Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Keep Squirrels Out of Strawberry Plants
How to Keep Squirrels Out of Strawberry Plants. Tree squirrels may live in trees, but they often choose garden beds as their preferred place to forage for food. Strawberries attract these pests as the fruits begin to ripen. The squirrels raid the garden, stealing the berries before you have a chance to harvest them. The simplest method of...
Tree squirrels may live in trees, but they often choose garden beds as their preferred place to forage for food. Strawberries attract these pests as the fruits begin to ripen. The squirrels raid the garden, stealing the berries before you have a chance to harvest them. The simplest method of protecting your strawberries works against all animal pests, not just squirrels. An exclusion method of protection also prevents birds and rabbits from wreaking havoc in your strawberry garden.
Things You'll Need
Stakes
Wire mesh
Wire
Rocks
Install an 18-inch stake in each corner of the strawberry bed. Push the stake 6 inches into the soil to anchor it, leaving 12 inches above ground.
Drape a sheet of 1-inch-wide metal mesh over the stakes. Tie the mesh to the top of the stakes with wire to hold it above the strawberry plants.
Bury the edges of the mesh 2 inches in the ground to anchor the bottom of the mesh so the squirrels can't climb under it. Alternatively, stack rocks on top the mesh where it overlaps the ground to anchor it in place.
Water the strawberries through the mesh. The mesh allows sunlight, water and air to reach the plants while excluding the squirrels.
Remove the mulch at harvest so you can reach the plant. If the berries do not ripen at the same time, remove the anchor on one side to gain access to the bed and re-anchor the mesh afterward to protect the remaining berries as they ripen.
Tips & Warnings
Do not use plastic mesh or bird netting. Squirrels can chew through plastic.
