Squirrel bait poison is made from chemicals called rodenticides. It kills everything from rats and squirrels to woodchucks. These chemicals are toxic for pets, children, and other small animals, so be sure that you keep poison for squirrels out of reach of children.
If you must kill a squirrel, the best methods, in order, are: 1 - SHOOTING: If you're a good shot, all you need is a high-powered air rifle. Just don't clip and maim. 2 - LETHAL TRAPS: This includes body grip traps set right on the squirrel entry hole, like a connibear 55.
Zinc phosphide* is an acute toxicant that can also be use to control ground squirrels. It kills ground squirrels after a single feeding, so it can reduce numbers more quickly than anticoagulants. However, zinc phosphide* has a distinctive odor and taste that many ground squirrels seem to avoid.
Bait and Trap. If you're dealing with a squirrel infestation inside your attic, basement, or crawl spaces, one of the easiest ways to get rid of them is to use baiting and trapping methods. Most squirrel traps allow you to catch and release the squirrels, but there are also spring traps that will kill them.
Lethal Traps
Snap traps, conibear traps, and live traps all work well, although snap traps should be covered with a box when used outdoors. This prevents non-target species from encountering the traps. Since we always advocate for humane pest removal, we recommend using live ground squirrel traps instead of kill traps.
Indeed, cars are probably the most significant source of mortality for most squirrel populations.
There are many foods that squirrels can't eat, such as chocolate, sugary snacks, and processed foods. These foods can be harmful to the squirrels and can cause health problems. Instead, try feeding the squirrels foods that are safe for them, such as nuts, seeds, and fruits.
Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, or pepper flakes around your plants when they are ready to bloom. Peppers have “capsaicin” which squirrels hate, so it's a natural squirrel deterrent. Or, make a pepper spray; you can mix dried pepper with apple cider vinegar.
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.
Yes, Irish Spring soap can help to keep squirrels away. The scent of the soap is unpleasant for the animals and will prevent them from entering your home or yard. You can use either a liquid soap solution or shave bars of Irish Spring and sprinkle it around areas that squirrels are known to frequent.
Direct poisoning occurs when the bait is eaten by a non-target animal, like a cat, or a squirrel. These animals then die from internal bleeding caused by rodent poison. Bait is made to smell like food and attract animals. Its odour and flavour attract squirrels, skunks, birds, and even cats and dogs.
Poisoning Squirrels Is Illegal
Poisoning Squirrels may be illegal depending on where you live. In Texas, poisoning squirrels is illegal as squirrels are considered game and may end up being ingested by humans.
Believe it or not, mothballs are not a good remedy for repelling squirrels from your yard. They are harmful to the environment and can kill many insects and rodents, such as squirrels. Currently, it is illegal to use mothballs in your garden.
They're said to dislike the scent of coffee grounds and peppermint, or you could make up your own recipe with vinegar, garlic and onions or peppermint oil to spray in the garden. Chilli flakes and pepper might put them off, so try a sprinkling of these – it's often used to keep squirrels off bird feeders.
Most people rush for chemicals when they're trying to get rid of pests. So they might use mothballs, bleach, or poison. These are all smells that squirrels hate, but they can also be toxic for kids, pets, and the environment. Vinegar is a safer option because it's organic but still pungent.
Scare them away.
Rodent-chasing dogs and motion-activated noisemakers, such as garden spinners, pinwheels, and aluminum pie tins, all make good squirrel deterrents. In addition, if you're watering your lawn anyway, consider using a motion-detecting sprinkler to increase the scare factor.
One of their most feared predators is the common fox. While you don't have to get a pet fox to keep squirrels out of your yard, you can create the illusion of a fox nearby. Fox urine can be purchased at almost any hunting and fishing supply store and is an excellent squirrel deterrent.
Mothballs are an effective way to keep squirrels out of flower pots. They contain chemical substances that release pungent smells that squirrels hate. All you need do is place a few mothballs around the areas squirrels visit often and inside your flower pots to set up a smart odor barrier.
Dryer sheets are often used to make clothes smell fresh and clean. They also work great for repelling squirrels! The strong scent of dryer sheets will keep squirrels away. You can place them around your property or add them to a bag and hang them in areas where squirrels are active.
Coffee grounds will keep squirrels away from your garden because they do not like the smell. Simply sprinkle some fresh grounds on the soil surrounding your plants every two weeks. You can also try spraying your plants with a hot pepper spray for the same effect.
You see, squirrels aren't exactly the tidiest of eaters, and they have a habit of dropping food onto the ground which then attracts other rodents like rats and mice, and this brings along a whole new batch of problems with it, so it's a situation best to be avoided.
Squirrel Predators: Dogs and Cats
Predation by household pets is believed to be a significant cause of death in squirrels that live in urban environments (source). The twist however is that, in general, dogs and cats will kill squirrels but do not eat them.
For one, they feed on garden plants, digging up roots and stunting growth. They also disturb carefully cultivated landscaping and can have a detrimental effect on tree health.
Remove what attracts them.
The sight and smell of fallen fruit, nuts and seeds lures squirrels. Rake your yard regularly to remove these items from under bird feeders and trees. Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids to keep squirrels out of your trash.