Here the problem is more difficult to solve because the problem is the plant and there are few ways to make the plant unattractive, short of replacing it with a different species. Female wax myrtles, for example, are very attractive to squirrels when their branches are full of fruit in the late fall. At this time, squirrels may gnaw off the branches and then eat the fruit. Such pruning does not really hurt the shrub, but it ruins its appearance for several months. Situations like this will occur each year as long as the plant and the squirrels occur together in the landscape.
Homeowners frequently attempt to solve squirrel-chewing problems by using some type of repellent.
As a rule, repellents are very ineffective in solving this type of problem. Visual repellents such as owl or snake decoys quickly are accepted by squirrels for what they really are and they are then ignored. Mothballs and other odor repellents also are usually ignored by squirrels and rarely change their pattern of behavior. One possible exception is taste repellents. Taste repellents are designed to stop chewing.