Protect Your Potted Plants From Squirrels With One Cheap Fix

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Squirrels are entertaining creatures to watch, but they can cause havoc in your garden, and even damage your plants. If you have experienced their wrath on your garden, bird feeder, or potted plants, you understand the annoyance and mess they can make. While you can keep squirrels out of your garden with some easy-to-grow plants, if you're looking for a solution to keep squirrels from accessing your potted plants, specifically, then you've come to the right place. You can protect your potted plants from squirrels with a simple and inexpensive fix using cuts of hardware cloth.

Hardware cloth is a sturdy material made from metal wire that is frequently used in home repairs and construction. The steel is shaped in a grid-like pattern, and is also very strong, allowing it to withstand various environmental elements. The best part is that it's cheap to buy a roll, and a roll will last you a long time. Plus, the perfect container plants for your front porch will be safe with this easy hack. You can likely find a roll at your local hardware store or by purchasing it online — such as this AGG FENCER Black Hardware Cloth.

The hardware cloth you use depends on your preference. There are various available gauges, materials, and sizes of mesh, so you'll want to purchase one that is both durable and effective for your needs. Galvanized steel hardware cloth is the most affordable option, and typically comes with UV coating — which is handy for gardens and plants out in the sun. Meanwhile welded stainless steel hardware cloth is slightly more durable and rust-resistant for outdoor weather conditions.

While there are numerous ways to get rid of squirrels, this trick is one of the easiest. To use the cloth in your potted plants, your first step is to use wire cutters to snip your hardware cloth into small, approximately 4-inch by 2-inch squares. You can cut these squares to be smaller or larger, depending on the size of your pot. Then, place them into the pot length-wise with the edge sticking up. This will deter squirrels from reaching your plant, since the hardware cloth's sharp edges will alert, and could even potentially harm, a squirrel when they try to get into your pot. As an alternative option, you can cut the hardware cloth to fit all around the base of the plant. This can help keep the squirrels out while allowing your plant to receive necessary air flow and sunshine.