Squirrels may look cute and harmless, but these curious critters can cause some major destruction in your garden. Beyond carelessly knocking over plants and pots, squirrels enjoy digging up bulbs and burying nuts and seeds, which can hinder plant growth. If you’re struggling to keep squirrels from pillaging your garden, using netting is an effective and humane way to safely deter them and protect your plants.
Why Squirrels Invade Gardens
Before learning about netting solutions, it helps to understand what motivates squirrels to invade gardens in the first place. Here are some of the key reasons squirrels can’t resist your garden:
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Foraging for food – Squirrels forage for morsels like seeds, nuts, and berries Flower buds, leafy greens, vegetables, and bulbs are all fair game.
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Burying food caches – Squirrels bury nuts and seeds in soil to store for later. Your garden’s loose mulched soil is ideal.
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Looking for safety—Gardens have places for nests and burrows, especially under sheds, trees, and decks that border the yard.
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Curiosity – Squirrels explore and cause mischief anywhere they can access including gardens.
Your garden is an irresistible buffet and sanctuary for squirrels, unless you take proactive measures to block them. Installing netting is the most effective physical barrier.
Choosing the Right Netting
Several types of netting can exclude squirrels and protect plants. When choosing netting for your garden, think about these options:
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Plastic bird netting: These nets are made of lightweight polyethylene knit and have holes of different sizes. Opt for 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch holes to block squirrels.
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Garden fabric row cover – Polypropylene fabric allows air, light, and water through while keeping pests out. Use heavyweight 1⁄2 ounce fabric.
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Insect netting – Super fine mesh insect screens prevent access by even the smallest pests.
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Hardware cloth – Sturdy galvanized metal screens have 1⁄4 inch openings to exclude squirrels.
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Deer netting – Heavy duty polyethylene nets designed for deer can also stop squirrels. Look for reinforced edges.
Match the netting strength and hole size to the types of pests you aim to deter, spanning from insects to rabbits. Purchase UV-resistant netting for longevity.
Netting Tips to Keep Squirrels Out
Installing netting properly is crucial for it to effectively block squirrels. Follow these tips:
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Cover the entire garden including supports like trellises, cages, poles and fencing. Eliminate any gaps.
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Bury edges at least 6 inches underground to prevent squirrels from burrowing underneath.
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Secure edges with landscape pins, rocks or boards to prevent the net from being lifted.
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Use dowels, hoops or frames to keep netting from directly touching plants, allowing airflow.
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Set up multiple layers on extra vulnerable plants like berry bushes using inner and outer nets.
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Check regularly for holes or damage, and repair immediately before squirrels find a way in.
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Use metal clips or zip ties instead of knots, which squirrels can chew through.
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Cover the tops of raised beds and containers at least three feet past the edges.
With careful installation leaving no openings, netting forms an impenetrable barrier that deters frustrated squirrels.
Netting Solutions for Different Gardening Setups
The optimal netting approach depends on the layout and contents of your garden. Here are effective solutions:
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Vegetable gardens – Cover beds with insect netting draped hoops or frames to keep produce protected while allowing for plant growth and harvesting.
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Flower gardens – Drape lightweight netting directly over beds, anchoring the edges with U-shaped landscape pins.
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Trees and shrubs – Wrap trunks with aluminum flashing, then enclose entire trees with deer netting to prevent squirrels from climbing or jumping in.
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Raised garden beds – Protect beds with netting on frames, or wrap edges and tops directly with netting secured by boards.
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Bulb and garden plantings – Cover sections planted with bulbs and perennials prone to squirrel digging with mesh screens.
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Berry bushes and fruit trees – Encircle with 1⁄4 inch hardware cloth or plexiglass barriers to prevent access while allowing sunlight and air.
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Rooftop gardens – Use combinations of netting, fences, and barriers open to the sky but sealed on sides.
Get creative with frames, supports, and netting types to customize solutions that suit your garden’s needs.
Troubleshooting Netting Issues
Netting seems simple in theory, but it takes finesse to outsmart squirrels’ persistent attempts at entry. Here are some common netting problems and solutions:
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Squirrels chew through netting – Use metal reinforcement, multiple layers, or taste deterrent sprays along edges.
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Net edges lift up – Weights like bricks or landscape edging along edges prevent lifting.
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Holes develop – Check netting weekly for holes and repair immediately with metal clips or sealant.
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Net sags into plants – Taut netting 1-2 inches above plants allows airflow and growth uplift.
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Plants grow into netting – Use frames to elevate net above plants, and prune back wayward branches.
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Net edges detach – Secure edges with long landscape pins or weigh down with boards.
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Squirrels climb over – Extend netting at least 3 feet over edges and apply petroleum jelly on posts and supports.
Monitor your netting setup regularly to ensure it remains securely installed and hole-free. Adjust and make repairs promptly at the first sign of problems.
Netting Allows You to Garden Squirrel-Free
Don’t let pesky squirrels sabotage your gardening efforts this season. With smart netting techniques, you can cultivate a healthy garden free of these furry menaces digging up bulbs, nibbling blooms, and wreaking general havoc.
Install tightly-woven netting over beds, anchor edges securely, seal off gaps, and make repairs at the first signs of holes or lifting. A meticulously installed netting barrier signals surrender to the squirrels, so you can finally garden in peace.
How to Squirrel Proof Tomato Cages
We also had to make tomato cages that would keep squirrels and their bird friends out.
We cut hardware cloth to size and wrapped it around the inside diameter of the barrel planters. In the planter is one tomato plant surrounded by a tomato cage for it to grow on.
Cutting circles out of the hardware cloth to put on top as a lid is still up for debate. The wire tips will then be used to attach to the vertical hardware cloth. We could also cover with bird netting and clamp it taut.
Do you have a vegetable garden? How do you keep birds and squirrels out of your garden?
How to Make a Raised Garden Bed Squirrel Proof
To keep squirrels and other critters out of the raised beds, we used a few items from the home improvement store.
Our squirrel-proof planters took about an hour to put together. This year, we made sure the garden planters wouldn’t turn into bird feeders.
- 4-foot bamboo stakes—for each raised bed, we used seven cut-up pieces
- Soaker house or drip irrigation hose with no ends. I used this brown hose to match my raised planters.
- Squirrel netting for garden, plastic bird netting or chicken wire.
- 4″ Plastic spring clamps
- Sharp craft knife or cutting shears
- Cable ties or twist ties
- Hacksaw or power saw
Time needed: 1 hour and 30 minutes
How to Keep Squirrels Out of Raised Beds
- Measure Raised Beds or Planters: To find out how many hoops and how much chicken wire or netting you need, measure the garden bed’s width and depth. Also, think about how tall you want each hoop to be so that vegetables that grow tall will have plenty of room to grow. The hoop is 30 inches high because we cut the hose into 6-foot-long pieces.
- Cut Bamboo Stakes: Cut the stakes to the right length with a hacksaw.
- Put Cut Stakes in Planter: Put one stake vertically in each corner of the planter and one on each side, spaced out along the outside edge of the center.
- Put the cut-to-length hose over two bamboo stakes to make hoops. Place one end of the hose over one stake and the other end over the stake across from it. Repeat for the other stakes. Each bamboo stake will be covered by the hose.
- Attach Top Stake: Use cable or twist ties to connect a second stake across the top of the hoops horizontally. Cut excess tie away.
- Cut Squirrel Netting: Cut the bird or squirrel netting to fit over the hoops and be long enough to hang over the top of the planter.
- Hold Net Tight: Pull the net tight around the planter’s sides and ends. To get a tight fit, you might need to bunch or twist the extra netting together. Hold the net in place and tight with spring clamps. It will keep birds from getting stuck in the netting if you keep it tight. Note: The netting we used is not the safest for birds. You can find it at the end of this post under “Resources.”
When pulling the netting taut, the hoops may lean, but that doesn’t effect the functionality of the protective barrier.
How to Keep Squirrels Out of the Garden – Your Questions Answered
FAQ
Does garden netting keep out squirrels?
Plastic Netting – One option is a physical barrier that is difficult for a squirrel to navigate. Plastic netting is one suggestion. Plastic mesh will slow the squirrels down, but it won’t help in the long run because the squirrels will just eat through it.
What is the best netting to protect plants from squirrels?
To protect the bottom of the plants, it’s easy to do: before the temperature drops below 15 degrees, wrap the base of the plant in 18 inches of shredded tree leaves or straw. A round piece of chicken wire fencing 24 inches wide and 18 inches high would work well for this task.
What size mesh will keep squirrels out?
The best type of mesh for squirrel deterrents is made of thin-plastic rather than a rigid plastic (only slightly heavier than traditional garden netting) with 1-inch openings. I found mine at a big-box hardware store and bought two 4-by-50-foot rolls.
What is the best thing to keep squirrels out of your garden?
Discourage squirrels by surrounding or inter-planting with varieties that they turn their noses up to, like mint, marigolds, nasturtiums, or mustard.
How do I keep squirrels out of my Garden?
A meticulously installed netting barrier signals surrender to the squirrels, so you can finally garden in peace. We also had to make tomato cages that would keep squirrels and their bird friends out. We cut hardware cloth to size and wrapped it around the inside diameter of the barrel planters.
Can netting block squirrels?
Installing netting properly is crucial for it to effectively block squirrels. Follow these tips: Cover the entire garden including supports like trellises, cages, poles and fencing. Eliminate any gaps. Bury edges at least 6 inches underground to prevent squirrels from burrowing underneath.
Does bird netting kill squirrels?
While it usually deters squirrels by creating a barrier they can’t get through, many birds get tangled in it and die. Bird/squirrel netting is so lightweight and wispy that birds easily get their wings or feet caught in it. That is really sad! Birds can be super beneficial to the garden, so we don’t want to inadvertently kill them.
How do you keep squirrels from squeezing through a fence?
Use a mesh size of about 1 inch or smaller to prevent squirrels from squeezing through. Bury the fence at least 6 inches deep to deter digging. For raised beds or specific plant areas, consider placing a cage or cover over the plants. Use netting or wire mesh that allows sunlight while keeping squirrels out.
How do you keep squirrels away from a bird feeder?
Position the feeder at least 10 feet away from trees, fences, or other structures from which squirrels can jump. You can also install a baffle (a cone-shaped shield) on the feeder pole to make climbing difficult. Regularly clean up spilled seeds to avoid attracting squirrels to the ground below the feeder.
How do you keep squirrels away from chicken wire?
Chicken wire can be fashioned into domes or cages around susceptible plants, either individual plants or entire rows. Because squirrels will dig to get to what they want, bury the edges of fashioned cages 6 inches below the surface to prevent burrowing. Row covers used for frost protection also protect against squirrels.