Be it berries, roots or barks! Squirrels have to taste everything

To keep squirrels out of your garden, you will find yourself facing all manner of squirrel control challenges. From squirrel traps to electronic deterrent devices, these bushy tailed members of the rodent family not only dig in your garden to hide their hoards of nuts, they seem to rather enjoy a good contest with a human. Squirrels are found all over Europe, America, and Asia and so present something of a global challenge to gardeners.

There are two main types of squirrels - tree squirrels and ground squirrels. Tree squirrels are usually either fox squirrels or gray squirrels. They live in trees or leaf nests and eat acorns and nuts. Ground squirrels, on the other hand, are either gophers, picketpins, or flickertails. They are herbivores, with vegetation composing as much as 80% of their diet. (They also feed on insects.)

In general, regardless of their specific variety, squirrels eat the foods available to them. What they eat depends mainly on where they live. Their food preferences can change drastically given what is in supply in their environment and they are amazingly capable of adapting their diets accordingly.

Squirrels can damage buildings and hous es. They can live in attics and under the eaves of structures where they chew on the wood. Often homeowners have to protect their buildings from squirrel invasion by adding overlapping roof sections, screening or blocking all potential entrance sites.

Tips for Squirrel Control

The search for the best squirrel control method has been going on for generations and all kinds of squirrel repellents have come and gone. To effectively control squirrel attacks and to counter squirrel pest problems a great deal of experimentation will most likely be required. There are, however, some general tips that may prove helpful.

Squirrel Proof Your Trees

Place a two-foot wide band made of metal around the trunk of your trees. Position it about six feet above the ground. This technique is effective in squirrel-proofing the trees that are the most likely homes for these unwanted pests. (Of course bear in mind that if there is an adjacent tree in range, the squirrels will just climb that one and jump from li mb to limb.)

Cage Your Bulbs

In the absence of fruits and nuts, bulbs are the next targets of squirrels. Optimize your ground squirrel control by putting sturdy cages around any bulbs you plant. Doing so will help to keep squirrels out of your garden but only if you anchor the cages securely and take into account the ability of the squirrel to dig for what it wants.

Continue to: Use Squirrel Traps to Prevent Squirrel Entry

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