Squirrels frequently disrupt lawns, gardens, and flower pots, often by burying or seeking food within the soil. Their digging creates small, shallow holes, typically no bigger than a quarter, as they participate in their natural behavior of caching nuts and seeds. Reclaiming a yard from this persistent activity involves a layered strategy of physical exclusion, sensory deterrence, and habitat modification.
Creating Physical Barriers and Exclusion Zones
The most reliable method for stopping squirrels from digging involves physically blocking access to the soil with durable materials. Hardware cloth, a galvanized wire mesh with small, half-inch openings, provides an effective barrier that prevents squirrels from squeezing through. This material is more difficult to chew through than plastic netting or chicken wire.
For protecting garden beds and newly planted bulbs, lay the hardware cloth flat over the soil and secure the edges with sod staples or stakes before covering it with a light layer of mulch. If building a raised bed, the best defense is to install the wire mesh at the bottom before adding soil, which blocks tunneling. For individual container plants, placing a pre-cut piece of mesh or a layer of decorative stones or gravel directly on the soil surface discourages digging because the effort is not worth the slight reward.
When protecting a pole-mounted bird feeder, a cylindrical or cone-shaped baffle must be installed below the feeder. The baffle’s smooth, slippery surface prevents the squirrel from gripping and climbing past it. The bottom of the baffle should be positioned at least four to five feet off the ground, and the feeder pole should be located at least ten feet horizontally from any structure a squirrel could use as a jumping platform.
Applying Sensory and Taste Deterrents
Squirrels rely heavily on their sharp senses, making deterrents that target taste and smell a useful part of a combined strategy. Repellents often contain capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, which creates an intense burning sensation that squirrels find highly unpleasant when tasted or inhaled.
Home-mixed sprays containing capsaicin and a small amount of dish soap must be reapplied frequently, especially after rain or watering. Commercial capsaicin-based products offer greater longevity, often remaining effective for up to four weeks between applications.
Other scent-based deterrents include coffee grounds, which squirrels dislike and can be sprinkled around plants, and peppermint oil sprays. These strong odors make the protected area unappealing for foraging or caching.
Motion-activated sprinklers offer an alternative form of deterrence that leverages the startle response. These devices use Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors to detect the heat and movement of a squirrel entering the protected zone. When triggered, the sprinkler releases a sudden burst of water, often accompanied by a distinct clicking noise, which conditions the animal to avoid the area. While ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds, they are generally considered unreliable as squirrels quickly habituate to the noise.
Managing Food Sources and Attractants
Removing the primary reasons squirrels visit a yard is a fundamental step in deterring their digging behavior. Birdseed, particularly high-fat sunflower seeds and nut blends, is a major attractant and must be secured. Using squirrel-proof feeders that employ weight-activated mechanisms or installing a large, properly positioned baffle on a feeder pole prevents easy access to this concentrated food source.
Squirrels are omnivores and forage for food items besides cached nuts, including fallen fruit, berries, and seeds. Promptly raking up and removing fallen debris, such as acorns and fruit, eliminates these easy meals and reduces the incentive for a squirrel to bury more food. The presence of lawn grubs and other soil insects can also draw squirrels to dig.
If digging is widespread across the lawn, the squirrels may be foraging for a grub infestation rather than caching. Addressing the underlying insect problem with the appropriate lawn treatment, such as beneficial nematodes or a grub control product, can eliminate this subterranean food source. Ensuring all outdoor trash cans are sealed with tight-fitting or locking lids also prevents squirrels from accessing discarded food scraps.