Squirrels are primarily driven by three basic survival needs: food, water, and shelter. Because they have a fast metabolism, a large portion of their waking hours is dedicated to foraging for high-calorie foods like nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects, as well as burying and retrieving them.
The 5-7-9 rule is a golden guideline for bird feeder placement designed to outsmart a squirrel's natural jumping abilities. It dictates the minimum distances needed to keep your seed strictly for the birds:
Squirrels bring ecological and entertainment value to your yard. They act as nature’s gardeners by burying and forgetting seeds, which promotes tree growth. They aerate the soil, help control insect populations, and provide dynamic, free entertainment as they dart and play.
A squirrel's worst enemy is the red-tailed hawk and other birds of prey. Because squirrels spend their time scurrying across open spaces and climbing high in trees, these aerial predators—along with owls, foxes, weasels, snakes, and domestic cats—are their biggest natural threats in the wild.
Squirrels are most attracted to high-energy, high-fat foods and reliable shelter. Their absolute favorites include peanuts (in the shell), sunflower seeds, acorns, and peanut butter. They also heavily gravitate toward yards with natural cover like large trees, dense shrubs, and a constant source of fresh water.
During fall, red squirrels spend a lot of time gathering and storing food as they do not hibernate for the winter. Instead, they remain active year-round venturing out on cold days to dig up the food caches they so carefully hid during fall.
Oranges. Many squirrels love the scent of fresh oranges. Anyone who has tried feeding Baltimore orioles probably knows that the smell of fresh oranges can attract squirrels, too. These fragrant fruits have a strong aroma that squirrels may detect from a distance.
Squirrels travel but they do not migrate in the same way other animals do. Migratory animals travel long distances to take advantage of the changing seasons but they always come back to their home territory. Squirrels on the other hand will simply take up residence in a new territory if they needed to.
Peppermint Oil: The idea behind using peppermint oil is that the scent will be unpleasant to squirrels and will discourage them from coming into the area. To use peppermint oil as a repellent, you can soak cotton balls in the oil and place them in the area where they are causing damage.
We rarely see baby squirrels because they stay hidden in high, secure nests (dreys) or tree hollows until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. By the time they first venture outside, they are already about three-quarters of their full adult size and have a full coat of fur.
Squirrels sleep in a drey, a nest like structure made from sticks, moss, lichen and other materials. Squirrels will also sleep in tree trunks, often excavated by a woodpecker. Red squirrels will use 2-3 dreys during the summer and will move between them to keep down parasites.
Squirrels have, over time, adapted to living with people and have been proven to have an excellent memory. They can remember humans and can recognize the people that can be trusted as a source of food. Their memory is evident in studies where they were able to navigate a maze.
Tips to help keep squirrels away from your yard
Squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day. They peak at two main times:
'Potatoes help boost calorie consumption for birds, especially during colder weather, and when you mix them with their usual seeds and nuts, you can offer them a strong and balanced diet from your bird feeder. It helps support your local ecosystem, and you'll find you get a lot more birds visiting you.
Squirrels hate strong, pungent, and spicy scents because their sensitive noses link them to danger. The smells they hate most are:
Several common foods are highly poisonous or lethal to squirrels. You should avoid feeding them the following:
Wind chimes can briefly startle squirrels and offer a temporary deterrent, but they are not a reliable long-term solution. Because squirrels are highly intelligent and adaptable, they quickly realize that the noise from wind chimes is harmless and will learn to ignore them.
When a squirrel ingests baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), it reacts with the acid in its stomach to produce carbon dioxide gas. Because squirrels cannot burp or vomit, the gas builds up rapidly, causing extreme gastric bloating and internal distress, which is typically fatal.
Squirrels typically have babies twice a year: in early spring (February through April) and late summer (August to September).
Bold and sociable squirrels are more likely to approach people—to check out what you're doing or even ask for food. On the other hand, shy squirrels might stay hidden in trees or dart away the moment they see you. Squirrels living in cities or suburbs have learned to adapt to life around humans.
The most common cause of death for squirrels depends on their environment. For urban and suburban squirrels, vehicle collisions are the leading cause of mortality. For rural or wild squirrels, predation by birds of prey, foxes, and coyotes is the primary cause of death.
The strongest and most reliable squirrel repellents rely on capsaicin (hot pepper) and botanical oils (peppermint, garlic). While scent-based repellents are excellent for deterring chewing and garden digging, squirrels are highly persistent; therefore, physical barriers (like wire mesh or baffles) remain the most foolproof long-term deterrent.
Squirrels appear to be attracted to bright-colored vegetables. You may find them stealing your carrots, peas, squash and other similar veggies. Like all animals, they are attracted to places with plenty of resources, particularly food.
Irish Spring soap can temporarily help deter squirrels, as they strongly dislike its pungent, perfume-like scent. However, it is not a permanent solution, as the fragrance fades quickly and rain washes it away.