Cayenne pepper is a GREAT squirrel repellent. Why? The chemical in cayenne pepper is the same chemical used in pepper spray, a common deterrent for bears and humans.
Consider spreading cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, or pepper flakes around your blooming plants to deter these critters. 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.
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.
White vinegar has a strong smell and is a powerful squirrel deterrent. The easiest way to treat a squirrel-infested area is to simply pour it on active squirrel hang-outs or spray it around your property with a mix of water.
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.
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.
Do coffee grounds repel squirrels? Yes, squirrels dislike the smell of coffee grounds. However, eating coffee grounds can make birds sick, so it's not a good method for repelling squirrels from bird feeders.
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.
Directions. Mix 1 quart of water with 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and 2 chopped jalapeño peppers.
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.
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.
Here are a few recipes you can try: Hot Pepper Spray: Create a homemade squirrel repellent by mixing water with cayenne pepper and a few drops of dish soap. Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to areas where squirrels are active.
The method for stopping squirrels with cayenne pepper
I performed the task of peppering my feeders and seed for 3 to 4 days in the spring, and my feeders were squirrel-free for over a month. They did show up occasionally, but they only fed on seed on the ground.
Every few days, sprinkle about ¼ cup of cayenne pepper throughout your garden. It gets washed away by rain and blows with the wind so it does need to be replenished, but you can buy it inexpensively, and it often solves the problem of unwanted visitors overnight.
Though cayenne peppers will not harm your dog, they will irritate his eyes, nose and throat. To keep your dog out of your flowerbed, grind a mixture of black pepper and cayenne pepper, and sprinkle it throughout your garden.
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.
Cereal. Next, avoid feeding breakfast cereals to squirrels or other wildlife in your backyard. Cereals may also have too much salt and sugar and cause some discomfort for squirrels, even the so-called healthy options with nuts and fibre. Additionally, these items have no nutritional value to a squirrel's diet.
Best time of day to feed squirrels
You can usually spot them during the early hours of the morning when it is quiet and late afternoon before sunset.
In North America, snakes, raccoons (Procyon lotor), red foxes, grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), bobcats (Lynx rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) will take Grey squirrels.
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.
They don't like the scent of coffee, peppermint, or pepper. Gardeners can leave a border of coffee grounds around their garden to repel squirrels. Some have success with creating a mixture of peppermint and coffee or peppermint, garlic, and vinegar, which creates a strong smell that squirrels don't like.
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.