Squirrels,plants and cayenne pepper

AKA....war of the furry varmits!!!

90% of my brugs are in pots and all the dats are in pots. And the squirrels LOVE them. Some are mulched with cypress others with eucalyptus...and the squirrels LOVE them. I have watched them scamper with fists full of leaves...getting high on "brug juice"? When I water I have to re-do dirt and mulch where the varmits have dug. They don't mess with the ones in the ground. Squirt with the hose on jet and they run for a bar of soap!!! LOL

So this brings me to a question re:cayenne pepper. I have heard tell that mixing cayenne with bird seed discourages the squirrels,but doesn't bother the birds. Can I sprinkle cayenne arount the plants without doing any harm?? I don't want to burn their little roots when I water. If so then Sam's Club here I come for the giant economy size. Or if anyone has other ideas on how to discourage the furry varmits,I'm all ears.

I have to tell you about when I used Cayenne on my bird seed... I kept adding more and more, because the darn tree rats were not offended in the least. I ended up with 8 of them (at most times) munching on the seed, AND the cayenne... 6 more than I started out with. I did notice they would run up the trees, and wipe their little faces on the branches, but would come right back down. And eat more.
I sure will be anxious to see how it turns out for you.
I hope you will get an answer about using it in the pots.

LOL....that would be just my luck! GRRRRR

I wonder what it is that is attracting them to your brugs. I have many planted in the ground and some in pots and I also have lots of squirrels. I love seeing them at their feeders and scampering around everywhere. I have not had one problem with them.

I did buy the birdseed with cayenne pepper in it to keep the raccoons from getting in my feeders, but I no longer use it because so many times, even though I used a scoop and washed my hands, I would rub my eye and it would really burn. My DH took it into his own hands to get rid of the coons.

I wonder if it is the eucalyptus scent. I have used the cypress mulch and pine bark and neither of these attracted the squirrels. If you use the pepper just be careful. My sister use to put cayenne pepper in a sprayer with water to discourage insects.

"Tree rats," I'd not heard that one before, Shelly. Too funny!!

I've got a nest of squirrels in my back yard -- bird feeder was an issue until I got the "squirrel baffler." They haven't gone near my brug -- but maybe they have not seen it yet.

Anyway, I've used cayenne before to deter the squirrels, but it didn't really seem to help that much. And, of course, after it rains you have to reapply it.

You could always put a dog around your brugs to keep them safe from the squirrels!

Funny you should bring this up because I am going through a rough time with squirrels right now. They don't bother my plants but they will not allow my bird feeder to stay up. I tried everything! The cayenne pepper? HA! they brought their own nachos and had a picnic!! Mothball sacks?? They came in gas masks and ate everything around it!!!
So now i used the hardline approach and purchased a Havahart brand trap at Lowes. The size for large squirrels. I have caught 8 of the buggers in 6 days. I thought I was dealing with 3 of them!! There is a park about 3 miles from here where each of them have been cheerfully relocated....I was cheering...they were screaming!!!
I know of at least one more out there. When I caught the last squirrel his buddy sat on top of the cage dancing and mocking me! He's next! then hopefully all the beautiful birds that I used to love to see at my bird feeder will return.

Hint: they love peanut butter rolled in birdseed :}

BrugNanny....they seem to prefere the cypress mulch. If I also add pine cones around the top of pots they seem to leave stuff alone for a few days. Go figure...thought they ate pine cones.

indiana_lily....we have 3 large dogs. Two are 75lbs. give or take and the other is 120lbs. They are either in the house on the furniture or in their fenced area. The idiots in this neighborhood seem to think that a badly wash-boarded dirt road is the track for the Indy 500.

xeriscape8231....it would probably take a dozen traps at full capacity a month to get all the suqirrels. The word is out for miles around, "Good grub at Ginger's...she buys more birdseed then dog food!". LOL and yes, peanut butter mixed with seed is a gourmet treat. I put it out in the colder months. Birds love it as do the tree rats. Great term for them! :-)))

I guess basically I wanted to make sure that cayenne would not hurt the brugs and dats. Worth a try. I wonder about a light vinegar water mixture? or would that be too much acid for the plants?

oh yes xeriscape..... this is my second summer of relocation! Last year I got a late start, but this year I've relocated about 6 or 7, and they have definitely dwindled. I feel like I can put bird seed out again. I am grateful they haven't gone after my brugs or other plants..... knock on wood. I have enough problem with gophers and deer.

Sanna

Tree rats, that's what we call them also, because that is what they are, rats with fluffy tails. Thet caused us a lot of damage, cost us hundreds of dollars and they ran off the birds that were nesting here, since they eat their eggs. They even dig up moth pupae and eat butterfly cats. I used to mix cayene pepper in the seed and it worked for me as far as keeping them out of the birdseed but as far as keeping them away from all of our plants, we found only one solution worked....... let me just say we live out in the country where you can protect what's yours.
Now my trees are full of birds and not so many rats.