Adhesive materials: Polybutenes. Polybutenes create a sticky lubricant that can deter squirrels from scaling railings and buildings. As they walk across the material, their feet may become stuck, which could cause so much irritation that they don't return.
Use wire to outsmart squirrels
Well, wire is your answer. Squirrels are too big to walk on vertically-positioned wire, so they'll have to jump up and down it instead.
Squirrels are not fans of anything spicy, so the most effective homemade squirrel repellent for garden use consists of Cayenne pepper or other peppers (even hot sauce) mixed into some water with a couple of drops of dish soap in a spray bottle.
Other than completely smooth, extremely slippery surfaces, squirrels can climb just about anything. That means metal poles as the supports for your feeders are the beginning of any squirrel-deterrent effort.
Now that we know more about them, we'll discuss the scents they hate! The scents on this list are: Peppermint Oil, Capsaicin, Coffee Grounds, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cinnamon, Predator Urine, Irish Springs Soap, Dryer Sheets, and Rosemary.
Use Strong Odors
Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.
Irish Spring soap is one of many homemade solutions people use to repel squirrels. While it may work for some, other homemade solutions, like cayenne pepper or vinegar sprays, can also be effective. However, like Irish Spring, these methods often provide only temporary relief.
If you're tired of squirrels breaking into your bird feeders and stealing all the bird food, try using some Vicks VapoRub to alleviate your woes. Squirrels are repelled by the scent of the ointment, so spreading it around the area where you have the feeder may deter the squirrels.
Install Squirrel Guards
Squirrel guards are physical barriers that can be placed around trees and utility poles. These guards prevent squirrels from climbing up and using these structures to gain access to your roof. Metal collars or cone-shaped guards are particularly effective.
They May Bite or Scratch
Like most rodents, squirrels have incredibly sharp teeth, which can cause a serious bite. Scratches and bites can also become infected, as these mammals carry bacteria on their coats, teeth, and claws.
In North America, snakes, raccoons (Procyon lotor), red foxes, grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcats (Lynx rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) will take Grey squirrels.
There are several effective homemade squirrel repellents. One popular option is to create a strong-smelling mixture using vinegar, ammonia, or essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, or citrus. Soak cotton balls in these scents and place them in areas where squirrels are active or use them to block entry points.
Avocado skin and seed are toxic. Consumption can lead to breathing difficulties and heart-related issues. 3. Onions and Garlic: Onions and garlic, in any form, can be harmful to squirrels as they can cause damage to their red blood cells, leading to anemia.
Remember the 5-7-9 rule. The mighty squirrel can jump… ever notice that? In order to make them physically less accessible, feeders must be placed 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet from a bush or fence and must be 9 feet from an overhanging limb.
Get them out.
It might be as easy as banging on the rafters or going into the attic and speaking loudly. You can also try putting a bright light in the attic and leaving it on, playing a radio around the clock or putting rags soaked with cider vinegar in the attic (squirrels don't like the smell).
The taste and smell of coffee is pleasing for many, but squirrels disagree. Coffee grounds are a natural repellent for squirrels, and they're easy to mix in with your soil. Instead of discarding your leftover coffee grounds, sprinkle them around the surface soil in your potted plant.
A handyman in Donora, Pennsylvania, discovered that the same pipe used for plumbing can be an effective deterrent for squirrels, which can´t climb it. Using the pipe as a post on which a bird feeder is mounted prevents the creatures from getting any traction.
Squirrels have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find food sources and shelter. You can repel squirrels using scents they hate such as, capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish Spring bar soap, and rosemary.
The only true way to keep squirrels out of the garden is physical barriers. We use bird netting over hoops, which keeps squirrels out but still allows bees to pollinate.
P-E-P-P-E-R! Yes, your answer for the best squirrel repellant is cayenne pepper. (Or some other capsaicin-based seasoning/oil).
It may be effective and funny to watch, but please, do NOT do this. Such petroleum-based products can be harmful to animals. Squirrels that get these substances on their paws will clean themselves by licking and will thereby take these petroleum products in internally where they are potentially toxic.
The best squirrel repellent on the market would be a combination of different devices and measures. This could include motion-activated sprinklers and ultrasonic repellers such as Predator Guard's PestAway Animal Repeller or PestAway Mouse, Mole, and Squirrel Repeller.
According to Precision Pest & Wildlife Removal, squirrels dislike strong scents, including natural and synthetic fragrances. Because dryer sheets have a high amount of strong fragrance, they could be effective for keeping squirrels away from your yard.
Some of the other common rodents include squirrels, hamsters, gophers, and others. Does Pine Sol deter rodents? As will most cleaners, Pine-Sol contains properties that may deter rodents and other types of pests; however, this is not a viable solution as a pest control measure.
The pungent smell of pure apple cider vinegar repels the squirrels. ACV is readily available and can be sprayed directly on the plants and flower pots without harming them. Spray it as often as needed to keep the little creatures at bay.