Mike Mengak, wildlife specialist with the UGA Cooperative Extension, spoke with Southern Living about ways to keep squirrels out of potted plants.
“Squirrels digging in your pots may be looking for food they buried previously,” Mengak said.
Squirrels hide food in a lot of different spots to minimize the risk of losing it all if another squirrel finds it. While there are a few ways to discourage the digging, there are no guarantees any one technique will work.
“Squirrels and chipmunks are not stamped out in a factory. They’re individuals with different behaviors,” Mengak said. “If an animal is that obsessed with your pots, you may have a tough time discouraging it.”
Some tricks to try include moving the planter to a different location for a few days, using barriers like chicken wire, covering the soil surface with small rocks and trying repellants.