Gardener shares 1 plant that deterred squirrels for good after ‘fighting them for years’ (Image: Getty)
Pests are a problem during the spring months, with many homeowners seeing more slugs, snails, rats and squirrels in their gardens. Squirrels may look adorable when they’re prancing around your garden, but squirrels can be a nuisance and cause a shocking amount of damage. They’re known to gnaw on wires, chew through wood and even make their way into homes.
As with most wild animals, if there’s a food source available, they’re likely to stick around. The straightforward solution would be to eliminate all nuts, fruits and vegetables, but this can be hard when growing your own produce. Gardeners have taken to Facebook to share natural ways to deter the pest.
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Posting on the Everything Gardening Facebook group, Sandra Evans said: “What type of flowers or herbs can I plant to keep squirrels away from my garden? They’re attacking my tomato plants constantly.”
Users flocked to the comments to share their natural deterrent methods. Vikki Burgett wrote: “You can plant daffodils, alliums, marigolds, lavender, hyacinths and geraniums.
“I planted daffodils all over my garden last year, and the squirrels have not returned. I’ve been fighting them for years, but this has finally done the trick. I also heard marigolds work well, my mother has loads in her garden.”
Kathy Griffin also recommended marigolds, claiming that they were the flower that worked for her.
Squirrels do not like daffodils because the bulb contains toxins, specifically lycorine, which are harmful and taste bitter to them.
Daffodils can help to deter squirrels (Image: Getty)
These compounds serve as a natural defence mechanism, causing squirrels to turn away and avoid eating them.
When it comes to marigolds, these plants release a bold, distinctive scent that disrupts their smell, masking the aroma of bulbs, vegetables and fruit.
Lavender also has a strong scent, which humans love but squirrels don’t. Many gardeners also claim that lavender is a good deterrent for rats, foxes and cats.
Marigolds and daffodils are well-suited to growing in pots, meaning you can easily move them around the garden if another area gets targeted by the animals.
Alliums, hyacinths and geraniums also all contain compounds that are toxic or unappetising to squirrels. If you struggle with tulips being dug up, simply plant them between alliums, hyacinths, or geraniums to make the area less appealing to diggers.
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