The snapdragon, or Antirrhinum majus, is a popular annual flower known for its vibrant, two-lipped blossoms. Gardeners value these vertical spikes of color for adding structure and height to flower beds and containers. However, the presence of these beautiful plants often brings garden pests that damage the foliage and blooms. The common gray squirrel, with its relentless digging and curious nature, is frequently cited as a primary suspect in garden destruction. This raises a specific question: are snapdragons a desirable snack for the local squirrel population? This article explores the direct relationship between squirrels and these flowers.
The Truth About Squirrels and Snapdragons
Squirrels do not typically consume snapdragons as a primary food source. The plant’s overall palatability is low, often due to a natural bitter flavor profile within the foliage and stems. This inherent bitterness acts as a mild deterrent, discouraging sustained feeding by many garden animals, including squirrels and rabbits. Though some sources have historically referred to them as mildly toxic, modern research indicates that snapdragons are non-toxic to most animals, meaning they pose no serious threat if a small amount is ingested.
The common damage observed by gardeners is usually not evidence of a meal, but rather an investigation or a failed attempt at caching. A squirrel might nip off a flower head or chew a stem, only to drop the piece immediately after tasting the non-preferred flavor. This behavior leaves behind damaged stems and discarded blooms, without the plant material being eaten for sustenance.
Understanding Squirrel Foraging Behavior
Damage to non-preferred plants like Antirrhinum majus is rooted in the squirrel’s broader, opportunistic foraging strategy. Eastern gray squirrels are scatter-hoarders; they bury individual food items across a wide area for later retrieval, necessitating constant digging in soft garden soil. Digging to bury a nut or probe for a forgotten cache often results in the collateral damage of uprooted seedlings and disturbed plant roots. This digging is a major cause of plant destruction, regardless of the plant’s edibility.
Squirrel feeding follows the optimal foraging theory, where animals choose food that provides the most energy for the least effort. When preferred food sources, such as nuts or ripe fruits, become scarce, the diet adapts quickly to include less desirable items. During periods of resource scarcity, a snapdragon may be tested out of necessity, or the squirrel may be attempting to access the high-protein seeds within the flower heads. Their highly developed sense of smell, used for locating buried food, also causes squirrels to investigate new scents and textures, sometimes leading to a destructive test-bite.
Proven Strategies for Protecting Your Plants
Effective protection of snapdragons relies on a combination of physical and sensory deterrents that make the area around the plants unappealing for both digging and tasting.
Physical Barriers
Physical barriers are highly effective because they prevent the squirrel from accessing the soil surface where the most destructive digging occurs. Placing a layer of wire mesh or chicken wire over newly planted areas allows shoots to grow through while blocking access to the ground. For individual plants or containers, strategically place sharp, pointed objects like plastic forks or small sticks into the soil around the base. This provides a harmless but unpleasant surprise when the animal attempts to dig.
Sensory Deterrents
Sensory deterrents exploit the squirrel’s powerful sense of smell and taste, making the plant an aversive experience. Applying cayenne pepper or a capsaicin-based spray directly to the foliage creates an intense, spicy taste that squirrels despise. Spreading used coffee grounds or granular repellents around the base of the plants can irritate the sensitive pads on a squirrel’s feet and overpower their olfactory senses, discouraging them from lingering. These sprays and powders must be reapplied frequently, especially after rainfall, to maintain their full effectiveness.
Motion-activated sprinklers provide a surprise element, startling and soaking the animal with a sudden burst of water when it enters the garden area. Another approach is to offer a dedicated, preferred food source, such as a small feeder of dried corn or nuts, placed far away from the snapdragon beds. Providing an easier, more energetically favorable meal elsewhere reduces the squirrel’s motivation to forage in protected flower beds.