I read somewhere that they don't like peppermint, so I bought some peppermint tea and sprinkled the contents of the teabags all around my crops. That got expensive, so I bought bulk dried peppermint leaves. I don't know if it was that or the squirrels finally got tired of my dogs, but for the most part they left the garden alone.

My neighbor grows corn and to keep birds and squirrels away, he ties plastic grocery bags to sticks all around his garden. The movement and rustling seems to keep most critters away.

You can interplant with cloves of fresh garlic in all 4 directions 4 to 6 inches away . This stops them from eating tulip bulbs . Leave the garlic in as a living ,self perpetuating barrier .