Dwarf English Boxwoods – Branches Chewed

Q: Over the past several years I occasionally find a branch of one of my dwarf English boxwoods chewed off and lying on the ground beside it. I think the culprits are squirrels. For several years I have been carrying out a relocation program for the squirrels, but it hasn’t seemed to work.

A: I think you are right, it sounds like squirrels are the culprit. But there’s not much you can do to repel them. There are no odors that offend them and visual repellents would be more irritating to you than to them. Trapping and relocation doesn’t work because there’s always another one to replace the one you take away. I don’t have a solution for your problem unless you want to get a dog.