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

Intro: 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.

                                  If  You really liked my instrcutable,then please vote for me

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.

Comments

[kbug7380]

Cool. But u should check out my solution. :D

[wreath]

I love sunflowers! Next spring I will plant more and try your solution - wreath

[A.R.]

voted I'll have to show this to my brother :)

[sabu.dawdy]

great.. voted:D

[thechocolatist]

Good idea. I voted for you!

[dismissie]

awesome!- I voted for you!

[All that i do]

Great !!!

[w.bartlett]

GREAT JOB... VOTED FOR YOU : )

[Jessie Marie]

Good job!

[sunshiine]

Awesome entry! Best wishes.
sunshiine

[Slay.]

Hey I'm the guy who you voted for! Just returning the favor ;)

[pudtiny]

Squirrels not like chilli powder, so you could spinkle this on the seed heads, unfortunatly birds are not bothered by chilli so you would need another idea for them. Good work well researched. Planting garlic or onions next to your carrot crop will help deter carrot fly as it disguises the carrot smell

[Lightmine]

Yes but you whould just have to come around every once and a while take them out and smash them is whould save monney too

[Lightmine]

it whould be a good idea to plant a gralic plant right beside the plant you wont to save or keep you should add that just saying good idea this is really good

[pranjal12]

it wouldn't be helpful becoz-
1. the garlic or the onion grows underground
2. even if it grew above, you know the fumes and the fragrence or whatever you say wouldn't be released into the air.(It is the reason you need to smash them)

[tinpie]

sounds great.... keep working on it

[786Ayesha]

Ah! an easy method.

[xpat73]

Thank you for posting I must try this out in summer.

[Lightmine]

cat vs bird hmmmm that whould be fun to watch good job on this btw

[PadiDiver33]

Nice!