How to Prevent Animals from Eating your Pumpkin – I’m all about the fall season, but I hate it when animals eat my pumpkins. The big question always seems to be – how to prevent animals from eating your pumpkins.

How to Prevent Animals from Eating your Pumpkins

Without fail – every year – animals (mostly squirrels) come dine on our pumpkins that we have outside our home. It drives me crazy because 1) pumpkins aren’t cheap 2) I love them outside as pretty decorations 3) my kids get bummed because the picked out these pumpkins (and eventually carve them, too!). I know I’m not alone!

I’m seeing so many of my friends writing on Facebook about these animals eating and running away with big chunks of their pumpkins! You need ways to figure out How to Prevent Animals from Eating your Pumpkins! It’s essential, especially during this time of year. I asked the lady at the local farm we went to and she gave me a couple of ideas (one being, “Don’t put them outside!” – ha ha!), and the I looked online and found additional ways that I wanted to share with you.

8 Ways to Prevent Animals from Eating your Pumpkins

1. Rub Vaseline all over the pumpkin so it’s too greasy for an animal. This actually *might* help preserve the pumpkin a little longer, too! This one is an easy one to do because it’s an item that most people have right at home. The downside is that it gets on your hands and you really need to just keep the pumpkin where it is because it’s tough to move with Vaseline on it.

2. Use an animal repellent right on the pumpkin – just spray away! The good things is that many of the repellents are non-toxic and formulated to drive squirrels (and other small animals away) away rather than kill them.

3. Another way to prevent animals from eating your pumpkins is to spray hairspray on the pumpkin.

4. Try dropping drops of eucalyptus oil on your your pumpkin’s surface.

5. My neighbor “swears” by putting a teddy bear or a stuffed animal outside with them at night. No joke! He said this works great because animals think there’s already an animal there!

6. Put drops of distilled vinegar around the pumpkin. This won’t smell great, but it should work!

7. Use your dog’s mat to place the pumpkins on. Animals won’t like the smell of “another” animal and they will back away.

8. Try using peppermint oil on your pumpkin, too. Just a few dabs here and there. It’s all about the potent smell for them.

Again – if you’re looking for ways Prevent Animals from Eating your Pumpkins!

Check out these fun ways that we carve pumpkins!