While squirrels may look like cute little animals with fluffy tails, their destructive feeding habits and digging can damage your home’s landscaping. In spite of their non-threatening demeanor, squirrels eating fruit tree buds limit production and stunt new growth. They dig up bulbs and eat tender new plants. In the worst cases, the rodents can jump from trees and get into your house, where they will live in your attic or crawlspace. If you know how to keep squirrels out of fruit trees and other tall plants, you can enjoy their antics without worrying about the damage they might do.
As a garden enthusiast with apple trees, few things are more frustrating than having your ripening fruit ruined by squirrels right before harvest time. While amusing to watch, squirrels can destroy an apple crop faster than any pest. Here are some of the most effective ways to protect your apples and keep those sneaky squirrels at bay.
Use Physical Barriers
One of the best ways to stop squirrels is placing a physical barrier between them and your apples. Here are some options:
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Wrap tree trunks in aluminum flashing 5-6 feet off the ground, Squirrels cannot climb the slick surface
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Install cone-shaped wire mesh baffles around trunks 2 feet from the tree. Position upside down to prevent climbing.
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Cover entire trees with bird netting or deer fencing, secured at the bottom to keep squirrels out.
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Slip apple crop bags or nets over individual fruits to protect each one.
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Prune away overhanging branches squirrels use as launching pads to reach fruit
Deter Squirrels with Smell and Taste
Squirrels have a strong sense of smell and dislike certain scents and flavors:
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Spray trees weekly with hot pepper solution – 1 tbsp cayenne pepper in 1 quart water. Reapply after rain.
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Spray small amounts of predator urine like fox, coyote, or bobcat around trees. Available at hunting shops.
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Sprinkle blood meal on the ground as a repellent. The smell suggests the presence of predators.
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Place open bags of smelly hair clippings, used kitty litter, or rags soaked in ammonia near trees.
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Coat tree trunks with petroleum jelly to make them sticky and squirrel-proof.
Remove Tempting Food Sources
Eliminating what attracts squirrels in the first place is an effective deterrent:
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Pick up fallen apples daily to remove a food source from the ground.
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Remove overripe or rotting fruit from trees which provide an easy meal.
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Eliminate hiding spots like brush piles and rock walls near apple trees.
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Limit uncovered compost piles and bird feeders in the area.
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Pick your apples before they get extremely ripe to prevent enticing squirrels.
Scare or Distract Squirrels
You can also use these tactics to startle, scare, or distract marauding squirrels:
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Set up scarecrows, fake owls, glowing eyes, or aluminum pie pans in trees to frighten them.
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Install ultrasonic or motion-activated sprinklers. The sudden water spray when triggered keeps squirrels off the tree.
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Play talk radio or set up a radio tuned to static under trees to drive them nuts.
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Let your dogs patrol freely during the day when squirrel activity is highest.
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Toss tennis balls into trees so squirrels are distracted playing with them.
Prevent Squirrels from Nesting in Trees
Trim trees regularly to remove dense branches squirrels use for nesting. Eliminating nest access means they won’t take up residence in your apple trees.
Monitor Trees Vigilantly
Be extra alert for squirrel activity during late summer and early fall when apples start ripening. Aggressive monitoring and using multiple deterrents is key to protecting your apple crop.
When All Else Fails, Sacrifice Certain Trees
If you cannot stop squirrels from invading your trees, concentrate efforts on your most valued trees. Allow them to eat from one tree so others are protected.
Work Together with Neighbors
Team up with surrounding neighbors to implement deterrents. No point protecting your apples if squirrels can feast next door.
Enjoy Other Apple Varieties
Some varieties like Red Delicious are less favored by squirrels. Switch things up and grow types they dislike.
Buy Apples Instead of Growing Them
If you ultimately cannot win the battle against squirrels no matter what you try, skip growing apples and just buy your apples at the store.
With persistence and consistency using several methods together, you can outsmart those apple-loving squirrels. Don’t let them steal your hard-earned harvest. Protect your apples and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Squirrel Fruit Tree Protection
Most gardeners are familiar with squirrel baffles for bird feeders and some forms of tree barriers. Many a homeowner has lost the battle with the cunning local squirrel. Squirrel proofing fruit trees starts with management and planning. Keep limbs away from the home where they will often gain access to the tree. Consider better planting sites at installation of trees. It is difficult to achieve total squirrel fruit tree protection due to the animals amazing climbing ability. Try simple things like netting the crown of the tree to protect new buds and young fruit.
Why Worry About Squirrel Proofing Fruit Trees?
There are numerous varieties of squirrels throughout the United States and North America. They’re not really pests, but some of them can’t resist nesting, eating, and playing in your fruit trees. Any gardener who has too much fruit and rodents that aren’t chewing on it won’t have any problems with this. But squirrels that eat fruit tree buds may also chew on the bark, leaving wounds in the trees that allow decay and fungal diseases to spread. Squirrel proofing fruit trees can keep the young fruit safe and keep the squirrels from getting to the power and phone lines and messing up service. They will also chew on siding and gain entry to your home.
How To Keep Squirrels Out Of Fruit Trees Gardens
FAQ
How do I keep squirrels away from my apple tree?
What is the most effective squirrel deterrent?
What smells do squirrels hate?
How to save apples from squirrels?
Sacrifice the harvest of one fruit tree to save the other apples on your protected apple trees. The unprotected tree will attract the squirrels and birds and deter them from stealing apples from the apple trees that are more protected. After all, they will go for the easiest fruit.
Can apples help with epilepsy?
Apples in general provides a good source of nutrients including fibre, carbohydrates and vitamins. However, there are no well-established studies to show that apples directly help with epilepsy.
Do apple trees need to be protected from squirrels?
But protecting apple trees from squirrels is a must if you want to enjoy a healthy and bountiful harvest. Squirrels can damage the tree and its fruit, as well as strip bark and cause other destruction. Plus, they can spread disease and parasites, both of which can be harmful to the tree and its fruit.
How do I keep squirrels from stealing my apple tree?
There are several humane ways to keep squirrels and birds from stealing the apples from your apple tree – the fruits of your labour, like scarecrows, metal collars and baffles around the trunk of your tree, bird netting, noise makers and hot pepper.
