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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
They're eating it. The most likely culprits are rats, but skunks, opossums, foxes, raccoons and squirrels have all been known to chow down on a bar of soap, which also dispels the common belief that a bar of Irish Spring will keep critters away.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
While fake owls can temporarily deter squirrels, they are not foolproof solutions for long-term pest control.
Second to nuts, grains, and seeds, citrus and apples are the most effective. Oranges are sweet and juicy and have a strong, pleasant aroma, which is very tempting to thirsty squirrels on a hot summer day.
While most of these predators eat adult and young squirrels, raccoons and gray rat snakes prefer to prey on nestlings. However, the truth is that humans represent the greatest threat to gray squirrels. Untold numbers are killed by vehicles racing down our highways.
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.
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.
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.
P-E-P-P-E-R! Yes, your answer for the best squirrel repellant is cayenne pepper. (Or some other capsaicin-based seasoning/oil).
Does putting Irish Spring soap on the porch repel mosquitoes? Nope. Even if the scent were to repel insects, “the potency will not be direct enough to repel flying bugs,” says Crumbley.
Repel Indoor and Outdoor Pests
The reason Irish Spring soap works well as a deterrent for bugs, rodents, and other unwelcome critters is the strong scent. Since many animals and insects have a heightened sense of smell, they find the potent soap unpleasant.