My mother in law lives in the country and plants a BIG garden, we get produce from her, almost no squirrels or rabbits, but a lot of racoons and deer, she just plants extra. Mine is just a small hobby - every spring hope springs eternal. My herb bed is mostly untouched, so there's that. Our neighborhood is called Oak Tree Farms - just about every house has at least 1 oak tree. And so we have squirrels. In packs. My late dad also planted a huge garden in the burbs that we all worked in growing up, it fed he, mom and 4 girls thru many a lean year in the 70s. Canned and froze all summer. One year he declared war on the squirrels. Trapped and drowned or shot 101 squirrels in one summer. Didn't make a dent. They are territorial and you kill the ones in your territory, new ones just move in. He gave up after that and just planted extra knowing he would lose some of it. Waxes and wanes, though - some years a lot more vermin damage than others, and it is super dry this year and so think they are hurting for food sources. (they also raid my bird feeders), Rabbit population down this year as we are hearing an owl hooting at night, and our youngest cat Edgar is good at catching chipmunks, and has occasionally gotten a squirrel. He at least keeps them on the run when he is out, but in the heat of the day, he wants the A/C. The other cats are old, not much for hunting, but they do keep them out of the yard if they go out.