Squirrels are one of the cutest creatures out there; there is no doubt about that! But when you are into gardening, these critters are your nightmare!
So one of the common questions asked is, will mothballs keep squirrels out of flower pots?
Don’t worry; we have got your back!
Here we will discuss all the effective remedies for keeping the critters far away from your plants. By the time you finish reading, you don’t have to clean up damaged pots ever again!
Will Mothballs Keep Squirrels Away?
Now it is time for us to answer the question whether mothballs can keep the squirrels away – well, the answer is positive!
Yes, mothballs have one of those smells that squirrels hate the most! It acts as a deterrent hence; you can utilize it for getting rid of this issue!
Just put some mothballs in the area that’s visited by the squirrels frequently. However, you have to replace the mothballs with fresh ones every week.
In this way, the scent will always be potent enough to keep the squirrels far from your precious plants!
Home Remedies to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Flower Pots
As mothballs have strong smells, even your family members can get irritated from time to time. So it would be natural for you to look for some alternative methods.
Therefore, here is some deterrent for squirrels that will help you to cope with this problem.
- Use a Sonic Deterrent
When you seek the most effective option for solving this squirrel problem, you can consider getting the sonic deterrent. There are some devices that will create high-pitch sounds to keep the critters away from your yard.
All you have to do is place these devices around your house, and there will be no chipmunks or squirrels in that area.
Well, these gadgets emit noises that are too high-pitched for human ears. However, dogs and cats can hear this sound. Hence, if you have pets in the house, you should avoid using these sonic deterrents.
- Add Bone Meal as Fertilizer
Bone meal is an excellent fertilizer for nurturing your plants. And the good news is squirrels don’t like its scent at all!
Besides mixing this fertilizer thoroughly in the soil, you can also sprinkle some of it on the top.
In this way, the odor will be more pungent than ever, and the critters will not mess with your garden again.
- Keep Your Ward Well-maintained
You can tidy up your yard and trim the yard so the critters can find another spot to bury their food. If so, they will spare your flower pots! Well, we can hope for the best!
Furthermore, take away all the fallen acorns, nuts and berries from the ground as soon as possible. When you do this, the squirrels or other rodents will not have anything to bury in the first place.
You should also eliminate the garbage and food smells around your house. As these scents tend to attract critters, you can get rid of them for a better experience.
- Utilize Pet Fars
Well, this option is eligible for dog owners only! Just collect some dog hair while grooming them and sprinkle them on the flower pot.
The dog far will make the squirrel think that there is a predator nearby. Hence, they will stay away from your garden for a long time.
- Plant Naturally-Repelling Flowers
Some naturally repelling flowers will hold the critters back. You can plant them near your flower pots to protect them.
Here is a list of those plants that will help you with the mission!
- Garlic
- Peppermint
- Alliums
- Jonquils
- Daffodils
- Lilly of the valley
- Hyacinths
- Snow Crocus
- Scented marigolds
Not just to keep the squirrels away, these flowers will improve the indoor air quality and overall beauty of your home too.
- Sprinkle Some Coffee Grounds
Yes, you read it right! The smell of coffee ground will also defend your plants against the critters.
Just put some coffee grounds every morning on your pots to avoid squirrel attacks!
Why Do Squirrels Damage Flower Pots?
Squirrels tend to dig holes to preserve their food. For instance, if they have found a acorn that they won’t eat in a long time, the squirrels will save it for the future.
So the critters will dig holes in your flower pot because they feel that it is the safest place to store foods. Furthermore, the potted soil is more accessible to dig than any backyard’s compact and dense mud.
Hence, the squirrels will always rampage your flower pots; that’s a bummer!
How the Squirrels Do Damages to Your Potted Plants?
If the critters were satisfied with digging holes in your pots, there would have been no complaints, to be honest.
But the squirrels will chew your plants and do some irreversible harm; hence, we are so hell-bent on finding ways to prevent this situation!
First of all, they will dig up the stems or seeds that you just planted. And it will instantly stop the growth of your greens, and that’s devastating!
Additionally, they will chew the leaves, the stems and any fruits or flowers they see there! Therefore, all the efforts you have invested in then will be nipped in the bud!
However, there are actually some remedies that will help you to rid of this problem. Let’s get to learn about them, shall we?
How Can I make Squirrel Repellents at Home?
You will see that there are some repellents available in the hardware store to hold back the critters.
Well, as they are made with chemicals only, some homeowners do not like to sprinkle them around the household. Moreover, they are not really environment friendly!
Therefore, here is a recipe for homemade squirrel repellent for you. It is easy to make and safe to use; what else do we need?
Things you need:
- 1 liter water
- 2-3 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons of liquid dish detergent
All you have to do is to take the ingredients and mix them thoroughly. Then, pour them into a spray bottle and apply them on the soil of your planters.
It is a super-efficient squirrel repellent that won’t cause any harm to the environment. And the ingredient is easily available in any house.
So when you are not in the mood of wasting your money any energy, you can try this recipe for an effortless experience.
Are Physical Barriers Effective Against the Squirrel Attacks?
If you live a busy life and don’t have much time to maintain your garden, you can install some physical barriers.
However, they will need some occasional maintenance, to be honest.
So, make sure that you are okay will taking care of those barriers once in a while.
There are plenty of physical protections you can try.
For instance, you can use a wire mesh or basket to protect the greens. Additionally, you can also raise your plants inside a wired cage to ensure maximum safety.
Do Squirrel Traps Work?
If you have tried all the remedies mentioned above, you can get some squirrel traps as a last resort! However, you need to make sure that you are buying live traps explicitly made for these critters.
In this way, you can catch the squirrels without harming the animals and release them afterwards.
Which Spices Deter Squirrels?
We have already mentioned cayenne pepper as an ingredient for the squirrel repellent.
Here are some other spices that may help you with this task.
- Red pepper flakes
- Black pepper
- White pepper
Additionally, you can also use peppermint essential oil as a remedy.
The Bottom Line
Squirrels are pretty stubborn animals; hence, you have to try different methods to defend your plants against them.
If one strategy fails, you can instantly try another one or try a few of them at once!
Hopefully, we have covered all the details of your will mothballs keep squirrels out of flower pots query.
After reading this article, you will win all the battles against those critters; there is no doubt about that!
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