Stop Squirrels From Stealing Your Strawberries With These Clever Tricks

Nothing beats the sweet, juicy flavor of homegrown strawberries fresh from the garden But those succulent berries unfortunately attract more than just your appetite Sneaky squirrels are infamous for helping themselves to strawberries just before harvest time. If you’re tired of having your crop pilfered, it’s time to outsmart those furry thieves. Read on to discover smart strategies for keeping squirrels away from your strawberry patch for good.

Why Are Squirrels Attracted to Strawberries?

To understand how to deter squirrels, it helps to know what attracts them in the first place. A few key factors draw squirrels to feast on strawberry plants:

• Visibility – Bright red, ripe strawberries stand out against green foliage, signaling an easy treat.

• Sugary taste – Squirrels have a sweet tooth and love the natural sugar content in strawberries.

• Accessibility – Low-growing strawberry plants are easy targets compared to fruit trees

• Scarcity – Squirrels jump at seasonal delicacies that appear for only a short time.

• Lack of disturbance – Quiet garden spots allow squirrels to dine undisturbed.

Keeping these motivations in mind will help you identify and block squirrel entry points.

Physical Barriers to Block Squirrels

To physically bar squirrels from accessing your strawberry patch, barriers and enclosures are very effective solutions. Here are some options:

• Build cages or nets around plants using 1/2-inch wire mesh. Bury base in soil.

• Cover beds with cloches, fabric row covers, or chicken wire to exclude pests.

• Install mesh fence skirting around raised beds, or fence the entire garden perimeter.

• Use hardware cloth or wire on frames to create protective tunnels over beds.

• Place plastic bird netting overhoops above beds, sealing base with soil or rocks.

• Interplant strawberries inside larger in-ground wire cages meant for tomatoes or other produce.

• Keep potted strawberry plants elevated on high tables or hang them out of reach.

The key is leaving no gaps where squirrels can squeeze through. Check for and patch any breaches regularly.

Smell and Taste Repellents

You can also use repellents to make strawberries unappealing. Natural odor and flavor deterrents include:

• Sprinkle cayenne pepper, chili powder, or paprika around plants. Reapply after rain.

• Use garlic spray made by blending garlic cloves with water. Spray plants daily.

• Mix hot sauce with water to create a repellent strawberry foliar spray.

• Coat strawberries with food-grade bitter tasting oil like neem or peppermint.

• Place cotton balls soaked in ammonia around beds. Use gloves when handling.

• Scatter fresh clippings of strong scented herbs like sage, thyme, or lavender among plants.

• Spread coffee grounds, human hair, wood ash, or ground black pepper around garden edges.

Test repellents on a few berries first to ensure flavors don’t linger. Reapply deterrents frequently.

Scare Tactics to Frighten Squirrels

If you can’t beat them, scare them! Use frightening devices to spook squirrels away:

• Hang old CDs, pie pans, or tin can lids from string. Movement and reflections disturb squirrels.

• Place realistic plastic owls, snakes, or hawks nearby. Change locations occasionally.

• Set up motion-activated sprinklers. Sudden bursts of water startle squirrels.

• Use a handheld water gun for well-aimed squirrel deterrence when present.

• Play talk radio or set up ultrasonic devices with random loud sounds.

• Let your dogs patrol when possible. Their scent and presence discourages pests.

• Apply predator urine like fox, coyote, or bobcat around planting beds.

Frightening tools work best when moved around and used in combination. Don’t let squirrels get comfortable!

Discourage Squirrels With Landscape Design

Strategic garden planning can also thwart thieving squirrels:

• Grow strawberries away from wood edges, fences, or brushy areas where squirrels travel and hide.

• Remove any structures or dense vegetation giving squirrels elevated access to beds.

• Keep surrounding lawn areas short to eliminate cover for sneaking squirrels.

• Place beds in open, high-traffic spots where squirrels feel unsafe.

• Interplant strawberries with taller vegetables, flowers, or herbs to obscure visibility.

• Group multiple beds together so squirrels cannot target any one location.

• Avoid small beds or containers isolated from activity that attract squirrel attention.

Smart location and design reduces temptation by minimizing cover and seclusion.

When All Else Fails, Try Traps

For persistent squirrels that outwit barriers and repellents, trapping may be your last resort:

• Set humane cage traps on pathways to beds baited with nut butter. Release squirrels far away.

• Use weight-sensitive traps that temporarily trap paws trying to take berries.

• Place covered body-gripping traps near beds to humanely kill repeat offenders.

• Install feeder traps that lure squirrels onto a platform then close the entry.

• Apply non-toxic adhesive repellents like squirrel tack pads around beds.

• Prune back branches squirrels use to access beds from above.

While trapping is effective, it should be a last line of defense to avoid catching non-target species.

Protecting Your Berries From Sneaks and Thieves

Strawberries are certainly irresistible, but they’re meant for you to enjoy – not pesky squirrels. With an integrated pest management approach using multiple deterrents, you can outsmart these berry bandits. Physical barriers provide the best guaranteed protection. Repellents, scare devices, landscape adaptations and trapping can all supplement barriers as part of a comprehensive strategy. Just be more stubborn than those squirrels. Implement two or more layers of defense for failure-proof strawberry security. You’ll be rewarded with a bountiful, squirrel-free harvest.