How do you keep chipmunks/ground squirrels out of your landscaping?

This year, actually the first time this ever happened, I noticed a hole, about 2/3 in in diameter, but then outside the whole the plants were smashed , like it was a critter of some kind that used that spot to rest or something. But I also noticed that spot is sinking too.

I read never stick your hand or put your face up to the hole, but it appeared the hole was deep. I got some moth ball, sprinkled them all around and in the hole. Guess what. Within the week , there was 6 more hole same size and such, all around the plants and landscape. yikes, got me scared, not sure what it was,

I got a stick, poked the inside the hole, a toad, the size of my palm jumped out at me. looked me square in the eye for second or two, then leaped away.

Now, understand , landscape area near the highway , over 10 years, and never had holes like this, never a toad either.

I covered each hole with over sized rock , that I had from back yard.

I read pet hair sprinkled in the landscape will scare the critter. So , I do have a lab, brushed him, a bag of dog hair, I did just that.

I will be checking the landscape, so I am hoping this will work.

If anyone knows or has info about this, I need help, not sure what is in the landscape underground.

Thanks

Barb

Small chicken wire covers on ground over bulb area.

Hi Jan,

To keep squirrels out of some crops, gardens and other landscaping you can do a couple of things. If they are digging up bulbs, try putting in chicken wire over them before they emerge in spring. It can be put down anytime they are not in the bloom season, wait til they die back and then put the wire down, they will grow between the wires.

For the garden and potted plants, you can put down ceramic pieces of tile large enough or flat stones to deter them. This will make them work hard and discourage digging. You could also use chicken wire here too.

Best to you

I had chipmunks at my house and my neighbors had a dying stump and they had holes all around. Go to a sporting goods store and get a bottle of "fox urine" and get some of the extra large cotton balls and soak a few and put them all around your landscaping. If you see any holes drop one or two down in the hole. The critters think they are prey and they will disappear quickly. Every few days drop more fox urine around for a couple of weeks. The bottle of fox urine usually comes with a sprayer on it but I found that the cotton balls allow you to get it right where you want. A bottle was around $4 to $5.

I use cayenne pepper powder sprinkled liberally on the garden, then I put down shredded Irish Spring hand soap on top. If that doesn't work, I bait a mouse trap with peanut butter and put it by the holes or places they like to dig. It doesn't trap them, but scares the bejesus out of them and they stay away for a decent time, sometimes the rest of the growing season. I hope something like this will work for you. The cayenne needs to be replaced if it rains or degraded, the soap lasts much longer.

Cayenne pepper is a good way to deter a lot of pesky critters. It doesn't affect birds, but most four legged animals --squirrels, chipmunk, moles, even raccoons, if you use enough. It should be replaced after a rain. Just mix a small jar of cayenne in a quart or liter bottle of water and spray all around where you don't want them. You can add black pepper for added oomph. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the powder directly without the water.

Ammonia-soaked rags are another way of keeping the unwanted away. They also should be replaced after it rains, and whenever they dry out. That means all the ammonia has evaporated. Good luck!