Stopping Squirrels and Chipmunks in the Garden

Every gardener has squirrel/chipmunk stories. They dig up bulbs and plants. One year, container annuals on my doorstep were dug up nightly. Replanting didn't help. Sprinkling cayenne pepper worked—the squirrel lost interest and moved on. (Normally reapply after rain/watering.)

Understand why they do it: they eat nuts, leaves, berries, roots, seeds. Usually enough natural food, but they bury stashes in soft soil you've prepared. Chipmunks store in one place and love finding squirrel stashes or your bulbs—an all-you-can-eat buffet.

In hot, dry summers, they seek water too—may hit birdbaths or vegetable gardens. One summer they harvested my ripe tomatoes, ate in a tree, dropped half-eaten ones on dinner guests! Providing a clean water source for wildlife solved it.

Daffodils are a first line of defense—squirrels/chipmunks dislike smell/taste. Plant with other bulbs to mask tulip scent. Bulb cages (chicken wire) work for small plantings. For large areas, cover with chicken wire after fall planting, tack down, mulch lightly to hide. Remove in early spring as bulbs emerge.

Mulch evenly after planting to hide freshly dug soil—they recognize it.

Repellents: Woodstream Get Away Squirrel (capsaicin). Castor oil repellent (for moles) drenched in containers. Predator urine products. All need reapplication after rain/time. For berries/tomatoes, heavy-duty netting may be best.