Protecting flowers, etc. from squirrels

[Opti]

Not sure if this is the right place for this or YM OT, or even EE.

I do have a squirrel problem in both my small Mom memorial garden and the Opti garden. I bought these purple coneflower things which turn out to be moth magnets if you have extreme weather in August, which we have. I started planting one, in order to save it from the extreme heat, but didn't fully plant it. Turns out I put it off center, because I was hot and trying to do it within 5 minutes, to not risk my health.

One of the squirrels dug around it, especially the soil I put around it that I need to use up. Are there cheap things to buy to keep squirrels away? Like puma pee or something? I bought Neem Oil that I have to add water too, for spraying the flowers. Turns out I already used the small bottle I bought from TSC.

[mroped]

A .22 with bird shot and a few night watches!😂

[Tennesseer]

If the squirrels are after something in the gardens, it's not coneflowers.

Do you have chipmonks running around?  Even they cone flowers are not an interest to them.

Something else is in the dirt which is attracting some other (probably nocturnal) mammal.  Or it could be squirrels buryng acorns?

Chicken wire fencing might work.

[Opti]

I think they want to bury stuff or look for possibly newly exposed bugs. They seem to be attracted to newly turned dirt. The coneflowers are infested with moths and possibly other bugs. I like to think I've been limiting the pests, but the nearby bush did have a resident praying mantis.

[Tennesseer]

Sept 1, 2018 21:55:24 GMT -5 Opti said:

I think they want to bury stuff or look for possibly newly exposed bugs. They seem to be attracted to newly turned dirt. The coneflowers are infested with moths and possibly other bugs. I like to think I've been limiting the pests, but the nearby bush did have a resident praying mantis.

Praying mantises are good. No harm to them.

Maybe get some flat stones to plave closely around the plants?

[tigerpause]

I use blood meal. Works great.


Douse your soil with blood meal. This natural fertilizer is a dry powder that is a waste product of slaughterhouses. Spread the powder over the soil near your plants and flowers; use no more than four ounces of blood meal per square yard of soil. Blood meal contains high levels of nitrogen and ammonia. The smell will drive away squirrels, as it smells like blood. 
blog.timesunion.com/gardening/squirrels-prepare-for-battle/98/

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

My sister-in-law keeps a few rubber snakes in her flowerbed. She has purple coneflower, zinnias, and cosmos.

[Opti]

Sept 2, 2018 2:13:55 GMT -5 Cheesy FL-Vol said:

My sister-in-law keeps a few rubber snakes in her flowerbed. She has purple coneflower, zinnias, and cosmos.

Interesting. I guess it must work for her? I don't think these squirrels will be scared of a snake unless its huge. I am 60% certain it was a squirrel that kept digging up Raphael's body. I think squirrels are like deer in that they will eat almost anything and are in pre winter gorge mode.

(Raphael was a water dragon, so his tail was quite long and barred brown and green. Because of how he died, the tail itself, looked like a small snake. ) Well, maybe tomorrow I'll move everything over to where I should have put it, if I am physically up to it AND I get blood meal or something similar.

Thanks much for the suggestions!

[Opti]

Picked up some blood meal at Walmart because it was under $4 and I was there for something else. Hopefully it will work and hopefully I will put it out by the weekend.

[Gardening Grandma]

Sept 1, 2018 10:33:29 GMT -5 Opti said:

Not sure if this is the right place for this or YM OT, or even EE.

I do have a squirrel problem in both my small Mom memorial garden and the Opti garden. I bought these purple coneflower things which turn out to be moth magnets if you have extreme weather in August, which we have. I started planting one, in order to save it from the extreme heat, but didn't fully plant it. Turns out I put it off center, because I was hot and trying to do it within 5 minutes, to not risk my health.

One of the squirrels dug around it, especially the soil I put around it that I need to use up. Are there cheap things to buy to keep squirrels away? Like puma pee or something? I bought Neem Oil that I have to add water too, for spraying the flowers. Turns out I already used the small bottle I bought from TSC.

I have a local chipmunk that likes to dig in my flowerpots (these are big pots).  I purchased some plastic mesh - the squares are about 1/2 inch.  cut the mesh the diameter of the pot and cut a hole in the center big enough for the plant.  Then cut from the center hole to the outside so I could get it around the plant.
Solved the problem and I can use it again next year.  I did watch the chipmunk get very frustrated before giving up.... 

[chapeau]

Cayenne pepper is a decent squirrel repellent. You’ll need to reapply if it rains, but it can usually be found at the dollar store or in the dollar aisle at the grocery store.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Our squirrels were eating all of our bird food until we started feeding them!