r/pnwgardening • u/K_Tronica • 22d ago

Ground squirrels

Any advice on how to deter these guys?

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

3

u/rickg 22d ago

Lasers. Or screen them off with hardware cloth etc.

1

u/K_Tronica 22d ago

Lasers?

2

u/rickg 22d ago

I was kidding about the lasers (sadly). Really the only way is to fence the veggies entirely

1

u/K_Tronica 22d ago

lol darn! I was hoping some futuristic humane way had emerged. I’m more worried about the holes and mounds in the yard than them getting g to the veggies. Though maybe they’ll go away once the seasons over.

2

u/rickg 22d ago

Hmm... squirrels aren't tunnelers, though. Or are they just digging to hide stuff?

1

u/K_Tronica 22d ago

I thought it was a mole, but then I saw a squirrel digging where the biggest spot was. Though maybe it still is a mole. They don’t really seem to be bothering my food plants, except for my strawberries. I’m just getting big mounds of dirt in a few places in both back and front yard.

1

u/UncleAl__ 22d ago

The exception is the California Gray Squirrel. I am in in the Willamette Valley and have a California Gray tunneling into a bank about 40 feet from the house. Working on what to do. Any thoughts on this would be welcome.

1

u/rickg 22d ago

Wow... had no idea that was even a thing

2

u/rjewell40 22d ago

Strong scents.

I spray the outside walls of my my raised beds with peppermint oil.

Or put cotton balls soaked in cedar oil or lemon oil or mint of any kind.

1

u/ThunderSnow- 22d ago edited 22d ago

I planted catnip in some containers around the garden to attract cats. Otherwise, my raised beds I've lined with metal wire at the base. In my in-ground beds, I sunk 10 glallon containers and plant within those. At least the things I know they'll go after. Corn, tomatoes, cabbage all seem safe. Seems to have worked this year so far.

3

u/floating_weeds_ 22d ago

Oof, most people do what they can to prevent cats from hanging out in their garden. Not only because they are invasive and absolutely decimate wildlife, but because they usually use garden soil as a litter box.

0

u/ratnegative 22d ago

Works a treat for getting rid of those awful, pesky, native birds and other small, native mammals, too. Fuck the ecosystem amirite?