The Damage They Do

• Squirrels will get into your bird feeder without a deterrent.Zedcor Wholly Owned/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Squirrels and rabbits have a variety of bad habits that can harm vegetation and the other wildlife in your yard. Squirrels eat bulbs, chew on buds, and steal nuts from the birds, not to mention their bird feeder thieving habits. Rabbits chew on seedlings, flowers, bulbs, and many trees and shrubs. In fact, they will eat just about anything to ward off starvation. Tree damage from rabbits is identifiable by areas near the base of the trunk that are stripped of bark.
  
  

Squirrel Barriers

• Squirrels will dig up crocus bulbs before they have a chance to flower.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The foolproof way to keep squirrels from damaging your plants is to build a barrier that keeps them out of the planted area. After you plant bulbs, cover the soil over them with 2 1/2-inch wire mesh like the fencing used to contain chickens -- chicken wire. When the bulbs begin to peek through the soil, remove the mesh and sprinkle the plants with pickling lime to make them less palatable to the squirrels.
  
  

Squirrel Beater Tonic

• Disperse squirrel beater tonic with a household spray bottle.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Mix up a liquid preparation that is offensive to squirrels to protect your yard. In a garden sprayer, mix 2 tbsp. of cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp. of hot sauce, 2 tbsp. of chili powder, 1 tbsp. of Murphy's Oil Soap, and 1 quart of warm water. Spray this mixture on the plants you want to protect to keep squirrels away. Be sure to wash any fruits or vegetables you plan to eat.
  
  

Save the Bird Feeder

• Duct tape stuck to a wooden post makes a slippery climbing surface.Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Keep squirrels off your bird feeder by mounting it on a 4-inch by 4-inch, 5-foot tall wooden post and covering the post with vertically hung duct tape. The squirrels will slip down if they try to climb it. Or hang your feeder on a cable strung between two trees. String three or four open-ended orange juice cans on the cable on either side of the bird feeder. Squirrels will roll right off.
  
  

Less Palatable Plants

• Rabbits do not like to eat lavender.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  Rabbits will eat almost any vegetation, but there are less-hospitable plants that will keep them away from your yard when there are other choices. Select plants with robust, leathery leaves such as mahonia, aucuba, osmanthus or acanthus. Rabbits also dislike silvery-leaf plants such as lavender and artimesia. Other plant deterrents are selections with a lemon scent such as lemon thyme.
  
  

Rabbit Barrier

• Chicken wire fencing will keep the rabbits out of your garden.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  Rabbits are also successfully deterred by a physical barrier. Use chicken wire mesh to surround garden plants, but be sure the fence is 3 feet high and is set 6 inches deep into the ground.