Humane Squirrel Deterrents for the Garden: How to Protect Bulbs, Pots and Beds

The most reliable humane way to stop squirrels wrecking your garden is to physically block the digging: pin 25mm mesh over bulb beds and pots, top-dress pots with 2-3cm of stones, and plant bulbs squirrels dislike. Then make the fences, walls and post tops they use as routes in awkward to cross. Scent sprays and gadgets are unreliable. Barriers work, and none of them harm the squirrel.

What are squirrels actually doing in my garden?

Work out which behaviour you have before you pick a fix, because each needs a different one.

• Digging holes in pots, beds and lawn. Usually grey squirrels burying or retrieving food. This peaks from September to November, when they cache nuts for winter. Most of the holes are small, with a little scattered soil.
• Eating bulbs. Crocus and tulip bulbs are common targets. You'll see a hole, with the bulb gone or chewed.
• Nibbling shoots, buds and fruit. Tidy bite marks on tulip buds or young shoots, or half-eaten strawberries and apples.
• Raiding feeders. A separate problem with its own fixes. See our guide to stopping squirrels getting to your bird feeder.

If you have red squirrels (mainly parts of Scotland, northern England, Wales, the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island), remember they are legally protected. Stick to barriers and never disturb them or their dreys.

How do I stop squirrels digging up bulbs?

There are three layers, and you can use as many as you like.

1. Plant deeper. Aim for about three times the bulb's height. Tulips and daffodils usually go 10-15cm down. Deeper planting won't stop a determined squirrel, but it makes casual digging less rewarding.
2. Lay mesh over the bed. Cut 25mm galvanised wire mesh (chicken wire) to cover the planted area with a 10cm overlap, then peg it down every 30cm with U-shaped garden pegs. Cover it with a thin layer of soil or mulch if you want it hidden. Lift or cut it away once shoots are 5-8cm tall, since crocus and daffodil shoots will usually push through but tulip shoots can bend.
3. Plant a mesh "cage". For individual bulbs or small groups, line the planting hole with a basket of mesh, or use a ready-made bulb basket, then fill and plant as normal.

Check the edges of the mesh after heavy rain or wind. A squirrel will find a lifted corner in minutes.

Which bulbs and plants do squirrels usually leave alone?

Squirrels vary by area and by how hungry they are, but these are commonly reported as less appealing:

• Daffodils (narcissi), which are bitter and mildly toxic
• Alliums
• Fritillaries, including the crown imperial
• Grape hyacinths (muscari) and snowdrops

Tulips and crocuses are the ones most often lost. If you love tulips, grow them in pots under mesh or plant them in a bed with a mesh layer on top, and use daffodils and alliums elsewhere. Treat "squirrel-proof" plant lists as a guide, not a guarantee.

How do I protect pots and planters?

Squirrels love loose, fresh compost. Three cheap fixes work:

• Stone top-dressing. Cover the soil with 2-3cm of pebbles, grit or slate chippings. It's harder to dig, and it also helps stop weeds and moisture loss.
• Mesh disc. Cut a circle of 25mm mesh to the pot's diameter, slit it to the centre, and fit it around the plant stems. Bend the cut edges down at the rim so there are no sharp ends.
• Prickly mulch. Push twiggy prunings, holly leaves or short bramble cuttings into the soil surface. It's less tidy than stones, but costs nothing.

For valuable pots, a cloche or frame wrapped in mesh is the strongest option.

Should I use chilli, peppermint or other sprays?

We'd put these last. Chilli and peppermint are often suggested, but they wash off in rain, need reapplying, and results are mixed. Squirrels in a hungry autumn will often ignore them. Chilli powder can also irritate the eyes and noses of birds, cats, dogs and hedgehogs that pass through, which isn't a trade-off worth making. If you try a scent, treat it as a bonus on top of physical protection, never a replacement.

How do I stop squirrels finding food to bury in the first place?

Squirrels dig where food is. Reduce the supply and there's less to bury:

• Sweep up spilled peanuts, sunflower hearts and seed husks from beneath feeders daily
• Use a seed catcher tray, or switch to sunflower hearts, which leave no husks behind
• Clear fallen walnuts, hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts promptly
• Keep bins lidded and compost bins closed

Squirrels also bury food in lawns, so if holes keep appearing, check for nut trees and feeders within about 10m.

How do I stop squirrels getting into the garden at all?

Mesh protects individual plants, but it won't keep squirrels out of the garden. For that, block the routes they take. Most squirrels arrive along fence tops, wall copings, shed roofs and post caps, then drop into the beds.

• Prune branches that overhang or touch fences and sheds. Squirrels can jump around 1.5-2m horizontally, so aim for a clear gap of at least 2m.
• Swap flat post caps for pointed ones, or see our guide to protecting fence post caps from squirrels.
• Fit irregular-height deterrent spikes along the top of the fence. Squirrels step straight over flat, single-height spikes, but a mix of heights leaves them no safe footing. Our guide to stopping squirrels climbing your fence goes through where to fit them and why flat spikes fail.

ThornGuard spikes use a 3-height design (12mm, 22mm and 36mm) for this reason, and the strip folds four ways so it wraps a fence top or post on three sides. The strips can be cut or split lengthways to cover more ground, and the spikes are UV-stabilised polypropylene, so they shouldn't go brittle after a winter. Screws and cable ties come in every pack, and waterproof adhesive pads are available separately for surfaces you can't drill. You can see the options on our animal spikes page. No deterrent is guaranteed on every squirrel, so combine routes and plant protection.

Will any of this hurt the squirrels?

No. Mesh, stones and spikes deter. They don't injure or trap. Avoid poisons, glue boards and snares: they're cruel, they catch non-target animals such as birds, cats and hedgehogs, and some are illegal to use. The aim is to make your garden less rewarding and harder to cross, so squirrels go elsewhere.

Common questions

What is the best humane squirrel deterrent for a garden?

Physical barriers work best: 25mm mesh over bulb beds and pots, stone top-dressing, and irregular-height spikes along fences and post tops to block their routes. Scent repellents are less reliable and wash off in rain.

Will squirrels dig up bulbs in autumn even if I plant them deep?

Possibly. Deeper planting (about three times the bulb height) helps, but a squirrel that has found a bulb will keep digging. Laying mesh over the bed until shoots appear is the dependable fix.

Do squirrels eat daffodil bulbs?

Rarely. Daffodils are bitter and mildly toxic, and they're one of the most commonly squirrel-resistant bulbs. Alliums and fritillaries are also usually left alone, though no plant is completely safe if food is scarce.