Mysest56 
November 23, 2020
Both ground squirrels and tree squirrels can decimate a garden bed. Ground squirrels typically provide more of a problem since they dig or walk to beds and feed upon vegetables, fruits, vegetables and plant components. Tree squirrels only sometimes graze in garden beds, but they might dig up tender young plants when they soften a stash of nuts for later. Excluding these insects with fencing doesn’t harm the creatures, but it will not keep your plants safe from damage.
Dig an 18-inch-deep trench around the perimeter of the garden bed in case ground squirrels pose a problem.
Drive a 6-foot-tall stake 6 inches into the ground at every corner of the trench, hammering it in with a mallet. Push the stakes 12 inches to the ground if you are not digging a trench for ground bush exclusion. Space additional stakes 4 feet apart between every corner stake along the perimeter of the garden.
Stretch a length of 5-foot-wide, 1/2-inch mesh poultry cable between the stakes. Attach the cable to the stakes using plastic zip-ties. The bottom of the cable fencing must sit inside the trench. Catch an opening between two stakes for garden access.
Fill the trench in using soil, burying the cable. Attach a brief length of wire fencing into among the access stakes. Tie the wire fencing into the opposite access stake with twine. Remove the twine and pull open the cable if you need to get the garden.
Lay nylon bird netting over the surface of the cable fencing to create a roof to keep out tree squirrels. Clip the netting to the peak of the fence to hold it in place, using removable plastic plant clips. Tree squirrels may chew over the netting, but they typically won’t unless they’re desperate for food.
Unclip the top netting and pull it back once you need to get the garden through the gate. If the netting sags in the center of the garden, then install bets involving the plants to support it.