How to Keep Squirrels Out of Flower Pots Without Losing Your Mind

Why, oh why, do those cute (but VERY pesky) squirrels keep damaging your lovely potted flowers?

You worked so hard to grow and nurture your flower pots. But nature does indeed come with the need to truly understand your flower ruiners.
Having the real facts about animal adversaries — like squirrels and how to keep squirrels out of flower pots — requires some knowledge of why they are doing that flower pot damage in the first place!

The better you come to understand the reasons behind any rival animal becomes your initial step in stopping the damage being done. And winning!

Understanding Squirrel Behavior

Squirrels are naturally drawn to gardens because they offer an abundant food source. They love digging through flower pots looking for seeds, bulbs, and other treats. Their curious nature often leads them to explore and sometimes cause chaos in your carefully cultivated containers.

Common signs of squirrel activity in flower pots include displaced soil, nibbled leaves, and scattered plant debris. If you notice these signs, it’s likely that squirrels have been making your flower pots their playground.

Squirrel behavior also follows seasonal patterns. In fall, squirrels are particularly active as they gather food for the winter months. In spring, they tend to dig around looking for new places to stash their food. Understanding these patterns can help you plan better deterrents based on when they’re most active.

Season	Squirrel Activity
Spring	Digging, searching for food
Summer	Nest building, foraging
Fall	Gathering, hiding food
Winter	Less active, but still searching

No Matter What Season It Is, You’ll Be Seeing Them Around!

Since squirrels don’t hibernate during the cold winter months, they constantly search for seeds, nuts, vegetables, and even flowers. They collect these food items to hold them through the upcoming winter season.

You often see squirrels digging away in various spots on your property. But all that digging isn’t necessarily their search for food sources. Squirrels also dig to find what they consider the best, safest storage spots for the food items they have already found and will need to safely get to during the cold times of the year.

How to Keep Squirrels Out of Flower Pots

There are several ways to keep squirrels out of flower pots and other areas of your property that you don’t want to be damaged by their seeking and their digging.

From do-it-yourself, homemade solutions to specialty items you can find in your local gardening store, there are definitely more ways than one to keep those squirrels out of your flowerpots!

First and foremost, make sure that your yard and your property are not a “squirrel playground.”

Try your very best to keep squirrels away through various preventive measures such as

Garbage cans that are tightly and securely lidded
Do you have compost? If so, never leave the scraps outside in the open
Is your property covered by blankets of acorn droppings from your trees? If so, find a way to pick up those acorns on a very consistent basis (like every day!). Otherwise, those flowerpot-damaging squirrels will be permanent residents of your property and your yard
Try spreading out gravel or small stones within your flowerpot. It’s a safe and attractive look for your flowerpot, but most important of all, it may prevent a squirrel from digging into your flowerpot’s soil

Get Rid of Squirrels in Potted Plants

Watch this video on YouTube

Now, It’s Time to Begin Implementing Some Proven Squirrel Damage Prevention!

Autumn (oh, those squirrels know when winter is approaching!) is typically the busiest and most yard-damaging time of year when it comes to instinctual squirrel digging behavior. Fall is the time they really need to step up their food hoarding and food hiding!

Let’s begin with some of the easier and more basic — and workable! — ideas for keeping those squirrels away:

If a taste or a smell is unappealing to these critters, they stay away from your flower pots and gardens.

Blocking any exposed soil surfaces can help. Stones can help with this blockade basic; just make sure you leave enough room and gaps to allow water to properly flow into the soil. Squirrels are largely used to people and their comings and goings, so scaring them off is generally a no-go.

However, making or buying unpredictably noisy items (think wind chimes) will give them a surprising scare. You can also make or purchase yard decorations that are squirrel predators, such as an owl or hawk lawn decoration

The Best Ways to Launch Your Squirrel-Away Know-How

Check out these proven methods for keeping squirrels out of flower pots. Try several methods. This will help you to discover which one is the easiest, most successful way for you to rid your property of your squirrel problem!

Squirrels are really turned off by unusually strong smells as well as things that taste bitter. Try sprinkling some of the following natural repellents onto your soil; they are safe for your potted flowers, and unpleasant for squirrels!

Ground-up chili peppers * Flakes of red pepper spice * Cayenne pepper * Water-diluted hot sauce * Powerful smelling essential oils, such as Eucalyptus
Squirrels shy away from things with shiny reflections for some reason. Try spreading aluminum foil along the tops of the flower pots you want to protect. Don’t forget to poke holes in the foil for watering purposes!
Don’t have a dog? Consider getting one. Dogs are expert squirrel chasers. It’s almost an obsession for dogs to chase squirrels!
Give motion-activated sprinklers a try. When placed near your flower pots, the water sprinklers are sure to give those pesky squirrels an uncomfortable and frightening surprise.
Squirrels are known to despise the smell of mothballs. That said, scatter some mothballs near the vicinity of the potted flowers you want to protect

Edible Deterrents to Keep Off Squirrels

Squirrels have sensitive noses and are picky eaters, so planting herbs or vegetables that they dislike can help keep them out of your flower pots. Strong-smelling plants like garlic, onions, and hot peppers can deter squirrels from getting too close to your precious blooms.

Another method is to offer alternative food sources away from your pots. Squirrels will take the path of least resistance, so if you set up a squirrel-friendly feeding station with sunflower seeds or corn, they may be distracted from your garden altogether.

Planting decoy crops like zinnias, nasturtiums, or sunflowers in areas squirrels prefer can also redirect their attention. While these plants attract squirrels, they’re also easy to grow and don’t require as much care as your more delicate flowers.