How do I get rid of squirrels that dig in my planter pots on my deck?

https://www.hunker.com/12159739/how-to-keep-squirrels-out-of-flower-pots

I use garden rocks in my pots to deter them. The white ones look especially pretty!

You can put human hair in your mulch (ask your local hairdresser), or You can sprinkle cayenne pepper in with the mulch.

I have a friend who puts small white plastic forks around her plants....the handle in the ground and prongs in the air...it works for her!!!!

We had so many squirrels and even a raccoon in our yard. Crushed red pepper flakes have solved the problems. It will not hurt birds

We have tried several different things with varied results. Pepper and pepper based products seem to only have short term results since the rain seems to render it ineffective.

Mulch worked like an attractant but having a layer of weed barrier under the mulch prevented them from burying their nuts but they still tried.

Moth balls spread around the garden gave better results and may work very well in the smaller confined space of a planter. Probably not a good idea if you have kids around.

Next attempt is going to be Irish Spring bar soap. Shred it with a regular cheese shredder and sprinkle it around the inside of the pot or around the garden.

It is soft enough to shred easily and a little goes a long way and is not harmful or dangerous for kids and pets.

I use cheap mouse traps. I glue a small piece of wood on the trap end so that when sprung it cannot close all the way and harm the squirrels. The movement alone seems to scare them away. The drawback is that you have to keep resetting them until you have the squirrels trained.

River rocks are great for draining water to your plant and they prevent squirrels and wrens from digging in your dirt. You can also use little strips of chicken wire on top of the dirt.

I have heard they HATE mint.

i live in a very remote spot, so we have a lot of critters. bar soap works great. Irish spring is the best, but Caress is doing a great job too( I had a great coupon for a multi pack so I tried it)

So far, powdered ginger or cayenne keep them from munching on my baskets of petunias. You also need to consider tree frogs who like to dig into the soil on cold nights, especially when you bring plants inside for the winter, you may wake up to the sound of chirping frogs in your house.

Sprinkle the soil with cayenne pepper. Works for all the little critters.

moth balls

I've had alot of luck using chicken wire i cut out around the base of my plants with the wire going over the edge of the pots it keeps them from being able to do any damage from digging you can also hang crystals from the edges and make it fancy.

Place human or dog hair on top of soil or blood meal. They hate all of these.