A gardener has shared her go-to method for keeping squirrels away from her garden beds – and you only need one thing to recreate it in your own property
Alice Sjoberg Social News Reporter
13:34, 12 Nov 2025
Squirrels are notorious for digging up garden beds to eat bulbs and seeds (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A gardener has revealed her foolproof technique for deterring squirrels from her flower beds – and you only need one thing to recreate it in your own garden.
Whilst spotting wildlife such as rabbits or squirrels hopping about your garden might seem charming, it often brings comes with several issues, especially if you like to plant things in your garden. The last thing any gardener wants is animals, such as squirrels, digging up freshly planted bulbs. Despite the frustrations that come of watching these creatures digging through your flower beds, there are strict legal limitations on what you can do about them.
Under The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 and Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it’s against the law to trap and relocate grey squirrels, as they’re classified as a non-native species.
That said, there are measures you can take to stop squirrels from getting into your garden in the first place.
A gardener has now revealed her favourite trick for protecting her planted bulbs from squirrels – and it only requires adding one item to your outdoor space.
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TikTok user Sophie, who boasts over 40,000 followers on the platform, shared her expert advice in a video. She explained: “This is how you stop squirrels eating your bulbs.”
Sophie then demonstrated by holding up and unfurling some chicken wire for her audience to see, as this is the magic item that will protect your bulbs from being eaten by the squirrels.
In the post’s caption, she added: “You need to try… If squirrels steal your tulip bulbs to be get yourself some chicken wire!”
Chicken wire can be used to cover any pots or sections of your borders where you plan to plant bulbs. Simply lay it over the soil and secure it with tent pegs.
This method will deter squirrels from digging up your beds, as they won’t be able to penetrate the wire to reach any sown bulbs.
Sophie then posed a question to her viewers: “Have you found anything else that’s effective? I have seen people try coffee grounds and cayenne pepper but I know that some squirrels aren’t bothered.”
While there are several other strategies to keep squirrels away from your garden, the RSPCA suggests limiting their food and shelter sources.
This includes using squirrel-resistant bird feeders instead of scattering loose food, and making sure there are no place for them to crawl into for shelter.
The charity also endorses the use of wire mesh to cover bulbs, allowing the plants to grow while preventing squirrels from digging them up – so it’s definitely worth a shot!
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