When you are exhausted and want a peaceful place to relax, you don’t need to go too far. Lawns are an ideal place for you and your loved ones to spend quality time.
They are more than just looks and benefit your home in many ways. Research suggests that they boost the value of your home by as much as 15%. Furthermore, they provide a safe place for your kids and pets to play.
Keeping unwanted insects away from the plants is the biggest challenge landscapers face. If you are growing plants in your yard, you’d know how hard it can be to protect them from little animals and insects.
They can eat the leaves of your plants and completely ruin their looks. Squirrels are one of those animals.
Regardless of what you are growing, squirrels are a big nuisance. They look for insects in the pots and usually damage the plants in the process. They attack a wide range of plants, particularly those with fruits and vegetables.
For a landscaper who has put in months of hard work and dedication to grow fruits, the marks of bites on fruits are no less than a nightmare.
So, which fruits do squirrels like to eat? And more importantly, how do you prevent them from eating fruits before harvest? Today, we will be giving tried and tested tips on how to keep your fruits safe from squirrels. Let’s jump straight into it!
How To Prevent Squirrels From Eating Fruit
Below are some methods to keep squirrels away from your plants.
- Use Netting
Avocados, pear, grapes, apples, and mangoes are some of the many fruits squirrels love eating. Netting is an excellent way to prevent squirrels from eating your fruits.
It is an enclosed structure used to protect plants from critters. They are made of special materials to allow sunlight to pass through while blocking unwanted animals.
They also protect your plants from harsh sunlight and heavy winds, making them a perfect option for many farmers. If you live in an area with a hot and dry climate, investing in plant netting would be a great idea.
What’s even better? It costs next to nothing, and with little DIY skills, you can even make it at home. However, you will need a few things for this purpose.
To make netting at home. Start by placing four bamboos around the plants that you want to protect from squirrels in a way that they slightly overlap with each other.
Remember that you are to move inside this structure during the process, so make sure that the bamboo poles are long enough and taller than the plant.
Next, insert a metal stake a few inches deep at each corner of the frame using a mallet. And yes, before installing it, make sure that there is nothing underneath it that could be damaged, such as the blackberries irrigation system.
The next step is to attach a bamboo pole to each stake. Zip ties will come in handy for this purpose.
Once done, attach another bamboo pole at the top of the other poles using stretchable connectors. If there is any excess bamboo, consider cutting it to keep things neat.
Once done, cover the frame with a netting. That’s pretty much it! Your fruits are now safe from squirrels. And yes, do not forget to clip the top pieces together.
- Scarecrows
Another inexpensive yet effective method to keep the squirrels away from your trees is using a scarecrow. You can install a fence a few meters away from your plants to keep the squirrels away.
However, if you are not willing to spend that much, using a scarecrow will also do the job. Depending upon the size of your garden, you may need to place multiple scarecrows to keep your trees safe.
Making a scarecrow is a rather straightforward process. All you need is some old clothes, twine, some netting, several straws, burlap, and two bamboo poles of different heights.
Stuff the arms first and stick them on both sides of the bamboo poles. Then, attach the poles to each other using twine. Keep in mind that you will need 5-6 feet of twine.
So, make sure to buy enough twine to avoid inconvenience later on. Once done, attach the plants with a clove hitch knot and tighten it properly to keep everything in place in windy conditions.
The next step is to dress the scarecrow. Button-down shirts are usually recommended when it comes to scarecrows. This is because they are a lot easier to put on.
And, of course, the bigger the shirts, the easier they are to put on. So, keep these things in mind when choosing clothes. Similarly, stuff the legs of the scarecrow with straw and attach them to the frame after dressing them.
If the fruits on your plants are hanging high, it would be better to duct tape the barrier to the plant’s trunk. This barrier won’t let squirrels climb up to get the fruit from your trees.
However, keep in mind that squirrels can jump up to four feet from the ground. So, when installing a barrier, make sure to keep it at least four feet above the surface.
Other Ways to Keep Squirrels Away From Plants
Insecticides and chemicals are also used to get rid of squirrels from gardens. For those who do not know, an insecticide is a chemical used to control insects and animals in the garden. It comes in many forms and is readily available all over the world.
Be careful while using insecticides as they contain harsh chemicals. Modern insecticides are powerful and can eliminate squirrels in a matter of hours.
However, they can sometimes damage your plants and desirable insects too. Furthermore, in case of rain, they can get washed away easily and travel to some nearby lake or stream, thus affecting aquatic life too.
Therefore, check the weather forecasts of your area and use just enough insecticide. Also, keep your safety in mind and wear the necessary equipment before starting the procedure.
Fortunately, non-toxic deterrents can also repel squirrels from your plants . They have a sharp sense of smell, so using a deterrent will likely keep them away. Some deterrents include white vinegar, garlic, predator urine, and peppermint oil.
The Bottom Line
Squirrels may seem cute furry animals, but they can harm your yard in many ways. It can be discouraging for new farmers to lose the majority of their fruits to squirrels.
Using netting and scarecrows are effective ways to obstruct squirrels from eating your fruits. Pesticides are not usually recommended as their toxic chemicals can harm your plants.