What is digging into my potted peppers? Dirt flung out of pot, shallow holes.

ProjectileTeeth

ProjectileTeeth

So I came home from work today and found my overwintered habanero looking like this. Is it birds? Squirrels? I found something that looked like a tree nut in the pot, so Im thinking squirrels. Any tips on keeping them away?

Fiancée and I just walked to a restaurant a couple blocks away, and when we came back there were similar holes dug into two more of my pots. This is irritating!
 

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Skunks will do that, too. Occasionally, they will come up on our deck and dig in the planters, flinging dirt everywhere. I don't think a cat would be digging in a pot not big enough to "go" in.
 
The last place I lived in had a lot of really bad neighbors. Their children dug up my plants. Aside from being small children, they had two other things in common. One was that they moved from Chicago so their families could have a better (safer) life here.
 
 
Isn't if funny how people bring the problems with them, when they are running away from them.
 
Here in Oregon we get Californians fleeing California because they are sick of it.  Then they complain about all the things they ran away from not being here. 
Inedible said:
The last place I lived in had a lot of really bad neighbors. Their children dug up my plants. Aside from being small children, they had two other things in common. One was that they moved from Chicago so their families could have a better (safer) life here.
 
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It looks a lot like the squirrel damage I've been seeing in my garden.  The squirrel's seem to love rooting around in loose soil.
 
If you're using some kind of fish-based fertilizer, there's a host of small mammals that'll tear into potting area.
 
I've had some success sprinkling crushed red pepper on the ground to chase them off.  But they get used to it after a while.  And it won't hardly last past the next time you water the plants.
 
I see other people recommending blood meal, but I haven't tried that method yet.
 
The squirrels will even tear up the potting soil, even though there's not really anything interesting for them in potting soil.
 
I've had a certain amount of luck just spreading a light layer of leaves on the top of the potting soil.  Since the potting soil doesn't really have any food in it, it works OK as an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" tactic.
 
But if there's really acorns or something like that in the soil, they'll smell it, and dig there anyways.
 
i have the same problem with squirrels. it seems when i first plant something they have dig into it to see if its edible. once the plant is established they leave it alone. trapping and relocating is only temporary because others will eventually move into the area. 
 
DontPanic said:
It looks a lot like the squirrel damage I've been seeing in my garden.  The squirrel's seem to love rooting around in loose soil.
 
If you're using some kind of fish-based fertilizer, there's a host of small mammals that'll tear into potting area.
 
I've had some success sprinkling crushed red pepper on the ground to chase them off.  But they get used to it after a while.  And it won't hardly last past the next time you water the plants.
 
I see other people recommending blood meal, but I haven't tried that method yet.
 
The squirrels will even tear up the potting soil, even though there's not really anything interesting for them in potting soil.
 
I've had a certain amount of luck just spreading a light layer of leaves on the top of the potting soil.  Since the potting soil doesn't really have any food in it, it works OK as an "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" tactic.
 
But if there's really acorns or something like that in the soil, they'll smell it, and dig there anyways.
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Thanks, it looks like Reddit was in agreement that it's common for squirrels to do this.

I am using fish fertilizer. Damn. I also got tips about the chili powder, and seeing as I didn't want to waste all that spice, I looked up alternatives. Found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjAmJkFmgI

Which I don't know if anyone can vouch for, but I went ahead and ground up about 8 pulla chiles in my coffee grinder with a handful of peppercorns, and steeped it in hot water. Bottled it up, and sprayed my plants.

I stopped at Home Depot before getting home from work and checked out their animal deterrents. Couldn't find any that were safe for fruit-bearing plants, with the exception of one which said fruit should be thoroughly washed, and if it has a waxy coating, it should be scrubbed off by a stiff-bristle brush. So I said "eff that," looked at the ingredients in most of these sprays. Most had capsaicin, peperidine (black pepper), sodium lauryl sulfate (soap?), garlic, and... putrefied egg whites. So I figured "how hard can it be?" Gave it a shot.

Also heard blood meal and bone meal would keep them away. I spread bone meal on my plants yesterday, and by the time I got home they were undisturbed. However, I don't know how much blood and bone meal I can keep applying to the surface of the soil without potentially damaging the plants. I don't have much experience in using it.
 
 
neoguy said:
If it's happening during the day my bet is squirrels. You can try to put the cheap tomato cages around them.
 
Howdy from the Old Brooklyn neighborhood by the way.
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Hey, nice to see a fellow Clevelander!
 
nmlarson said:
One word: Milorganite.

https://www.milorganite.com/

I can't say how long it will work, but it has worked keeping the squirrels, rabbits, skunk & deer out of my new landscaping and containers on my deck.

As a bonus, it's a pretty good slow release fertilizer.
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I just couldn't ever get over using bugs that ate peoples waste for fertilizer... grosses me out. 
 
badmoon692004 said:
I just couldn't ever get over using bugs that ate peoples waste for fertilizer... grosses me out. 
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I hear you.    
 
But, think about this....do you use cow manure, pig manure, chicken poop....are you sure they've been sterilized at 1000°F?  Do you swim in the local lake?  Birds, fish, and all sorts of other wildlife, including two legged ones, are doing their "business" in those lakes and ponds every day.  Vermiculture?  Worm poop.  Hell, even human composting will be legal in Washington next year.
 
Not saying you're wrong....just saying if pathogens are what you're concerned about, you're probably exposed to more pathogens outside your garden than any you'd get from the Milorganite.
 
You can bet your bottom dollar the EPA monitors what is being released back into Lake Michigan pretty damn closely.
 
I have that problem with the  :censored:  squirrels, too. I pretty much just have to cross my fingers and put up with it. I protect the plants with sawed-off 2L pop bottles while the plants are small enough. (Hey, my Diet Pepsi addiction is good for something.) Once they outgrow that, they seem to be okay, even when the trash rodents go digging. 
 
Related: my soil is always full of freaking peanuts every spring. 
 
nmlarson said:
 
I hear you.    
 
But, think about this....do you use cow manure, pig manure, chicken poop....are you sure they've been sterilized at 1000°F?  Do you swim in the local lake?  Birds, fish, and all sorts of other wildlife, including two legged ones, are doing their "business" in those lakes and ponds every day.  Vermiculture?  Worm poop.  Hell, even human composting will be legal in Washington next year.
 
Not saying you're wrong....just saying if pathogens are what you're concerned about, you're probably exposed to more pathogens outside your garden than any you'd get from the Milorganite.
 
You can bet your bottom dollar the EPA monitors what is being released back into Lake Michigan pretty damn closely.
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Not so much pathogens as much as just the yuck factor... I can tell myself all day long that it's totally healthy and sterilized, it just still grosses me out. 
 
If you live near a field it could be mice.  I have mice get into my "ground" garden and dig holes similar to this.  They haven't gotten up into the pots yet though.  Dogs run them out most of the time before too long.
 
Chipmunks are a thorn in my side.
little bastards....
 
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