I am sure you have heard that the only difference between a squirrel and a rat is that a squirrel has a better public relations team. Even though some people might think they are cute, there are a few living in the trees around my yard that are driving. me. crazy. Having a dog doesn’t even keep them away. I think she would actually share a bone with them. After fighting her own battle against squirrels in Lexington, my mom has come up with a simple way to keep them out of her planters. All you need to do is use pepper flakes to keep squirrels out of your planters.
How simple is that? The other great things about this tip is that it is cheap, easy, eco-friendly, and somewhat humane. After all, if a squirrel happens to like hot foods, then we have done a good deed.
Every time my mom puts flowers in her planter, the squirrels dig them out. We think they are looking to see if there are bulbs attached. Bulbs equal food in a squirrel’s world. This year when she planted her spring pansies, Mom sprinkled a generous amount of red pepper flakes on the soil. The squirrels have not bothered the flowers even once. This tip might be as useful as the one we shared about slugs a few years ago.
We live on 5 acres and have so many squirrels all around the property. This is such a great tip that I will surely put to good use if they start bothering our plants. Thanks!
I heard of that but never tried it….will need to do that as I not only have squirrels digging in my planters, but we are now battling them in our attic….a nightmare!….Have a great day!
Oh no!!!
Ladies…I am doing this one!
Last year my Kentucky squirrels drove me batty! We have trees to the back of our house and those squirrels kept digging in my planters and pots. Then they came around to the front of the house too. Honestly…one time I looked at a squirrel and he stood up and looked at me. I thought ok, we are at war! Hubby told me he could do something …involving buckshot. We live in the country! I hated to do that. So this year…it is red pepper flakes.
How often must one douse the plants with the hot stuff?
Thanks…sheila
Sheila,
She put the pepper flakes on her soil a week ago, and the squirrels haven’t touched it.
Thank you for the tip!!! Tomorrow pepper flakes go on!!!!
Glad to hear about the pepper flacks. The squirrels have been digging in my pots too. Another thing they do is eat my pumpkins in the fall. Any ideas to keep them for pumpkins?
Oh…It works! The war ended last spring after the squirrels ripped out everything I planted, usually in less than 24 hours. I tried the hot pepper out of desperation. No longer have that problem. However they still pick my potted cherry tomatoes, and when they can reach over the soil(via porch railings and furniture) they still intermittently pick the flowers,
Glad it worked. Some people are mad at us because they think this technique is cruel.
Doesn’t the pepper lake hurt the plant when you water it? I want to try it on my stevia plant and Idon’t want to destroy them
Sandy, we have both used it, and it hasn’t bothered our flowers.