Can Aluminum Foil Actually Help Save Your Garden From Squirrels?

Growing and maintaining a garden can involve year-round pest management to prevent devastating plant loss. Among the pests that can damage your garden is the ever-present squirrel. Many things can attract squirrels to your yard and garden, including a variety of food sources, such as fruits, vegetables, and seeds. While you certainly don't want to harm these critters, you don't want your hard gardening work to go to waste, either. Every gardener needs a squirrel management plan to protect plants and to discourage them from causing irreparable damage. The use of aluminum foil could work as part of a multi-pronged squirrel plan for certain plants, but while some gardeners have reported success with the method, it is far from foolproof.

There are many ways to keep trespassing squirrels out of your garden, and they involve various methods of exclusion or deterrents to make the space less inviting to these rodents. Examples include the use of scents, textures, or even harmless hazing tactics like a motion-activated sprinkler. Aluminum foil is one such method that is believed to deter squirrels and has primarily been used around strategic areas of the garden. It is touted as a way to protect container-grown plants and other items in your garden, although it can get expensive depending on how many plants you have.

Aluminum foil can be off-putting to squirrels due to its texture, shiny appearance, and its crinkly noise. The problem with this method as a squirrel deterrent is that it is primarily anecdotal. As with most types of hacks of this nature, aluminum foil might protect some plants in your garden, but there is just no guarantee. What's more, the squirrels may learn to adapt to these deterrents and work around them once they realize aluminum foil is not dangerous.

While the aluminum foil method may lack scientific evidence in this case, some experts suggest that squirrels could avoid areas of the garden where foil is present. This includes newly potted plants that have a protective foil covering. If you decide to go this route, you'll want to poke holes in the top of the foil, making them large enough to receive water, but small enough so squirrels cannot access the seedlings. Larger, more established plants may benefit from crumpled pieces of foil around the base or within the mulch.

One of the best ways to keep squirrels out of your garden is with exclusion barriers, such as small mesh wiring. This can protect your established plants, as well as bulbs and seedlings. Aside from physical barriers in your garden, you can also try natural ways to deter squirrels with plants they can't stand. You may also want to consider removing items that might be attracting squirrels to your garden, such as seed, fruit, and compost.