How to Prevent Squirrels from Eating Your Pumpkins

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Try this easy tip to stop squirrels from eating your Halloween pumpkins. 

I was so excited to decorate my porch for Halloween this year so I went out and got some pumpkins and a mum weeks ago.

It was so much fun setting up my fall front porch and, once I was done, I took some pictures to remember our first Halloween in our new house.

All seemed well for a few weeks, then one morning things changed.

I noticed it as soon as I took Finn out for a walk. My big orange pumpkin had a hole eaten right in the top.

I looked around for the culprit and saw a guilty-looking squirrel sitting on my fence staring at me. Perturbed, I moved the pumpkin next to the front door hoping that it would deter him.

The next day I went out to walk Finn. I checked on my big pumpkin first thing and saw that the squirrel hadn’t touched it. Success!

Upon further inspection though, I noticed that one of the little pumpkins was gone.

Stolen…by a pumpkin thief!

I looked around and sure enough the squirrel was sitting at the base of a tree with my baby pumpkin in pieces all around him. Needless to say that I yelled at him and chased him up the tree. I’m sure that my neighbors probably think I am nuts.

Later that same afternoon, I went back out to check on the porch. The pumpkin thief had struck again and took another baby boo.

I’d had enough so I decided to look on the internet to see if there was anything that I could do to prevent them from eating my pumpkins (while not harming the squirrels).

After I spent over an hour reading different solutions, from using hairspray on the pumpkin, to using vinegar, and even using human hair around the pumpkin, I decided I would try some good old fashion Vaseline.

I rubbed it over the whole pumpkin and, wouldn’t you know, the squirrels have left them alone.

It’s only been a week, but none remaining pumpkins have not been nibbled on. I’m hoping that the Vaseline will do the trick.

I’ll let you know if the thief returns. 😉

Have you had squirrels eat your pumpkins? What do you do to stop them?