What Can You Do to Keep Squirrels Away?

Although cute from a altitude, squirrels can be surprisingly subversive – especially when they fix their sights on your dwelling or garden. Squirrels mate and have offspring twice a yr, meaning that you could exist dealing with a rambunctious family unit of 2-4 squirrel kits more oftentimes than y'all'd similar to.

Squirrels have a stiff sense of smell, which they utilize food sources and shelter. You can repel squirrels using scents they detest such as, capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish gaelic Bound Soap, and rosemary.

Read on to learn more than about what scents you can employ to keep squirrels out of your home and garden. Y'all'd be surprised how many of these options are in your kitchen right now!

Only to add together – when you shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn chapter commissions if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Acquaintance, nosotros earn from qualifying purchases.

What Kind of Damage Can Squirrels Cause?

There are quite a few different types of squirrels, simply they all seem to dearest fir and pine trees.

Having a stand of either type of tree nearby most probable puts you in the immediate area of these heavily populated rodents. Unfortunately, they could see this as an open invitation to your home and food!

The main business when information technology comes to squirrel impairment is structural damage.

Squirrels accept long, lean bodies that fit easily into modest spaces. Their dexterous hands – somewhat like to our hands – have digits that aren't technically fingers, but still allow them to grasp whatsoever they want.

Here's the get-go-to-terminate of how squirrels tin can get into your home and cause harm:

• Siding: Whether the siding is already damaged or not, squirrels will continue to chew siding once inside. The holes they create are big plenty to allow moisture in, which can cause rot or water harm.

• Insulation: In one case they're by the siding, squirrels get into the insulation, where they are more than happy to nest. If you've had a squirrel infestation before, you lot've likely heard them banging around in the walls.
  
• Wiring: These rodents are inquisitive enough that nothing will stop them from chewing, even on the wiring in your walls. Chewing as well helps squirrels maintain their dental health, every bit their teeth keep to grow throughout their lives.

Outside of the home, squirrels are pests to gardens and bird areas. They dig up the soil, chew up vegetables, rob fruit copse, and brand raids on bird feeders.

Oh, and squirrels tin even consume your grass seed. More than on that here.

For such modest animals, they're surprisingly destructive!

Squirrels Stay Away From Capsaicin

Unsurprisingly, squirrels detest spicy and/or hot scents. The capsaicin found in hot peppers is an irritant, which is why people scrunch up their noses, sweat, and get watery eyes when they consume spicy food.

The smell lone is enough to keep squirrels out of areas where you lot don't want them. Both white or blackness pepper and chili pulverization are great options for sources of capsaicin

Black pepper tends to exist spicier than white pepper, but either will work and can exist purchased in whatever grocery store. Chili pulverisation is fabricated up of pulverized chili peppers, of which there are countless varieties.

Pepper and chili powder won't just keep squirrels away; they're as well used equally natural insecticides, so making a pepper or chili powder spray is a great idea for your garden.

You can either brand your own spray, or get a ready made product that contains capsaicin

Squirrels coming up against areas sprayed with pepper and chili powder won't want to hang around also long!

Squirrels Hate White Vinegar

The easiest and near natural way to get rid of squirrels is to create your own sprays. This is a pretty uncomplicated process! Yous'll demand a bones spray bottle, such as R2 Goods heavy duty plastic spray bottles.

Home-made sprays are not only easy to make, merely they're likewise incredibly affordable. Y'all probably have most of the ingredients effectually the house already.

The not bad thing about this spray is that you can too add together any essential oils you'd like. Meet below why peppermint oil is a smashing choice!

Keep in mind that although natural and beneficial in many ways, vinegar is acidic and can crusade impairment to delicate plants. If you're using this spray in your garden, keep a close eye on plants to ensure they stay healthy and undamaged.

Yous'll desire to make certain that you dilute the white vinegar likewise, as pure vinegar volition corrode your plants. You should spray an object that can absorb the vinegar and place it Near your plants. Reapply as needed!

Additionally, make certain you don't use apple tree cider vinegar to repel squirrels. The sweetness in the apple cider vinegar tin can attract flies.

Peppermint Oil Naturally Repels Squirrels

Aside from having a diverseness of wellness benefits, essential oils have been proven to keep pests away from both the domicile and garden.

Peppermint essential oil specifically is hated by squirrels. To them, the odour is overpowering and they'll avoid it as much equally they can.

There are two means to apply peppermint in your home or garden: equally a spray, or soaked into cotton assurance or fabric.

Sprays are the obvious option for keeping pests out of gardens, simply cotton assurance and textile are a great choice to shore upward holes where the rodents might take found their manner into your house. Soak cloth or cotton wool balls directly in the peppermint oil and use them to pack up any unwanted openings.

In the garden, peppermint oil should be diluted for everyday employ. For every 16oz of water, add xx drops of the essential oil. No demand to add vinegar or lather – but make sure to keep an middle on your garden and care for information technology as needed when pests return.

If y'all're not up for making your own essential oil spray, products like Mighty Mint'due south Peppermint Oil Rodent Repellent Spray are easily institute online and piece of work just as well as chemical products.

Java Grounds Naturally Deter Squirrels

If you've been composting or just simply tossing your already spent coffee grounds, you lot now have a natural solution to repel squirrels.

Yes, squirrels hate the scents and experience of used coffee grounds. While there is no scientific prove that java grounds repel squirrels, the fact is that used coffee grounds are an unfamiliar odour to squirrels and may indicate that humans are nearby.

Y'all can use coffee grounds every bit an all-natural fertilizer, to kick! Used java grounds are great for your garden. Additionally, this is 1 of my favorite methods for coffee drinkers every bit really, you don't demand to purchase anything else. Only but empty your java filter past your garden!

For more effectiveness, drink more coffee. LOL.

Cinnamon Keeps Squirrels Away

Ah yes, cinnamon! If you've always accidentally taken a large spoonful of cinnamon to the face up, y'all'll know just how spicy information technology can be. In small amounts cinnamon is a delicious spice. However, its's a spice!

Cinnamon, specifically ground cinnamon, repels squirrels. This is considering cinnamon in larger doses can infuriate the sinus cavities of a squirrel. To utilise cinnamon to repel squirrels, sprinkle a large amount effectually the surface area you're trying to go along the squirrels away from

Ultimately, this method needs to be done in majority in social club to be constructive. Additionally, since its a scent purely exposed on the footing, current of air tin can blow the cinnamon away. Plus, yous'll need to apply every iv-7 days.

You can also employ diluted cinnamon oil, combine it with a few drops of peppermint oil, spray and soak a rag, and necktie it to a tree or post near your garden, tree or surface area y'all're trying to protect. This combination will take a good shot of keeping squirrels away.

Predator Urine Repels Squirrels

While nosotros desire to keep it natural in the dwelling house and garden, some scents but aren't worth getting naturally.

For instance, predator scents.

Coyote and fox urine will repel squirrels for obvious reasons. They'll exercise anything to avoid their natural predators, and thinking that these two animals are roaming around oftentimes volition go along them out of your yard and away from your dwelling.

The easiest style to go this olfactory property is to observe a commercial manufacturer. They are surprisingly easy to find in outdoor stores or online. For example, American Heritage carries natural coyote urine in a 16oz canteen for a very affordable cost.

All it takes is a few shakes or sprays around the expanse you want to protect, and squirrels will have the hint right abroad.

If you're interested, take a look at our guide on the best coyote urines hither.

Squirrels Avoid Garlic

In add-on to the options listed higher up, there's some other mutual kitchen detail that will help you repel squirrels: garlic.

Practice you accept garlic in your kitchen right now? Well, good news for you is that you lot can commencement repelling squirrels right now. The reason squirrels avoid garlic is due to the pungent olfactory property it provides. When practical properly, garlic can overpower the odor of other plants in the garden and make squirrels think that merely garlic is prevalent.

You'll want to finely crush the garlic cloves upwards and spread them in a concentrated area near the plants yous'd like to repel. Continue in listen, the smell will fade subsequently a day or two and y'all'll demand to reapply the garlic.

Some other viable selection is to use Colton's Naturals Small Animate being Repellent, which contains a base of garlic oil, peppermint oil, pepper oil, vinegar and water. All scents that squirrels hate!

Squirrels Hate The Olfactory property of Dryer Sheets

Grey Squirrel eating hazelnuts

Did y'all know that dryer sheets accept been touted as a naturally insect and rodent repellent for quite onetime? Most notably, farmers of orchards would tie dryer sheets along their deer fence to go along deer away.

Additionally, dryer sheets are one of the scents that mice, another rodent, hate as well.

The reason using dryer sheets as a squirrel deterrent is one of my favorite methods is simply because y'all already have dryer sheets in your home! Even better, if they don't work for you, then you really oasis't wasted anything to observe out that outcome.

To employ dryer sheets to proceed squirrels abroad, tie a good scattering of them nearly the area yous're trying to go on squirrels from! Your cranium, on a debate, or nearby your garden are all acceptable areas.

If you have a mint scented dryer canvass or another scented dryer sheet that is one of the scents squirrels hate on this listing, thats a bonus. Otherwise, Bounciness Dryer Sheets accept been constitute to work quite well to repel squirrels due to their unique aroma.

Irish Leap Soap Can Repel Squirrels

Aromatic soaps ultimately have notes in their fragrance that tin repel certain animals. Irish Spring Lather, with its woody aroma, can actually repel squirrels like to how it repels raccoons.

If you'd like to read more on that, yous tin can apply the same tactics in an article we wrote about using Irish Jump Soap to repel raccoons by reading here.

Rosemary Repels Squirrels

Rosemary can in-fact repel squirrels. Quite simply, squirrels merely don't like the scent of rosemary. You'll demand to be able to get a strong rosemary scent in guild to repel squirrels. Otherwise, if at that place's merely a hint of rosemary scent, it won't be enough to keep squirrels away.

You lot tin can create your own rosemary spray using rosemary essential oil, and properly dilute the scent with h2o and a carrier oil. There are plenty of recipes available online if you get this route!

Where to Utilise Repellents

While squirrels are destructive in general, in that location are a few key areas that they like to frequent where you should be using these scents whenever necessary.

• Attic: Due to the need for ventilation, attics are easily accessible for squirrels and other pests. It doesn't accept much chewing, if any, for them to find a way in and begin nesting.
  
• Siding: Squirrels are good at finding openings, and they'll take advantage of any spot where siding doesn't quite overlap or is starting to wear away.
  
• Gardens: They might not be the first thing you lot think of when yous remember garden pests, only squirrels are notorious for earthworks up gardens for both seeds and vegetables. It's in their nature to dig and shop, and to them, a garden is a supermarket. Keep an centre out for lilliputian piles of disturbed soils and areas that they seem to return to over and over.

Alternative Ways to Repel Squirrels

Squirrels are so prominent these days that the thought of trapping and releasing them seems ridiculous. If yous get rid of one family, another will show upward and take their identify. Your all-time bet is direction and deterrents.

Have a Family unit Pet

Because they're casualty animals, squirrels are incredibly aware of surrounding predators. While they frequently out-smart humans, dogs and cats pose more of a threat to these wily rodents, who come across them as natural predators.

Information technology takes a very active dog and a very stealthy cat to actually catch and impairment a squirrel. While that shouldn't exist your goal, but having a pet or ii at domicile, roaming around the thousand occasionally, will exist plenty to keep squirrels at the boundary.

Go along Up with Habitation Maintenance

Owning a home means endless to-practice lists, and it'due south easy to put some tasks at the peak of the lists and others at the bottom. But keeping up with routine habitation maintenance – at least checking common trouble areas – tin can help go along squirrels at bay.

Hither are some tips and tricks to make your dwelling squirrel-proof:

• Weekly checks: Keeping squirrels out of your house can be as simple as walking around the premises one time a week and giving the structure a once-over.
  • Are there any open holes or areas a rodent could skid through? Are there signs that they might be poking around certain places, looking for a spot to nest?
    
• Focus on siding: Siding is 1 of the primary ways squirrels sneak in, every bit it's piece of cake for them to chew a pigsty. Once inside they'll start nesting – and then make certain you're familiar with the state of the outside of your home.
  
• Block entrances: If you notice any spots where they could get in, or where they've already gotten in, get to piece of work making those areas inaccessible. Yous (or a professional if you lot'd be more comfortable with that selection) tin hands plug holes, install grates, and repair siding as needed.

Welcome Wildlife

An overabundance of squirrels is a sign of an unbalanced ecosystem. Although having predators such every bit foxes might seem intimidating at first, they do wonders for keeping the squirrel population nether control.

Learn to alive in harmony with the wildlife around your home and they'll accept intendance of the rest. As soon as a coyote starts makings its rounds through the neighborhood, you'll observe the squirrel population driblet drastically.

Any y'all practice, don't feed or effort to attract predators. They are all the same wild fauna and should be treated as such.

Sit back, have a coffee, and picket nature take its natural class.

Grow a Garden

We get it, y'all might not have the space to grow an expansive garden that includes naturally squirrel-repelling plants. If you're in a tight spot you probably want to focus on the flowers and vegetables you lot love the almost.

Unfortunately, squirrels are just as comfortable in residential settings as they are in rural areas and they motility so quickly that they don't see humans as threatening most of the fourth dimension.

If you can find a little infinite to grow some additional plants, the following could benefit you as squirrels naturally avert them:

• Daffodils – easy to find! These vivid yellow flowering bulbs can be dug upwardly or bought and transferred. They don't accept up much space and are native to many areas.
  
• Hyacinth – a fragrant flower with tight clusters of pastel-colored flowers
  
• Geraniums – these are definitely subject to the taste of the gardener. Geraniums don't smell corking to squirrels or humans, but their clustered flowers come in a variety of attractive colors, and they can be kept and maintained in hanging baskets.
  
• Alliums – you lot may not have heard of this plant before, merely if you've seen them, they're difficult to forget. Allium stands on tall stalks and grows a ball-shaped cluster of purple flowers. They cover a broad variety of plants and vegetables, including onions, leeks, shallots, and more. A great improver to any home garden.

The in a higher place plants are relatively easy to notice and inexpensive. Planting them right in the basis, or in planters around the area yous want squirrels to avert, can go a long way in keeping the rodents out of your garden or abroad from your firm.

Call In the Professionals

If all else fails, check in with your local pest or rodent control visitor to run across how they can help you. They may be able to provide guidance as to what exactly is alluring squirrels to your abode and m, and what the next steps are if you lot're unable to combat them yourself.

It's of import to keep in mind that you should non touch on or handle squirrels yourself, and to protect yourself from bites. A better option is to go far contact with a professional. Check out our nationwide pest command finder to get connected with a wildlife pro nigh yous in seconds. Using our partner network helps back up pestpointers.com!

If y'all're keeping up on home maintenance and encounter a squirrel family or colony, wait until they vacate the expanse before moving forrard with blocking entrances and using the deterrents mentioned above.

If you're interested, here are some more ways that squirrels can harm your dwelling house.

Last Words on Squirrel Command

Luckily for y'all, there are a variety of scents that will go on squirrels away and under control. While these tree-dwelling animals might be cute to watch play around amid the branches, they tin cause a shocking amount of harm to the home and garden.

The majority of scents listed above can be plant in almost home pantries or supermarkets. Keep an middle out for the following:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Blackness or White Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Peppermint Oil

Additionally, anything hot or spicy that can be turned into a DIY spray is a slap-up option. Hot sauce and garlic are swell examples.

Identify scents where needed, as needed, and make sure you're paying attention to when squirrel activity seems to increase. At that point, you might need to re-spray or soak some cloth in the aroma once more.

If you're looking for something a little more than heavy-duty, track down some predator urine. While it sounds unappetizing, squirrels are casualty animals and volition do everything they can to avert areas where predators seem agile.

Throw on some gloves and sprinkle a lilliputian urine effectually the perimeter of your garden or habitation.

The about important advice we tin can requite when it comes to squirrel invasions is to pay attending!

The signs are there, and usually obvious, but you should be checking on the outside of your house regularly to brand sure they haven't infiltrated anywhere.

If you have a particularly bad squirrel population, accept additional steps such equally getting a furry friend, growing plants that squirrels naturally hate, or bringing in the professionals if the task gets overwhelming.

References

Carey, A. B. (2000). Furnishings of new forest management strategieson squirrel populations. Ecological applications, 10(i), 248-257.

Fitzgerald, M. (1983). Capsaicin and sensory neurones—a review. Hurting, 15(one-4), 109-130.

Nevraumont, Peter Due north. (1998). Residue: Humanity and the Biodiversity Crisis. Princeton Printing.

Stroud, Dennis C. (1983). An Evaluation of Burrow Devastation Equally a Ground Squirrel Control Method. Academy of Nebraska – Lincoln.

chaffeythounater44.blogspot.com

Source: https://pestpointers.com/scents-that-squirrels-hate-and-how-to-use-them/

Share :