Rose bushes can be a delightful addition to any garden, providing vibrant colors and pleasing scents. But if you are not careful, pesky squirrels can destroy your precious blooms.
Squirrels are a common sight in many neighborhoods and parks. Squirrels eat nuts and seeds but feed on other foods like fungi, fruits, flowers, and insects.
Having squirrels around the garden can be an annoyance for many gardeners. So if you have rose bushes in your garden, it’s especially important to find a way to keep them away from the flowers.
This article covers ways to keep squirrels away from your rose bushes and protect your plants. We’ll look at how to make your garden less attractive to squirrels and what natural repellents might be effective.
Squirrels can be a nuisance when enjoying the beauty of your rose bushes. They feast on succulent parts of roses, such as young shoots and stems, and they enjoy freshly growing potted roses.
In addition, bushes offer shelter from predators and a place for nesting material such as leaves, mosses, bark strips, or lichens.
You can try several methods to keep squirrels away from rose bushes, such as noise-making devices, motion-activated sprinklers, installing wire mesh fences, and even smearing petroleum jelly on branches.
Whichever you choose, make sure it is legal in your area before taking action.
This article will discuss simple yet effective methods to keep the squirrels out of rose bushes.
Then after a brief conclusion, we will discuss frequently asked questions about squirrels.
13 Simple Methods To Keep Squirrels Away From Rose Bushes
Keeping squirrels away from your rose bushes can be a challenge.
Fortunately, some simple and economical solutions are available that do the trick.
Below is a brief discussion about each of these:
1. Use Bamboo Skewers
Bamboo skewers are an effective and inexpensive way to deter squirrels. The sharpness of the pointed end of the skewer will act as a deterrent, keeping them away from your roses.
To use bamboo skewers to keep squirrels at bay, insert them into the soil around the rose bush with the pointy ends facing upwards.
Plant the skewers at least 2 inches deep in the ground so they won’t move or fall over when disturbed by wind or creatures.
Once inserted, check every few days to ensure they’re still in place and reinsert if needed.
With regular maintenance, you should have no problem keeping those pesky rodents out of your garden!
2. Use Cider Vinegar
Do squirrels are eating the buds off of your lovely rose bushes?
If so, studies have found that squirrels don’t like the smell of cider vinegar.
This means there’s an easy way to keep them away from your roses!
To make this solution work, you only need cider vinegar and a spray bottle. First, Fill the cider vinegar in the spray bottle.
Then, whenever you see a squirrel in your garden, please give it a quick spritz from the bottle.
The smell will drive them away without doing any harm.
3. Use Garlic Spray
Squirrels can cause plants to become damaged and even die.
Fortunately, with garlic spray and a few other ingredients from your kitchen, like a cupboard, you can make a garlic spray that will help keep squirrels away from your rose bushes.
Here’s what you’ll need for the recipe: fresh garlic cloves, distilled white vinegar, water, and dish soap.
To start creating your garlic spray mixture, mince or puree 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic and add them to 1 quart of distilled white vinegar.
Allow the mixture to sleep for 24 hours before straining through the cheesecloth so that only liquid remains in the container.
4. Use a Spicy Odor
For gardeners looking to keep squirrels away from their prized rose bushes, the solution may not be as complicated as they think.
Studies have shown that spicy odors are a significant turn-off for squirrels and can help keep them aware of your rose bushes.
Research suggests that sprinkling white or cayenne pepper around the rose bushes’ base is an effective deterrent.
The scent should be reapplied every couple of weeks or after heavy rainfall.
5. Install a Fence
To protect your rose bushes from these furry critters, you should install a fence around them.
This will keep the squirrels out and ensure that your roses remain intact.
Opt for something tall enough to deter jumping and climbing when choosing a fence.
A chain link or wire mesh fence is often a good choice because it stands up well against wear and tear and can easily move or remove when necessary.
Be sure to bury the bottom of the fence at least 6 inches deep to block any entry points under it.
Additionally, ensure all gaps between posts are no wider than 2 inches so that squirrels cannot squeeze through.
6. Lay Chicken Wire
Planting bulbs can be a rewarding experience.
However, many gardeners have to contend with pesky squirrels that dig up the bulbs and steal them.
Luckily, there is another easy solution for keeping squirrels away from your rose bushes.
One foolproof method is to lay chicken wire under the top layer of soil when planting your bulbs.
This will keep the squirrels at bay and also protect your bulbs from being prematurely dug up.
It’s important not to leave the chicken wire in place all season long; once you see shoots coming through the soil surface, it’s time to remove it.
However, removing the chicken wire too early will hinder bulb growth, so be sure not to take it out until after the shoots are visible above the soil line.
7. Use Aluminium Foil
Wrapping the stem of a rose plant pot with aluminum foil is a great way to deter squirrels.
The sound and reflectiveness of the foil will irritate them, so they should stay away.
You can also hang an aluminum foil strip around the bush. To start, gather aluminum foil and cut it into strips or sheets.
Wrap one section around the stem of a rose plant pot and use tape or string to secure it in place. To give it extra protection, consider using multiple layers of foil.
You may need to wrap more than just one pot if there are numerous plants in your garden.
8. Use Bone Meal
Bone meal, a product used to fertilize rose bushes, is also pretty repulsive to squirrels.
Made from the blood and bones of cows and pigs, it is a natural source of nitrogen and ammonia that can help gardeners grow healthy roses.
However, for those trying to keep squirrels away from their rose bushes, here are some practical tips:
Firstly, apply bone meal to the soil around your rose bushes. This will create an odor that squirrels find unpleasant and thus discourage them from getting too close.
Additionally, you could trim nearby branches or twigs, so they don’t give the critters easy access to your plants.
9. Use Mothball
The smell of mothballs is an iconic scent that brings back many memories. But did you know that squirrels hate the smell?
So if you’ve been having trouble with pesky squirrels getting into your rose bushes, here are some tips to keep them away:
The first step is to spread a couple of mothballs around the base of your rose bushes.
The strong scent should be enough to ward off any curious critters.
This will help repel any squirrels that get close and can help protect your plants from being chewed on or damaged by their sharp claws and teeth.
Additionally, motion-activated sprinklers can be another effective way to scare off unwanted invaders.
10. Use Animal Urine
For repelling squirrels, it’s important to understand that the smell of animal urine can be an effective repellent. This repulsive odor can deter not only foxes and possums but also squirrels!
There are a few ways to use animal urine to deter squirrels:
Firstly, you could purchase predator urine from stores like pet shops and garden centers, such as coyote or fox urine.
Spraying this around your rose bushes is an effective way to keep squirrels away.
Alternatively, collecting your rabbit or deer urine is another option if you want to use something other than commercial products.
Wear protective clothing to avoid contact with potentially hazardous substances when collecting the sample.
11. Grow Unappealing Plants
To effectively control squirrels, consider planting flowers and plants that squirrels find unappealing among the roses in your garden. This is a simple way to protect your delicate blooms.
One plant that has been known to deter small animals like squirrels is marigolds. Marigold flowers release an aroma that keeps unwanted critters away from your precious roses.
Plants such as lavender, daffodils, and foxglove are also effective deterrents when planted around rose bushes – their strong odors make them unappealing for squirrels to munch on!
12. Use Flat Rocks
A simple way to keep squirrels away is to place heavier flat rocks near the base of your rose. This will directly prevent squirrels.
When placing flat rocks around your roses, make them as heavy as possible and place them near the base of each rose bush.
Make sure they’re large enough not to blow away in windy weather or be easily moved by animals such as rabbits or other rodents.
Additionally, check periodically that no soil has been dug out from beneath them – if it has, replace it with large rocks or an additional layer of stones.
13. Use Plastic Forks
If you’re trying to protect your rose bushes from squirrels, an ugly solution has proven successful: burying a plastic fork handle down in the soil of your rose plant pot.
This method may seem strange and unpleasant, but it can keep squirrels away from your precious roses.
The idea is that when the squirrel jumps onto the stem of a rose bush, it will feel an uncomfortable sensation on its paws due to the prongs on the fork.
The sharpness of these prongs is enough to deter them without physically harming them.
It’s important to remember that this method requires regular maintenance as plastic forks may degrade over time and need replacing for optimal protection.
Conclusion
Squirrels are fascinating animals that play an important role in our ecosystem. They depend on bushes for food and a place to nest.
Bush plantings can benefit homeowners and squirrels alike as they provide a great habitat for the furry critters to thrive in. It is clear why squirrels love bushes so much!
However, if you are suffering from a large infestation of squirrels, you can opt methods mentioned above to save your rose bushes from squirrels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Squirrels Hate?
Smells are a powerful tool as they are naturally unpleasant for squirrels.
For example, scents such as white pepper, black pepper, and garlic can be off-putting to squirrels.
Sweet smells like peppermint may also help in repelling them.
Why Is the Squirrel Eating My Rose Bush?
Squirrels happily snack on the delicate petals of your garden roses.
In addition to enjoying the taste of rosebuds and other succulent parts of flowers, squirrels also enjoy digging up freshly planted seeds.
