How To Keep Squirrels Out of Strawberries

Do you know those cute squirrels you always see lurking in your garden? They love eating anything berry, especially strawberries. So if your garden is growing this fruit, be warned.

Different kinds of squirrels have a thing for fresh strawberries — from ground to tree and flying squirrels. And if you’re a strawberry gardener, it’s a serious problem you should address right away.

We are all against squirrels who effortlessly steal your garden’s strawberries. And to help you out, this guide gives you complete details on how to scare these creatures away.

Five Effective Ways To Keep Squirrels Out of Strawberries

If you don’t attend to the squirrels that deliberately steal your garden’s fresh strawberries, you could be looking at more extensive damage.

It could harm your other plants, so you should consider these practical and effective ways to keep these creatures out.

1. Cover and Fence Your Strawberry Garden

We know fences can protect your garden, but adding covers can make it even more successful.

Garden nettings can protect your strawberry plants, preventing squirrels from being aggressive and snatching your plants. But if you want the nettings to last longer, we suggest adding chicken wires or garden metal mesh on top of your plants.

One thing to know about strawberry plants is that they don’t grow tall. So placing covers over their fences will be a dork. Just remember to leave enough spaces on top, so it’s easy to remove bugs as needed.

Some gardeners also prefer using electric fences. These fences can emit high-pitched sounds whenever squirrels come in contact with them. Squirrels get easily triggered by the sound these fences make, so they will likely escape.

But don’t worry, the sound is not disturbing for humans.

2. Consider Using a Motion-Activated Sprinkler

Motion-activated sprinklers are safe and economical options to keep squirrels away from your strawberries.

As their name suggests, the sprinklers activate themselves after sensing some kind of motion in your garden. They are the perfect materials to watch over your strawberry plants, especially when squirrels start to enter your garden.

Most gardeners prefer this because it’s safer. Water is harmless, so the worst that could happen is seeing the squirrels get immensely drenched in water.

What you need with these sprinklers is an available host that would connect. A timer also works if you want the sprinkler to automatically switch on and off at a particular schedule.

3. Display a Fake Owl or a Scarecrow

Yes, squirrels get scared too. You have to be smart enough to use something that will keep them out.

A scarecrow or a fake owl can also make your garden unattractive to these creatures.

Place the fake owl in your garden’s corner, and observe what a squirrel does when it tries to go near your plants. You can also place a fake hawk or any squirrel predator.

Because squirrels don’t have the same intelligence as humans, they won’t be able to suspect that the predator is fake right away.

4. Sprinkle Spices All Over Your Plants

One weak spot of squirrels is their sense of smell. Because it’s sensitive, you can easily trigger it, which can cause them to escape.

We recommend using this to your advantage and getting rid of them quickly.

The type of pepper with the strongest smell is cayenne. Mix cayenne pepper with water and spray the mixture on the leaves of your plants. This will de the trick and deter squirrels right away.

You can also try adding garlic cloves to the mixture. The garlic intensifies cayenne’s smell, which squirrels hate.

5. Surround Strawberries With Plants Squirrels Hate

Another way you can guard your strawberry plants and prevent squirrels from eating them is to place plants around them, which these creatures hate.

You can plant flowers around, so you don’t risk making your garden unattractive. Plus, it’s an added advantage that squirrels don’t like the smell of flowers.

Some of the flowers you can plant include:

• daffodils
• geraniums
• valley

If you want to surround your strawberry plants with plants that contain bad odors for squirrels, try planting peppermint, garlic, and ginger.

Enjoy Your Strawberries Without Squirrels

After days of taking care of your strawberry garden, you deserve the sweetest and freshest strawberries.

And it would be best if you did not let squirrels deliberately steal your greatest treasure.

So, learn to outsmart these creatures and protect your strawberry plants at all costs.