Any ideas to help me keep raccoons and squirrels out of my flower bed?

i had a friend who use to put moth balls around to keep the critters away, if you can stand the smell of them

They also do not like cayenne pepper.

Cayenne pepper and moth balls are both good suggestions! Reapply after rain 😀

Good luck ♥ We've had raccoon visitors during the night in my back yard several times over the years. They would catch the koi in my pond. Now it would be different if they would eat them, but they would just play with them and leave them all over the yard. I've tried animal control in our area, they said they wouldn't help us, but to get a Havahart trap, then release them at least 100 miles away because they travel that and more. An exterminator was way too expensive. Had a trap, tried, could never catch them...tried sardines, marshmallows, tuna, canned cat food and more. I devoured the web for info on how to get them to go. Tried criss crossing fishing line throughout the back yard, raccoon's didn't mind it, the dogs hated it. Lit the backyard up like a runway – didn't phase them, Human hair, human urine, could have cared less about either, Tried "The Scarecrow" motion detector that hooks to the hose and sprays when it senses motion. Raccoon's loved it,Dogs were scared of it and refused to go out during the day even when it was off. Tried coyote urine, didn't phase the coons one bit. Tried little red flashing lights around the perimeter of the yard, raccoon's didn't notice them. Summer came and they stopped coming. We had no birdseed out for the wild birds, no dog food out, nothing. They came back the following winter and brought friends. Tried everything again to no avail. Got up one morning and they were still here! They were usually gone by then. One of my dogs slipped....pushed by me as I was trying to shoo them away. She was a Great Dane....they took her down. Now I love all animals, but don't come to my place and mess with mine. My sons stayed up the following night, shot 2 of them. They haven't been back since. It was horrid, the screams my poor dog let out as they were biting her. Please be careful. I wouldn't attempt to even catch it, You have to pick up that wire cage after all!. They are fierce and will bite. Be careful please.