Keep Squirrels Away From Hanging Plants And Window Boxes With These Tips

Squirrels are adorable, entertaining little animals that can be really fun to watch when they are not ransacking bird feeders or getting into your flower pots and window boxes. Unfortunately, these are activities they engage in far too often, making them rather unwelcome in most yards and gardens. If you want to try and live in harmony with these furry little creatures, you can try this clever DIY that will keep squirrels from eating all your bird seed by providing them an area of their own, but even if they have their own feeding station, that won't always prevent them from eating whatever they can find in your flower pots and window boxes too. Don't despair, there are several tips you can use that will keep squirrels away from your hanging plants and pretty window boxes without harming these furry, determined little scamps.

One way to prevent squirrels from digging through your hanging plants and window boxes is to put them out of reach. This isn't always easy with window boxes, especially if there are trees around your home. Try adding pinwheels and other shiny reflective objects to the window boxes with your flowers, which will scare them away and actually look pretty too!  If you like hanging plants, use baffles on Shepherd's hook poles and place them in different places around the yard. The baffles will keep the squirrels out of the hanging baskets, and the Shepherd's hooks add a nice decorative element that will look wonderful around your garden. You can get single or double hook poles, or mix it up and get both for your hanging baskets.

There are several other tips you can use to keep squirrels from getting into your window boxes and hanging plants. Squirrels have a very sensitive sense of smell, so strong odors can sometimes deter them from bothering certain places. One secret to humanely banish squirrels from your plants is in your kitchen: Cinnamon. You can sprinkle this spice right onto the soil in your window boxes, and the smell will turn them away without harming your plants. Other smells that are unappealing to squirrels include coffee grounds, peppermint, cayenne pepper, garlic, vinegar, and cloves. Using scents that they don't like can deter them without harming them, which is the goal.

Another method that can work to keep squirrels out of your window boxes and other flower pots and hanging baskets is to add flowers that squirrels avoid, including marigolds and nasturtiums, both of which give off a scent that squirrels dislike. You can also plant this fresh-smelling herb that'll keep squirrels away from your garden: Mint. Mixing these flowers and herbs with your other flowers can encourage the squirrels to go elsewhere. Along with all these deterrents, consider placing some squirrel feeding stations stocked with corn cobs, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, and peanut butter away from your bird feeding stations and hanging flowers, which will provide food for them to eat and store. Their antics can be really entertaining to watch once you have secured your flowers and plants and prevented them from being able to destroy your beloved flowers.