As a nature lover and experienced observer of squirrels all around the world, I’ve been asked many times: do squirrels eat petunias? The answer is yes. Squirrels will munch on petunia flowers, leaves and buds if they are available in the garden.
To protect your petunia beds from these furry critters, it is important to have an understanding of their behavior and habits. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to deter squirrels from eating petunias and protect your garden!
Do Squirrels Eat Petunias?
Squirrels are notorious garden pests known for their relentless pursuit of food sources. They will feast on nuts and seeds, but they also have a sweet tooth when it comes to flowers. Petunias are among the most common garden flowers and one of the first things that come to mind when we think about beautiful blooms, but do squirrels eat petunias too? The answer is yes!
Squirrels will nibble on petunia petals and leaves if they get the chance to do so. While they usually don’t devour entire plants or flower beds, having these critters around can still damage your garden in a big way. From unsightly chew marks on petals to scratched-up stems, the pests can wreak havoc on your beloved petunias.
How to Protect Your Garden (and Petunias) from Squirrels
Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to protect your petunias from being eaten by squirrels:
1. Installing barriers
Installing barriers like chicken wire fencing, plastic netting, or cages around your petunia plants.
2. Use repellents
Make the area less inviting with strong-smelling repellents such as garlic, mint, or cayenne pepper.
3. Remove attractants
Deter them from eating your petunias by strategically positioning bird feeders away from vulnerable areas of your garden. If you have bird feeders near your petunia plants, move them further away – even just a few feet can reduce the risk of a squirrel attack on your precious flowers.
In addition, make sure to use squirrel-proof bird feeders like the one below:
4. Motion-activated sprinklers
Motion-activated sprinklers have a sensor and start spraying water when triggered. The squirrels will be scared and go in another direction.
5. Ultrasonic repellents
A very effective squirrel deterrent is using ultrasounds to scare the critters away. Here’s the best motion-activated ultrasonic repellent that is also solar powered:
6. Decoy predators
Place a fake owl (like the one below) or snake near your petunias and the squirrels will likely avoid getting too close.
By following these simple steps you can successfully protect your beloved petunias from being munched on by squirrels!
7. Companion Planting
Companion planting involves interplanting crops to either attract beneficial insects or repel pests. Marigolds, garlic, and alliums are effective at repelling squirrels, so consider planting those alongside your produce.
8. Remove Attractants
Make sure to clean up fallen fruits and seeds from your garden, as these attract squirrels. Use squirrel-proof bird feeders to prevent them from climbing up and stealing birdseed.
9. Feeding and watering squirrels
Providing squirrels with food and water can help deter them from digging up your garden in search of sustenance. Consider setting up a squirrel feeding station away from your garden.
What Do Squirrels Eat?
Squirrels are small mammals that feed on a variety of plants, nuts and seeds. They are known to damage gardens and can be troublesome when they consume petunias or other flowers in flowerbeds. However, understanding what they eat helps us to understand how we can prevent them from doing so.
Tulips
Tulips are one of the favorite food items of squirrels. Squirrels will nibble on the bulbs of tulips and dig them up if the ground is not too hard. To prevent this, it is best to plant tulips that are too deep for the squirrel to reach them and also use physical barriers such as cages or wire mesh around the tulip beds.
Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons contain lots of energy-rich proteins which attracts squirrels towards them. Both leaves and buds can be eaten by these animals which leads to their destruction if done in excess. To prevent this, sprinkle repellents like cayenne pepper or mothballs near the plantings or use fencing around the whole area for protection.
Hosts
Hosts are a popular choice among gardeners because they have attractive foliage and can easily fit into any landscape design. Unfortunately, hostas are also quite attractive to squirrels since they love digging around such plants as they contain high levels of starch in their stems and leaves. To protect individual plants from being damaged, you can wrap sheets of steel mesh around their base or use native predator urine scents as natural repellents.
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas shrubs, with their colorful blooms, provide an attractive addition to any garden space, however; they may become targets for hungry squirrels as well. Thankfully, this issue doesn’t have to be a problem if you deploy effective deterrent measures like installing grids or fences around the shrubs and spraying garlic repellent spray over them once in a while.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus flowers are beautiful additions to your garden but beware that these could give a festive feast for squirrels who love devouring anything sweet and succulent! The best way to protect hibiscus from birds is by using light mesh covers over its blooms or allowing native predators such as snakes to patrol the area naturally since they act as good deterrents against unwanted visitors in your garden.
Forsythia
Forsythia bushes produce showy yellow flowers annually making them an ideal look for any garden, but unfortunately these ornamental plants also attract pesky rate rodents such as squirrels who love feeding on its young buds and shoots! Spraying a liquid fence concoction at least twice a month should do the trick against squirrel infestation problems, or alternatively you may opt for automated sprinklers which create a startling sound whenever an animal approaches it keeping unwelcome guests away from your precious Forsythia bushes.
Knock Out Roses
The knockout rose is one particular species that is especially prone to be targeted by squirrels due to its strong sweet smell emanating from its petals together with soft green foliage that serves as excellent snacks for these animals! To keep them out of your roses, try planting some sharp-nosed prickly weeds close by or use motion activated lights/sprinklers which will scare these animals away when activated unexpectedly during nighttime hours.
Monkey Grass
Monkey grass is an evergreen grass primarily used in landscaping projects due to its heightening effect when planted between trees or flower beds but beware that this particular grass species tends draw in nearby creatures like squirrels! Protecting monkey grass from munching critters requires physical barriers like netting over it along with installing automatic sprinklers/motion detectors in order to scare away any would-be nibblers!
Petunias
Petunias are perennial flowering plants that belong in the Solanaceae family due to their attractive colors and shapes quite similar to tomatoes making them delicious snacks for herbivorous animals such as rats rabbits raccoons opossums & yes even those pesky flying squirrels! Fortunately there multiple techniques available through which one can ward off flying squirrel populations including building fences (with closely spaced wires) & spreading garlic powder onto petunia patches every 3 days – both methods work very effectively when properly implemented & maintained religiously over time!
Sunflower Plants
Sunflowers exemplify beauty & grace within any flowerbed while providing much needed sustenance (in form of seeds) come autumn but beware that alluring yellow petals may also draw attention from our furry friends Dealing with sunflower eating issues requires fast action & swift measures namely installing chickenwire fences (soak tin cans with rocks inside for extra noise) & spraying odorless garlic repellent sprays per week basis – both actions should help guard against leaf chomping vermin dastardly looking add unwelcome garnish your stunning sunflower plotter plot!
Impatient
Impatient provide quick color within borders & many avid gardeners thoroughly enjoy bright blossoms emitted from impatiens species however experts warn about potential risks posed by various rodent critters consuming petals/leaves These include usage vibrant colored plastic stakes around beds combined with smearing sticky substances (ex fish oil) onto impatiens patches each 4–5 weeks duration Furthermore adding hay bales near impatient grows helps further insulate beds against unwanted pests Be sure observe all provided precautions otherwise marauding rodents have chance wreaking great deal havoc upon your beloved flowerbed!
What Kind Of Trees Do Squirrels Like To Eat?
Squirrels are omnivores known to eat a variety of fruits, nuts, and even flowers. But what about trees? It turns out that these critters have a sweet tooth for the bark and buds of certain species of trees as well.
Oak trees provide squirrels with a good source of acorns and other nuts. These animals also enjoy snacking on the tender buds of this tree in springtime. Pine trees are another favorite among squirrels because of their tasty pine cones. The animals will often munch away at the soft new growth during the winter months.”
Oak Trees
Squirrels love to dine on oak trees, especially white and red oaks! The tasty seeds that these trees produce are a favorite snack for the critters. Make sure to keep your oak trees healthy by pruning them regularly and providing adequate nutrients through adequate fertilization. If you think squirrels may be snacking on your oak trees, install some deterrents like mousetraps or garlic around the tree’s trunk to help ward off uninvited guests.
Pine Trees
Pine trees are a favorite food for squirrels! They enjoy eating the cones, buds, and pollen which can be found in abundance on pine trees. The soft bark is also easily accessible for them and makes for an enjoyable snack. Pine tree needles are also readily available and provide plenty of nutrition. Therefore, if you have pine trees in your garden, it’s best to protect them from these hungry critters.
FAQ
Do petunias re-sprout after being trimmed?
If Petunias have been severely damaged by wildlife, they can regrow if cut back properly. To encourage new growth and blossoms, prune the plant back to around half of its current size and remove any visibly damaged parts. Regularly fertilizing the plant will also help boost the recovery process.
What steps can be taken to bring a petunia plant that is looking weak or leggy back to life?
Reviving leggy Petunias is possible, simply by pruning them back and encouraging new growth. Prune the plant back to around half its original size, to give it a full chance of growth. Remove any damaged areas and ensure you fertilize regularly for best results. This way, you can enjoy new blooms bursting from your Petunia plant!
Will petunias regenerate after they have been consumed?
Petunias are a tasty treat for deer and can be eaten without any long-term damage to the plant. In fact, pruning damaged growth and fertilizing regularly could help petunias bounce back after being munched. With proper care, the shrub should generate fresh vegetation in no time!
Can petunias regrow after being cut back?
Petunias will rebloom if cut back. Pruning the plant to about half its size gives it the chance for a new start. Stimulating regrowth is possible by removing dead foliage, nourishing with fertilizer, and providing optimal sunlight and water.
Can underdeveloped petunias be revived?
It is possible to save a leggy petunia by cutting it back, doing some light pruning, and nourishing the plant with fertilizer. This encourages strong stems, bushier blossoms and vigorous growth. If deer have taken a liking to the petunias, they may return with healthy, new growth if the original greenery is still intact.
Conclusion
With this in mind, it’s safe to say that petunias are on the menu for squirrels. But that doesn’t mean you can’t protect your garden from their presence. If you’re trying to keep the critters away from your petunias, the best thing to do is make sure there’s nothing around your garden that would act as a food source for them.
This means removing any fallen nuts, berries, and mushrooms in the vicinity of your flowers and eliminating any other sources of food they may be eating. Taking these proactive steps will ensure that squirrels don’t view your garden as an easy meal and therefore do not eat your petunias. So, the answer to the question: “Do Squirrels Eat Petunias?” is yes, but with proper care and attention, you can make sure to avoid it.
You may also be interested in reading: