuts when they clip buds or young twigs. These clipped pieces are often found scattered on the ground beneath the plant, a common sign of squirrel activity.
When squirrels strip bark, they typically leave vertical or diagonal strips that show evidence of parallel tooth marks. This is distinct from deer damage, which usually involves ragged, torn branch ends due to the lack of lower incisors and occurs higher up on the plant. Damage from smaller pests like rabbits or voles involves clean, angled cuts but is located much closer to the ground, often just above the snow line.
Another clear indicator is the presence of small, shallow holes in the soil near the shrub base, roughly the size of a golf ball. This digging is done either to bury food for later consumption or to unearth previously buried nuts and bulbs. This behavior often upsets potted plants or disturbs freshly mulched garden beds.
Effective Methods for Protecting Shrubs
Protecting shrubs from squirrels involves a multi-pronged approach utilizing physical barriers, taste deterrents, and strategic habitat modifications. Physical exclusion is the most reliable method, especially for young or highly vulnerable shrubs. Covering individual plants with fine-mesh netting or galvanized chicken wire can effectively block access.
For young saplings or shrubs with a single main stem, installing a spiral tree wrap or a wire cage around the base can prevent bark stripping. When planting bulbs near shrubs, a layer of wire mesh or hardware cloth can be buried above the bulbs to prevent squirrels from digging them up. Consistency in maintaining these barriers is important for long-term effectiveness.
Taste and scent deterrents offer a humane way to discourage feeding without causing harm. Many commercial sprays contain capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, which squirrels find highly unpleasant. Natural methods include applying a spray mixture of water with peppermint oil or garlic, as these strong odors are repulsive.
These topical repellents must be reapplied frequently, especially after rain or heavy watering, to maintain effectiveness. Finally, modifying the local habitat can reduce the incentive for squirrels to visit your shrubs. Removing bird feeders that offer easy access to high-fat seeds or switching to safflower seeds, which squirrels dislike, can reduce their presence.