How to stop squirrels digging in outside flower pots and flower beds?

Hello. This link might be helpful

https://www.thescrapshoppeblog.com/5-tricks-to-keep-squirrels-out-of-your/

Hi! We have landscape cloth and mulch on our flower beds and it actually works! This article explains how:

https://www.tomcatbrand.com/en-us/library/other-nuisance-animals/how-keep-squirrels-out-yard-and-garden

Cayenne pepper sprinkled in the area will keep them away!

1. Try covering the surface of the pot with attractive rocks and stones. The squirrels won’t be able to budge them and yet they’ll enhance the appearance of your garden containers.
2. Try laying chicken wire just under the top level of soil when planting bulbs to prevent squirrels from digging them out. Remove it when shoots appear.
3. Mix in fresh, strong smelling coffee grounds with the top layer of soil. The odor is repellent to squirrels but does them no harm.
4. Or make your own hot pepper spray. You can make pepper spray by combining a couple of teaspoons of washing up liquid with a small bottle of hot pepper sauce and water. Put it into a plastic spray bottle to apply. Commercial pepper sprays are also available specifically for keeping squirrels away from plants and gardens. If you don’t want to actually spray your plants, sprinkle hot red pepper flakes or powder in the soil around the plants to keep squirrels away. Of course you’ll need to repeat this regularly, especially after each time it rains. They do not like the spiciness at all and they will avoid any area that has been treated. You can make pepper spray by combining a couple of teaspoons of washing up liquid with a small bottle of hot pepper sauce and water. Put it into a plastic spray bottle to apply. Commercial pepper sprays are also available specifically for keeping squirrels away from plants and gardens. If you don’t want to actually spray your plants, sprinkle hot red pepper flakes or powder in the soil around the plants to keep squirrels away. Of course you’ll need to repeat this regularly, especially after each time it rains.
5. Bone meal is also repulsive to squirrels. It is a natural fertilizer high in nitrogen and ammonia, and has a strong scent that deters squirrels. The added bonus is that you will be adding nitrogen to your soil at the same time!
6. There are organic products on the market with non-toxic repellents such as Nature’s Defense.. It is safe to use around children, pets, plants and food crops.
7. Ultrasonic technology is also available and very affordable like this Solar Yard Guard Ultrasonic Animal Repeller from Target.

Mabellean: Put chicken wire over soil. Cover with gravel.

Peppercorns will deter them.

Hello Mabellean. I'm Cindy. I use shredded Irish Spring bars of soap to keep wildlife, including squirrels, out of my beds. I buy the 12-pack of soap in early Spring and shred all of them at once. I put it all in a 5-gallon bucket w/ lid and store it in my shed. I spread the soap in and around all my plants. I still get a few bites out of my plants but nothing like it used to be. We live next to woods and the DuPage River. So we see a lot of wildlife on our property. My garden and flower beds used to be like a buffet for many different animals. But, since I started using the soap, it has been reduced by approx 90 per cent. Yay. Good luck Mabellean.

I know that rodents don't like the smell of peppermints, so you can stick some candy peppermints in the dirt, brew strong peppermint tea to spray around the plants, and you may want to plant some peppermint plants but I don't know if it helps. I had to put candy canes in my bedroom because the next apartment gets mice that try to scratch there way into my bedroom. After using the candy canes, they stopped scratching.

https://www.thescrapshoppeblog.com/5-tricks-to-keep-squirrels-out-of-your/

I go to the dollar store and buy red pepper flakes and put them in my pots (on top) and it keeps them out

We top the soil with a layer of chicken wire, then cover it with a thin layer of soil or moss for planters. They don't like the feel of the metal.

We put hot pepper flakes in our front planters to keep the squirrels out.

Get a cat :)