Gardeners are seeing fresh soil flung from pots, tulip bulbs turfed like tiny rugby balls, and neat beds ransacked overnight. There’s a small, practical move you can make tonight that softens the damage and helps the animals we share our streets with. It costs about three pence and takes less than a minute.
It was the scratch-scratch of claws on terracotta that did it for me. I was watching from the kitchen window with a mug warming my hands, a wood pigeon drumming somewhere off, and a young grey squirrel nosing through the top of a newly planted bulb pot like a burglar trying a latch. My neighbour had been muttering about traps and deterrent gels; I tried something else: a palm of plain porridge oats, flicked under the hawthorn by the fence, just on dusk. The squirrel paused, sniffed, snacked, then vanished up the oak with cheeks slightly puffed. The bulbs slept on. A cheap fix, hidden in plain sight. The trick worked.
Why now, and why a 3p scrap?
Early winter is when urban squirrels run on a knife-edge of energy, moving fast and making sloppy choices that collide with tidy beds and freshly dug pots. When food is scarce and nights bite, a tiny, easy-to-find feed away from your pots can shift their route by a metre or two and spare your bulbs. Plain oats do a quiet job here: no heavy scent plume, no sticky residue, just a quick hit that lets a squirrel move on without turning your soil upside down. It’s a nudge, not a banquet.
In one Leeds back lane, three households tried a one-week “decoy dusk” routine during peak planting: a tablespoon of oats scattered in leaf litter near a fence line around 4.30pm. They counted disturbed pots and photographed the same beds each morning. Across that short run, the tally of fresh digs fell from eight a night to three, then two. It’s not peer-reviewed science, but it’s a pattern gardeners recognise: redirect the hustle and the hustler stops pushing at the softest target. We’ve all had that moment when a single small change breaks a silly stalemate.
There’s a simple logic at play. Squirrels follow their noses and repeat easy wins, so a faint breadcrumb trail of low-value food placed away from your bulbs resets the map just enough. Sunflower seeds and peanuts draw a crowd and can invite rats; oats are bland, cheap, and vanish fast. A handful costs about 3p at supermarket prices, scatters thinly into a dozen nibble-points, and doesn’t churn up the competitive frenzy that piles of nuts can trigger. Feed lightly, late, and the garden keeps its shape.
How to do the 3p scatter tonight
Take one tablespoon of plain, unsalted porridge oats — the bargain-bag kind is fine — and pinch them as you walk, letting a thin drift fall under hedges, by a tree base, or along a fence line, at least two to three metres from your pots and freshly planted beds. Go at dusk so you serve the night shift and not the pigeons. Add a shallow dish of water nearby; on cold, dry nights that’s as valuable as food. This is **the 3p trick: plain porridge oats**, not granola or sugary cereal.
Keep it light. A scatter is not a heap, and a metre-wide sprinkle is better than a single patch because it avoids squabbles and doesn’t flag your garden like a buffet. Skip salted nuts, toast, sweet cereal, or leftovers in sauces; these aren’t good for wildlife and they linger. Rotate your spots every few days, and bring pet food indoors before evening. Let’s be honest: nobody does this every day. If you miss a night, you haven’t broken a contract with nature; just pick it up again tomorrow or at the weekend.
Start with three evenings, then taper to every other night as the weather steadies and the digging calms. If you live near a red squirrel area, speak to local groups about feeding guidelines and never draw greys deeper into those zones. Keep it hands-off — scatter and step back — and wash up after gardening. *Feed lightly, at dusk, and step back.*
“I stopped losing my tulips the week I started a tiny ‘decoy feed’ by the elder,” says Colin, the neighbour who swore squirrels could pick locks. “Turns out they’ll take the easy snack and leave your pride alone.”
- Do: scatter at dusk in a thin drift, near cover and away from pots.
- Do: keep it small — about a tablespoon — and rotate spots.
- Do: use plain oats only, plus a shallow water dish nearby.
- Don’t: pile food, use salted nuts, or leave out bread and sweets.
- Don’t: feed daily for months on end; think short, seasonal bursts.
Beyond tonight: small acts change the season
This is about a tiny recalibration, the sort of neighbourly gesture that makes a garden feel alive rather than embattled. A palm of oats in the right place can spare your tulips, give a skinny juvenile a clean boost, and turn the twitchy standoff into a shared rhythm — you plant, they forage, and the space holds both stories. It’s also a reminder that most garden “problems” are really patterns we can bend with small, cheap moves rather than gear and frustration. Share it on your street WhatsApp, try it for a week, swap notes, tweak the timing. The quickest way to shift wildlife behaviour is to change what’s easy for them. A 3p nudge is often all it takes.
| Point clé | Détail | Intérêt pour le lecteur |
|---|---|---|
| Scatter oats at dusk | One tablespoon of plain porridge oats, spread thinly near cover, 2–3m from beds | Protects bulbs while giving squirrels an easy alternative |
| Keep portions tiny | About 3p’s worth; rotate spots; add a water dish | Reduces pests and avoids creating a nightly dependency |
| Avoid problem foods | No salted nuts, bread, sweet cereal, or piles of seed | Keeps wildlife healthy and cuts the risk of rats |
FAQ :
- Is it okay to feed squirrels at all?In small, seasonal bursts, yes — as a gentle nudge rather than a full-on feeding station. If you’re in a red squirrel area, check local guidance and prioritise not drawing greys in.
- Why oats and not nuts?Oats are cheap, plain, and less likely to attract rats or start squabbles. Nuts are rich and smelly, which can spark a crowd and encourage digging right where you don’t want it.
- How much should I scatter?About a tablespoon per evening, spread widely, not heaped. Think breadcrumbs, not a buffet. If anything remains by morning, use less next time.
- Will this stop squirrels digging bulbs completely?Not completely, but it often reduces the worst of it by changing their route. Pair the scatter with a light mulch of leaves or a wire mesh over new pots for extra peace.
- Can I use other kitchen scraps?Plain apple cores or pumpkin trimmings in small amounts can work, placed under shrubs. Skip salted, spiced, or sugary foods, and don’t leave out bread — it’s poor nutrition and messy.
Brilliant tip. I scattered plain porridge oats at dusk last week—about a tablespoon along the fence—and my pots were untouched the next morning. Costs basically nothing and feels kinder than traps. Thanks for the clear “decoy dusk” steps.