Watching plants grow in the garden can add so much happiness to your garden. You get to see beautiful yellow flowers with happy, buzzing bees all over them. It’s magical.
Until you watch a squirrel run up your tomato plant and rip a tomato off and run away with it.
Yes, that happened to me last week.
Do Squirrels Eat Tomatoes off the Vine?
It’s common for squirrels to eat tomatoes when they’re ripe, but do squirrels eat tomatoes on the vine?
Squirrels and other animals like rabbits and deer are notorious for eating from the garden, especially if you grow them next to a fence where they have easy access.
Squirrels will definitely eat tomatoes off the vine, but they’ll also eat tomatoes on the ground. If you have any overripe ones that have fallen, make sure to move them away from the garden. Otherwise, they’ll get a taste of what’s nearby and it might be harder to keep them out.
What Do Squirrels Generally Eat?
Squirrels are omnivores, so their diet is comprised nuts, seeds, berries, mushrooms, and insects like grasshoppers or even bird eggs. But when there is a garden nearby, they will mosey on over and eat the delicious plants they find.
Squirrels will change what they eat based on their needs at the time and their environment.
How to Keep Squirrels Away from Your Tomatoes
Here are 7 ways to help keep them out of your garden and away from your tomato plants.
1. Get a Dog or Cat
Not just for the chasing, which can be effective for keeping squirrels out, but also fun for the dog.
In addition, dog and cat hair is a great repellent for squirrels because they do not like their scent. After you brush your dog, sprinkle their hair around the garden to help repel squirrels (rabbits hate this too!).
2. Fake Predators
This is a cheap option that works great! Squirrels are terrified of owls and hawks, as they can become food quickly for them.
You can also drop a rubber snake near your tomatoes and they’ll know not to go near it.
However, you’ll want to move these fake predators pretty regularly as squirrels aren’t stupid, and will notice a lack of movement. But these fake predators work on other animals like birds and raccoons as well.
Fake owls are great for keeping many animals out of the garden, including squirrels, deer, birds, and more.
I like the ones with the bobbling heads so they don’t get used to them as easily.
3. Fencing and Covers
Physical barriers are often a great option – but don’t expect a fence by itself to keep them out. Squirrels climb 100-foot tall trees, you don’t think they can climb your 5-foot fence? 🙂
I’ve watched squirrels climb my fence and then proceed to eat an almost ripe tomato from my garden while watching me. Jerks.
To fully keep them out, you’ll want to add a top to your fence – something like netting or wire mesh. Hardware cloth is made of metal with small holes in it, so you can easily see through it, and squirrels cannot climb it.
Use netting or chicken wire to cover your tomatoes, as this will also prevent climbing creatures from getting at them.
4. Companion Plants
Companion planting is an ancient technique that uses plants to distract and confuse pests from finding your food.
- Daffodils
- Alliums
- Garlic
- Onions
These are all good options for keeping squirrels out of the garden.
5. Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Ready for a good laugh AND an awesome way to keep squirrels away from your tomato plants?
Enter: the motion-activated sprinkler.
This bad boy will send squirrels running for their lives, and stop them from eating your tomatoes.
A motion activated sprinkler works wonders for keeping animals (and people!) out of your yard. It sprays intermittently as it detects continuous motion so animals won't get used to the timing of it.
Get a trail cam to capture the footage so you can post it on YouTube and we can all laugh with you 🙂
Here is a video of the sprinkler I bought recently to help keep squirrels from eating all of my tomatoes.
6. Garden Location
The first thing that you want to consider is where you’re locating your garden. If it’s close enough to a fence or tree line for squirrels to easily jump in and out of the garden, you’ll have a problem.
Consider placing your garden further away from trees or fences.
Keeping Squirrels Out of the Garden
Squirrels are a real problem for gardeners. They can eat up to 15 tomatoes in one day and make it difficult to keep them out of your garden. Luckily, there are many inexpensive and effective ways that you can use to protect your plants from these furry creatures. Whether you’re looking for companion planting ideas or the best way to deter squirrels with spikes, our article will help you find what works for your home!
