Stop Squirrels From Digging Up Allium Bulbs With This Simple Trick

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Alliums like garlic and onion make eye-catching ornaments in any garden, but while these striking, fuss-free plants add personality and height to soil beds, squirrels like them as much as humans do. To some degree, alliums' naturally pungent odor makes them resistant to common garden pests. Still, despite the smell, squirrels can wreak havoc on a lovingly-maintained garden and are known to dig up and eat these spring-blooming bulbs. Today's expert tip comes from Judi Strauss, author of The Charmed Kitchen. Strauss sat down with Tasting Table to share her tried-and-true gardening tips for protecting delicate allium bulbs from the tiny-yet-devastating hands of squirrels. According to Strauss, the physical barrier strategy is the way to go; and to that end, the most effective tool is a roll of wire mesh. 

"To create your barrier, dig out a trench in the soil to the depth you want to plant your bulbs," Strauss explains. "Generally, bulbs are planted to a depth of three times their height." From there, plant the allium bulbs and cover them with a piece of wire mesh which extends beyond the planted area by roughly six inches. "Press the wire mesh firmly against the bulbs and put the soil back in the trench," Strauss tells us. "The plants will grow through the wire mesh, but when squirrels try to dig them out they will find a barrier they can't get through." This way, your alliums' vertical growth will be both protected and unencumbered.

When faced with a pesky squirrel issue, home gardeners turn to all sorts of strategies — some more effective than others. While the strong, unpleasant odor of the allium plant itself isn't enough to keep squirrels at bay, these animals are known to find spiciness extremely irritating. For this reason, the cayenne pepper trick is often utilized in the fight against them. To do this, cayenne pepper is sprinkled around the alliums, which wards off squirrels' highly-sensitive sense of taste and smell. While it may seem like a simple enough technique, it comes with fairly limited returns. The cayenne pepper method alone is not effective long-term because each time it rains the pepper washes away. Implementing a physical barrier like wire mesh is far more effective in the long run.

For the best results, use cayenne pepper in tandem with other protective measures — like the wire mesh cover — as part of a thorough prevention plan. The physical barrier method prevents squirrels from reaching the bulbs, but it's crucial to opt for heavy-duty wire mesh since squirrels can chew through weaker materials. "You can use either ½-inch or ¾-inch wire mesh," says Strauss. "The measurements are referring to the size of the square holes in the wire." Wire mesh is typically sold in rolls and can be purchased from hardware stores and garden centers. A six-foot roll of ½-inch wire mesh currently runs for $7.49 on Amazon. For even more pest-repelling action, we've also rounded up the best herbs to plant to repel deer.