How to Save Your Sunflowers From Critters for Less Than $2

Hi! Have you a  garden with sunflowers that are always eaten away by squirrels, not only sunflowers your vegetables and fruits are also damaged by the squirrels and the birds.And this was the situation in my case and the source of my motivation.

So, in this instructable I will be telling you how to  save you plants from critters like squirrels.

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Step 1: The Solution

I have worked out as many as 3 solutions so either of them should surely work.

1. Using odor
2. Using natural predators
3. Using ultrasonic waves

Step 2: 1.The Power of Garlic and Onions

Recall the  last time you been peeling onions and garlic and your eyes start to water?

Well that experience is very irritative.

So, I used the same principal for the squirrels.

As you know garlic ,onions sting the eyes and ears of people, similarly it stings the eyes and ears of a squirrel.Now, you have to place some onions and garlic at the  foot of each plant.

All you have to do is to peel and smash a few cloves of garlic and onions and place them every 30 cm (1 foot) in beds you want to protect.

There is one more idea and it is  that you can make a spray, it can be made by using two things -

1.Garlic-This is made by soaking mashed garlic cloves in vinegar and water.Then fill the mixture  in a spray bottle.

2.Habanero Pepper-The recipe is to  roughly slice five peppers, grind them up in a food processor (seeds and all) and soak the mushy mixture overnight in a cup of water, occasionally shaking and stirring the container.Then put it in a bottle and you are ready to spray.

Both the sprays would have to be  resprayed it after rain.

  **Note-In the picture I did not smash the garlic and onions**.

Step 3: Using a Cat

Cats are very cute and sweet,but that is only how humans feels about them!!
Animals like squirrels and birds would prefer to maintain some distance with them(unlike humans!!)
And there presence near the plants should keep the squirrels and birds away as they would prefer being alive.

So, taming a cat and keeping it near your plantations can work well.
That wouldn't work if your cat is too lazy!!!

Step 4: Using Ultrasonic Waves

As you know that the hearing frequency of the humans is from 20Hz to 20kHz.
But some animals like dogs,squirrels,etc  can hear above the frequency of 20kHz which is known as ultrasonic sound.
(As seen in the picture above).

So, my idea is that if  a source of ultrasonic sound is kept near the plants it should drive away the squirrels.

The main advantage being that high-frequency sound is a safe, humane way to keep squirrels and other rodents away from your garden or home.
These devices emit high-frequency sounds that cannot be heard by humans. These sounds can, however, be heard by rodents; they disrupt their "critical hearing frequencies" and force the rodents to seek refuge elsewhere.


These devices are simple to use and require almost no maintenance whatsoever, making them the perfect tool to use in your fight against pests


As, this is only an idea I myself don't know how to make machine which produces sound at this  frequency, but if you are a pro(as I am not) you can design your own!!


The image is from-       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ultrasound_range_diagram.svg

Step 5: Some Tips

My only  tip is to be sure you wear gloves when cutting the habaneros and handling/straining the liquid. It's very potent and the slightest drop of liquid on your hands will cause problems if you unknowingly rub your eye.
1.You should also wear glasses, gloves and 
2. A painter's mask when applying the spray.
It prevents a lot of the coughing, sneezing and watery eyes that I experienced the first time.

Habaneros are usually available in your grocery store or local farmer's market if you didn't grow them this year in your garden.But be sure to grow a plant or two next year so you have your own supply to keep the squirrels away.

In the end my advice is that a combination of several different repellent methods always works best in providing maximum protection for your garden.

Thank you very much for reading my instructable.