Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Keep Squirrels From Eating a Sweet Corn Crop
How to Keep Squirrels From Eating a Sweet Corn Crop. Squirrels defy most methods for protecting sweet corn -- including electrical fencing -- so the best option is to use multiple strategies to keep squirrels from eating your corn. Corn (Zea mays) is as tasty to squirrels as it is to gardeners, so once the squirrels get a taste they can do major...
Squirrels defy most methods for protecting sweet corn -- including electrical fencing -- so the best option is to use multiple strategies to keep squirrels from eating your corn. Corn (Zea mays) is as tasty to squirrels as it is to gardeners, so once the squirrels get a taste they can do major damage to your crop. Flavoring outer ears to repel them, using deterrent odors and covering the ears may offer some protection against squirrels, yet no one method is foolproof.
Repel Them With Red Pepper
Red pepper sauce made from cayenne may discourage squirrels from eating the ears. Dribble the hot sauce on outer ears that are the most accessible to squirrels. Wash your hands after applying it and be careful not to rub your eyes until your hands are clean if you get any on your fingers. The hot pepper can make corn less appetizing to raccoons, too. Washed and cooked corn won't retain any hot pepper flavor.
Repel or Deflect Them
Human and predator scent may be off-putting to squirrels. Leaving human and dog hair around and between the corn plants or applying a predator scent product from a garden supplier might discourage squirrels. Blood meal sprinkled around the soil may also help to repel them. A supply of preferred squirrel food such as acorns, nuts and sunflower seeds put out in the garden before and during the sweet corn harvest might occupy the squirrels enough to leave you plenty of corn to eat.
Cover the Ears
Although it's time-consuming if you have more than a few sweet corn plants, covering the ears of corn before they fully ripen may save them from the squirrels. Big plastic cups or paper bags will cover the ears, making them less of a target for foraging squirrels. Timing is key. Unless the barriers are in place before the first ears become ripe, it will probably be too late. Once squirrels start eating sweet corn, they tend to keep at it.
Use Scare Tactics
If circumstances permit, and your location is free of predators that might harm a dog, having a dog guard your sweet corn as the ears ripen makes your crop too high-risk for squirrels. If your dog isn't much bigger than a squirrel or isn't the type to become excited by wildlife, consider borrowing a bigger, more protective dog. Garden supply vendors sell devices that make noise to scare off garden pests, but it isn't certain that these products will work for long. Most squirrels don't scare easily, especially when they smell food.
