Sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) can be a beautiful and productive addition to a garden, but they often attract unwanted visitors. Squirrels, with their curious nature and foraging habits, are known to consume various parts of sweet potato plants. This can lead to frustration for gardeners hoping to harvest their sweet potatoes or simply enjoy the lush foliage. Understanding why squirrels are attracted to these plants and how to identify their damage is the first step in protecting your crop.
Do Squirrels Eat Sweet Potato Vines?
Squirrels do eat sweet potato vines and can cause significant damage. As opportunistic feeders, they are drawn to sweet potato plants for moisture, carbohydrates, or as an available food source when other options are scarce. They consume the leaves, stems, and tender new vines.
Beyond the foliage, squirrels also dig up and eat the sweet potato tubers, especially if shallowly planted or easily accessible. Sweet potatoes are a palatable food source for squirrels. While not their primary target compared to nuts or seeds, sweet potato vines can become a regular part of their diet.
Identifying Squirrel Damage on Sweet Potato Vines
Squirrel damage is identifiable by specific signs on your sweet potato plants. Squirrels often leave chewed leaves with ragged edges, as they gnaw rather than make clean cuts. Gnawed stems, particularly on younger, tender parts of the vine, are also common. These signs differentiate squirrel activity from other common garden pests.
Squirrels also dig, disturbing the soil around plant bases. This digging, often for burying or retrieving nuts, can expose or damage sweet potato tubers. In contrast, deer leave ragged tears on leaves and stems, while rabbits make cleaner, angled cuts and leave small, pellet-like droppings. If tubers are eaten, you might find tunnels in the soil or partially consumed potatoes near the surface.
Effective Strategies to Deter Squirrels
Protecting sweet potato vines from squirrels involves a multi-pronged approach, combining physical barriers with deterrents.
Physical Barriers
One reliable method is using physical barriers like fencing or netting. A metal fence, at least 4 feet high with an outward-bending top, can prevent squirrels from climbing. For individual plants or smaller areas, covering them with bird netting or garden mesh, securely fastened to the ground, is effective. Burying the edges of fencing or mesh at least 6 inches deep also prevents burrowing.
Repellents
Repellents can also discourage squirrels. Many gardeners use scents squirrels dislike, such as hot pepper spray containing capsaicin, applied to plant foliage. Natural scents like peppermint oil, garlic, and mint can be used; soaking cotton balls in peppermint oil and placing them around plants creates a scent barrier. Commercial repellents are available, often using similar ingredients or predator urine scents, but they require regular reapplication, especially after rain.
Other Deterrents
Making the area less appealing for digging is another strategy. Placing larger rocks, chicken wire, or horizontal sticks on the soil surface deters squirrels from digging. Motion-activated sprinklers, which startle squirrels with bursts of water, can also be successful. Providing alternative food sources away from your sweet potato patch might distract them.