Organic squirrel repellant?

Ranitomeya

Sapling
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Well I've got a probably not so uncommon problem: a local squirrel has taken a shine to some of my trees. This morning I found some of my pots knocked over, not the first time this week, and little paw prints in some of the scattered soil along with a few nuts. Maybe he was trying to get a jump on next years stash?

Anyways, Google seems to reccomend mixing coffee grounds into the soil to keep them away, but I'm worried that'd throw off the pH? So far only maples and a blue spruce have been targeted, but I want to nip this in the bud before it grows into a serious problem. Any advice, or a green-light on the coffee grounds, would be highly appreciated.
 

Apex37

Chumono
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Not sure on the coffee grounds, someone with experience with that can chime in. I've heard people using cayenne pepper with success. I've also tried doing skewers pointing upwards to try and deter a squirrel from climbing into a pot. It's probably 50/50 success rate. If they want to dig in a pot, they're gonna find a way. If your issues is serious enough, I imagine putting a plastic mesh over your pots would fix your issue.
 

penumbra

Imperial Masterpiece
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I've heard people using cayenne pepper with success.
This works but is a it messy. Lately I have been using pepermint oil spray I bought on Amazon. It works well but requires frequent spraying.
 

hemmy

Omono
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Well I've got a probably not so uncommon problem: a local squirrel has taken a shine to some of my trees. This morning I found some of my pots knocked over, not the first time this week, and little paw prints in some of the scattered soil along with a few nuts. Maybe he was trying to get a jump on next years stash?

Anyways, Google seems to reccomend mixing coffee grounds into the soil to keep them away, but I'm worried that'd throw off the pH? So far only maples and a blue spruce have been targeted, but I want to nip this in the bud before it grows into a serious problem. Any advice, or a green-light on the coffee grounds, would be highly appreciated.
Supposedly used coffee grounds are pH 6.5 and not as acidic as fresh grounds. They have nitrogen, but if you are looking for organic fertilizers there are probably better options. I think a better deterrent might be dishes of vinegar around the pots. It works good to keep away raccoons. But obviously you have to refill it often. Some sites recommend spraying it on potting soil, but I would NOT put it straight on the bonsai soil since your substrate probably has a low buffering capacity. TNT is technically organic, is lead? Lol
 

19Mateo83

Masterpiece
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Cheap non lethal animal trap baited with peanuts works pretty good. You have to relocate them atleast 2 miles away or they will be back. I’ve relocated 20 or so this year. No more headaches.
 

hampton

Mame
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I’ve had luck with both peppermint and tabasco. Have a sprayer specifically for this purpose and spray the perimeter of my bench area in the mornings before I head inside
 

M. Frary

Bonsai Godzilla
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Lead is organic.
Comes right from the earth.
Fast lead is best for V.C.
 
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