Predator scents: Squirrels and chipmunks are prey animals, so the scent of predators can be very effective in dissuading them. Strong scents: Strong scents like cayenne pepper, vinegar, or ammonia can be used to discourage squirrels and chipmunks.
Add Scent and Taste Deterrents
Citrus, garlic, peppermint, cinnamon, and eucalyptus all provide odors disagreeable to chipmunks. The smell of coffee is off-putting so try sprinkling spent grounds in areas where you want to keep them out. Sensitive to predator danger, chipmunks avoid places with animal urine and waste.
Chipmunks don't like pepper, garlic or mint. Sprinkle cayenne pepper and garlic into garden beds and pots, repeating every few days in hot, humid weather. Create a hostile environment for their ears by alternately blaring music, setting your phone to obnoxious alarm sounds or using sound-emitting devices.
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.
Add some spice: Sprinkling cayenne, chili powder or other hot, intense spices around your garden is a non-toxic way to discourage chipmunks from hanging around.
The #1 Best Overall chipmunk repellent is the Plantskydd Granular Animal Repellent. Chipmunks can often decimate your yard and even damage your home's foundation. There are several types of chipmunk repellent — natural, chemical, and ultrasonic.
Essential Oils
Two tablespoons of peppermint oil in a spray bottle filled with one cup of water is a great way to repel chipmunks.
Predators of chipmunks include hawks, owls, snakes, domestic cats, raccoons, foxes and more. are used to carry large amounts of food to their burrows to be hoarded for later.
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.
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.
Moth balls are commonly used to repel insects, but did you know that they can also keep chipmunks away? Chipmunks are attracted to the smell of moth balls, but they will avoid contact with them.
It is a safe technique as it does not have any harmful effects on trees or squirrels. The aluminum foil will simply prevent them from climbing.
Will Irish Spring really keep chipmunks away? Yes, it can. There is some evidence to suggest that the fragrance of Irish Spring could really help to keep chipmunks away from your garden or other plants around your home.
In addition to cats and dogs, chipmunks are also terrified of owls, which are one of their largest predators (via Squirrels at the Feeder). In fact, they even have a warning system to alert other chipmunks if a threat is in the area.
Coffee grounds are effective at repelling squirrels and chipmunks, as they don't like the smell. Try sprinkling used coffee grounds around the border of your garden to keep your crops and flowers safe! Add a few drops of water to the ground to secure the grinds in place and help heighten the smell.
Outdoors. Mothballs are occasionally thrown in gardens and lawns to keep away pets and other animals. However, mothballs are ineffective in repelling wildlife in outdoor areas such as rats, mice, squirrels, bats, snakes, or other wildlife.
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.
Aluminum foil is a good way to keep squirrels away from your roof. Cut the aluminum foil into pieces, and then affix them to the areas you do not want them to climb onto. Make sure that they are placed in areas that are easy for you to access so you can remove them when the time comes.
According to experts, squirrels are repelled by the smell and texture of vapor rub! Do you have a Who Knew You Could suggestion?
No commercially available toxic baits or pesticides specifically control nuisance chipmunks. Baits for controlling house mice or rats will also kill chipmunks; however, they are not labeled for such use and are not recommended.
Because chipmunks are diurnal, they forage most after dawn and in the late afternoon. Chipmunks forage during the early morning and late afternoon. This time is when these mammals are most active. These animals forage in trees but prefer to feed on the ground.
If you want to know how to keep chipmunks out of your garden and keep squirrels from digging up your bulbs, try cayenne pepper. Available at almost any grocery store, finely ground cayenne pepper can spice up your food and backyard. Sprinkle the soil with cayenne pepper and you'll have no more dug-up plants.
Use mothballs and other deterrants.
Chipmunks are not fond of mothballs. Place mothballs around the foundation of your house and in any known chipmunk holes.
Keeping chipmunks out
Remove wood or rock piles and trim back plantings that provide cover or food sources around the area of concern. Surround the area with a plant-free gravel border. Plant flower bulbs beneath a wire or plastic screen ground cover or in bulb cages.