Home » Misc » What do squirrels not like

What do squirrels not like


How to Keep Squirrels Away

Keep Squirrels Away from Your Yard and Home

A squirrel may look cute and cuddly, but only from a distance. Once squirrels start getting into your yard, digging around and eating your plants or birdseed, they become much less precious and more of a pest. Not to mention, if one gets inside your home — now you’ve really got a problem on your hands! A squirrel can be a tough nut to crack (no pun intended). They’re quick, and a bit sneaky, so keeping them away from your home and yard is usually much easier said than done.  However, there are a few things you can do to protect your home and keep squirrels away from your property.

What About My Yard is so Attractive to Squirrels?

There’s a reason squirrels are camping out around your house. Below are the factors that attract squirrels to your property. 

Thick Vegetation

If you have lots of hedges and shrubs, you will probably notice squirrels running in and out of them. Squirrels don’t enjoy open spaces, for fear of their safety (read: they don’t want to be scooped up by a hawk). This is why they love the cover of thick vegetation or other areas around your home that provide shelter. To help prevent this, make sure to keep your hedges and bushes properly maintained. After all, a squirrel isn’t the only pest who will enjoy a place to hide in your yard! Not only will keeping your shrubs maintained help prevent pests, but it’s also an important part of yard maintenance. 

Food & Water

Maybe you want to have birds around your home, so you set up some bird feeders and a bird bath. While the birds will surely love it, unfortunately, so will the squirrels. A squirrel will do just about anything to get to the food in a bird feeder. More often than not, it’s extremely entertaining and results in some pretty funny videos. Without a doubt, these food and water resources in your yard are one of the reasons squirrels keep coming back. If you do keep food and water out for other animals or birds, try to keep it in a place where only they can reach it. Or, use specific bird feeders that are squirrel-proof.  

Trees

Squirrels are attracted to trees, especially tree varieties that produce nuts and fruit.  If your yard has trees, especially large, acorn-filled ones with lots of branches, chances are you’ve already noticed squirrels in them. There’s probably even little patches of ground where they have tried to bury their findings! Unfortunately, there’s no sure-fire way to keep squirrels, or any wildlife, out of your trees. However, there are a few methods you can try to deter them. Squirrels nesting in your trees isn’t necessarily a bad thing — unless the trees are very close to your home. If the branches are close to or touching your home, squirrels could use them as a way to climb around on your roof or worse, get inside your attic. 

The Dangers of Having Squirrels in Your Yard

These little critters can cause more damage than you may think, which is why you should make it a priority to keep squirrels away from your home and yard.

Tree Stress

Squirrels will not only eat the fruits or buds on your trees, but they will gnaw on the bark, too. When done in excess, this can cause stress for your trees and result in damage, and possibly death. Sadly, younger trees and saplings won’t develop if stripped of their bark. 

Related: Does Tree and Shrub Fertilizer Actually Work?
Plant Destruction

Once a squirrel has stolen the fruits or nuts from your trees, it will try to bury them throughout your lawn. Not only will this ruin the look of your grass, but it poses a threat to any plants or flowers that are trying to grow as well. If squirrels get into your garden, they could uproot the roots of your plants or flowers and eat them. 

Food Theft

As we mentioned, squirrels will steal any type of food they can find. While this isn’t ideal for your lawn, it poses an even larger threat to commercial farms. When squirrels get into a commercial farm, they can steal and eat through a majority of its fruit. This can be especially harmful to the crops, and can negatively impact the productivity of the farm.

Home Damage

Just like any other rodent, squirrels love to chew. If given the opportunity, their tiny teeth can do some serious damage to your home. They can chew through wires and cause fire hazards, and destroy your attic’s insulation. What’s worse, once squirrels are inside your home they can begin nesting and quickly multiplying. 

Diseases

Aside from making your home their own, these pests are threatening because of the number of diseases they carry. They can spread typhus, tularemia, plague, and ringworm to humans. Squirrels have a relatively short lifespan, and much of this is due to diseases — along with their poor decision-making skills when it comes to crossing the road. If you, your family members, or household pets contract one of these diseases, it could be extremely detrimental to your health!  Please note: If you find a squirrel in your home, always consult a specialist. Squirrels are quick and can lash out if they feel trapped or cornered. Never try to capture or remove a wild animal on your own!

Tips to Keep Squirrels Away

So, how can you keep squirrels away from your home? Here are a few tips and tricks that should help!

Plant a Variety of Squirrel-Proof Flowers

Surprisingly enough, there are a few plants a squirrel will steer clear from. While a squirrel isn’t generally picky, try planting some of these to keep them moving on from your yard:

 

Daffodils

 

Fritillaries

 

Geraniums

 

Hyacinth

 

Galanthus

 

Lily-of-the-Valley

All of these flowers are either bright in color or produce a strong odor that squirrels don’t particularly enjoy. Plant these around your garden or trees to help protect them from squirrel damage and add to the beauty of your landscape.

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. If this technique seems to be keeping your yard or garden safe, reapply as frequently as needed! Don’t forget to sprinkle these scents on again after storms too. 

Spray Squirrel Deterrents 

The urine of predators will also keep squirrels away. If they can smell a predator in your lawn, they’re not going to be as willing to stick around.  Commercial repellants mimic the odor and are easy to apply. Coyote and red fox urine seem to work the best, so consider purchasing sprays or liquids that either contain or mimic these odors. In your attic, use towels doused in apple cider vinegar to deter squirrels. The strong odor should deter squirrels for a while, but the towels will need to be refreshed and replaced periodically to keep the deterrent effective.

Remove Sources of Food & Water

You can’t help if the trees in your yard bear fruit and nuts for squirrels to squander. Plus, there’s no sense in cutting down a perfectly healthy tree just to keep squirrels away! However, you now know food and water sources like birdseed and bird feeders will attract squirrels. The best option would be to remove these food sources completely, so a squirrel has no reason to stay. But, if removing them isn’t an option, try squirrel-proofing your bird feeders to keep them from eating what’s not meant for them.

Scare Them Away

Keep squirrels away by adding a statue or figurine of a predator into your space. While this might not be the aesthetic you were going for, the mere silhouette of an owl could send squirrels scurrying. A squirrel is naturally skittish, so the fear of being injured or eaten could keep them away from your lawn for good. Got more than just squirrels roaming around your home? We can help with other pests, too! Download our guide, The Killingsworth Way, to learn about our unique approach to wildlife and pest control. 

The Best Way to Keep Squirrels Away

While these methods of deterrence might keep squirrels away for a little while, the best option is always to consult with a wildlife removal specialist. Squirrels are small but still dangerous if threatened, and you never want to risk contracting disease.  Here at Killingsworth, we’ve handled our fair share of wildlife, so we know a thing or two about getting rid of pesky squirrels. We want to help you protect your yard and home from damage, while safely getting rid of wildlife in a humane manner. If you are having trouble trying to keep squirrels away on your own, schedule a wildlife service. We can come and take a look at what damage they are causing and what sources are attracting them to your home in the first place, so that they never become an issue again. 

 

10 Scents That Squirrels Hate (and How to Use Them)

Although cute from a distance, squirrels can be surprisingly destructive – especially when they set their sights on your home or garden. Squirrels mate and have offspring twice a year, meaning that you could be dealing with a rambunctious family of 2-4 squirrel kits more often than you’d like to!

Luckily for us, squirrels have a strong sense of smell, which they use food sources and shelter. This means that we can use this natural trait to repel squirrels with scents they hate.

More specifically, we can repel squirrels by utilizing the strong scents of capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish Spring Soap, and rosemary.

You may be wondering, just how the heck can I use these scents to keep squirrels away? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – it’ll all make sense in a bit!

Read on to learn more about what scents you can use to keep squirrels out of your home and garden. You’d be surprised how many of these options are in your kitchen right now!

* This post contains affiliate links.

What Kind of Damage Can Squirrels Cause?

There are quite a few different types of squirrels, but they all seem to love fir and pine trees. 

Having a stand of either type of tree nearby most likely puts you in the immediate area of these heavily populated rodents. Unfortunately, they could see this as an open invitation to your home and food!

The main concern when it comes to squirrel damage is structural damage. 

Squirrels have long, lean bodies that fit easily into small spaces. Their dexterous hands – somewhat similar to our hands – have digits that aren’t technically fingers, but still allow them to grasp whatever they want.

Here’s the start-to-finish of how squirrels can get into your home and cause damage:

Outside of the home, squirrels are pests to gardens and bird areas. They dig up the soil, chew up vegetables, rob fruit trees, and make raids on bird feeders.

Oh, and squirrels can even eat your grass seed. More on that here.

For such small animals, they’re surprisingly destructive!

Squirrels Stay Away From Capsaicin

Unsurprisingly, squirrels hate spicy and/or hot scents. The capsaicin found in hot peppers is an irritant, which is why people scrunch up their noses, sweat, and get watery eyes when they consume spicy food.

The smell alone is enough to keep squirrels out of areas where you don’t want them. Both white or black pepper and chili powder are great options for sources of capsaicin

Black pepper tends to be spicier than white pepper, but either will work and can be purchased in any grocery store. Chili powder is made up of pulverized chili peppers, of which there are countless varieties.

Pepper and chili powder won’t just keep squirrels away; they’re also used as natural insecticides, so making a pepper or chili powder spray is a great idea for your garden.

You can either make your own spray, or get a ready made product that contains capsaicin

Squirrels coming up against areas sprayed with pepper and chili powder won’t want to hang around too long! For some more detail on this method, take a peak at our article on using hot pepper to repel squirrels. It goes pretty in-depth on all your options!

Squirrels Hate White Vinegar

The easiest and most natural way to get rid of squirrels is to create your own sprays. This is a pretty simple process! You’ll need a basic spray bottle, such as R2 Goods heavy duty plastic spray bottles.

Home-made sprays are not only easy to make, but they’re also incredibly affordable. You probably have most of the ingredients around the house already.

The great thing about this spray is that you can also add any essential oils you’d like. See below why peppermint oil is a great choice!

Keep in mind that although natural and beneficial in many ways, vinegar is acidic and can cause damage to delicate plants. If you’re using this spray in your garden, keep a close eye on plants to ensure they stay healthy and undamaged.

You’ll want to make sure that you dilute the white vinegar as well, as pure vinegar will corrode your plants. You should spray an object that can absorb the vinegar and place it NEAR your plants. Reapply as needed!

Additionally, make sure you don’t use apple cider vinegar to repel squirrels. The sweetness in the apple cider vinegar can attract flies. That being said, you CAN use apple cider vinegar if you’re using it outdoors as the flies won’t really matter.

You can read more detail in our guide about repelling squirrels with vinegar here!

Peppermint Oil Naturally Repels Squirrels

Aside from having a variety of health benefits, essential oils have been proven to keep pests away from both the home and garden.

Peppermint essential oil specifically is hated by squirrels. To them, the scent is overpowering and they’ll avoid it as much as they can. 

There are two ways to use peppermint in your home or garden: as a spray, or soaked into cotton balls or cloth.

Sprays are the obvious choice for keeping pests out of gardens, but cotton balls and cloth are a great option to shore up holes where the rodents might have found their way into your house. Soak cloth or cotton balls directly in the peppermint oil and use them to pack up any unwanted openings.

In the garden, peppermint oil should be diluted for everyday use. For every 16oz of water, add 20 drops of the essential oil. No need to add vinegar or soap – but make sure to keep an eye on your garden and treat it as needed when pests return.

If you’re not up for making your own essential oil spray, products like Mighty Mint’s Peppermint Oil Rodent Repellent Spray are easily found online and work just as well as chemical products.

I highly reccomend taking a look at our guide on using peppermint to deter squirrels, it gives you a bit more detail as to why its effective!

Cinnamon Keeps Squirrels Away

Ah yes, cinnamon! If you’ve ever accidentally taken a large spoonful of cinnamon to the face, you’ll know just how spicy it can be. In small amounts cinnamon is a delicious spice. However, its’s a spice!

Cinnamon, specifically ground cinnamon, repels squirrels. This is because cinnamon in larger doses can infuriate the sinus cavities of a squirrel.

To use cinnamon to repel squirrels, sprinkle a large amount around the area you’re trying to keep the squirrels away from

Ultimately, this method needs to be done in bulk in order to be effective. Additionally, since its a scent purely exposed on the ground, wind can blow the cinnamon away. Plus, you’ll need to apply every 4-7 days.

You can also use diluted cinnamon oil, combine it with a few drops of peppermint oil, spray and soak a rag, and tie it to a tree or post near your garden, tree or area you’re trying to protect. This combination will have a good shot of keeping squirrels away.

For more of the in-depth info, check out our detailed guide on how cinnamon repels squirrels as there’s a few more options OTHER than what we mentioned.

Coffee Grounds Naturally Deter Squirrels

If you’ve been composting or just simply tossing your already spent coffee grounds, you now have a natural solution to repel squirrels.

Yes, squirrels hate the scents and feel of used coffee grounds.

While there is no scientific evidence that coffee grounds repel squirrels, the fact is that used coffee grounds are an unfamiliar scent to squirrels and may signal that humans are nearby.

You can use coffee grounds as an all-natural fertilizer, to boot! Used coffee grounds are great for your garden. Additionally, this is one of my favorite methods for coffee drinkers as really, you don’t need to purchase anything else. Just simply empty your coffee filter by your garden!

For more effectiveness, drink more coffee. LOL.

Predator Urine Repels Squirrels

While we want to keep it natural in the home and garden, some scents just aren’t worth getting naturally.

For example, predator scents. 

Coyote and fox urine will repel squirrels for obvious reasons. They’ll do anything to avoid their natural predators, and thinking that these two animals are roaming around frequently will keep them out of your yard and away from your home.

The easiest way to get this scent is to find a commercial manufacturer. They are surprisingly easy to find in outdoor stores or online. For example, American Heritage carries natural coyote urine in a 16oz bottle for a very affordable price. 

All it takes is a few shakes or sprays around the area you want to protect, and squirrels will take the hint right away.

If you’re interested, take a look at our guide on the best coyote urines here.

Squirrels Avoid Garlic

In addition to the options listed above, there’s another common kitchen item that will help you repel squirrels: garlic.

Do you have garlic in your kitchen right now? Well, good news for you is that you can start repelling squirrels right now.

The reason squirrels avoid garlic is due to the pungent scent it provides. When applied properly, garlic can overpower the scent of other plants in the garden and make squirrels think that only garlic is prevalent.

You’ll want to finely crush the garlic cloves up and spread them in a concentrated area near the plants you’d like to repel. Keep in mind, the smell will fade after a day or two and you’ll need to reapply the garlic.

Another viable option is to use Colton’s Naturals Small Animal Repellent, which contains a base of garlic oil, peppermint oil, pepper oil, vinegar and water. All scents that squirrels hate!

If you’d like more detail on this method, check out our guide on using garlic to repel squirrels!

Squirrels Hate The Scent of Dryer Sheets

Grey Squirrel eating hazelnuts

Did you know that dryer sheets have been touted as a naturally insect and rodent repellent for quite sometime? Most notably, farmers of orchards would tie dryer sheets along their deer fence to keep deer away.

Additionally, dryer sheets are one of the scents that mice, another rodent, hate as well.

The reason using dryer sheets as a squirrel deterrent is one of my favorite methods is simply because you already have dryer sheets in your home! Even better, if they don’t work for you, then you really haven’t wasted anything to find out that result.

To use dryer sheets to keep squirrels away, tie a good handful of them near the area you’re trying to keep squirrels from! Your attic, on a fence, or nearby your garden are all acceptable areas.

If you have a mint scented dryer sheet or another scented dryer sheet that is one of the scents squirrels hate on this list, thats a bonus. Otherwise, Bounce Dryer Sheets have been found to work quite well to repel squirrels due to their unique aroma.

For more info, here’s our detailed guide on how to use dryer sheets to repel squirrels!

Irish Spring Soap Can Repel Squirrels

Aromatic soaps ultimately have notes in their fragrance that can repel certain animals. Irish Spring Soap, with its woody aroma, can actually repel squirrels similar to how it repels raccoons.

If you’d like to read more on that, you can apply the same tactics in an article we wrote about using Irish Spring Soap to repel raccoons by reading here.

Rosemary Repels Squirrels

Rosemary can in-fact repel squirrels. Quite simply, squirrels just don’t like the scent of rosemary. You’ll need to be able to get a strong rosemary scent in order to repel squirrels. Otherwise, if there’s just a hint of rosemary scent, it won’t be enough to keep squirrels away.

You can create your own rosemary spray using rosemary essential oil, and properly dilute the scent with water and a carrier oil. There are plenty of recipes available online if you go this route!

Where to Use Repellents

While squirrels are destructive in general, there are a few key areas that they like to frequent where you should be using these scents whenever necessary.

Alternative Ways to Repel Squirrels

Squirrels are so prominent these days that the idea of trapping and releasing them seems ridiculous. If you get rid of one family, another will show up and take their place. Your best bet is management and deterrents.

Have a Family Pet

Because they’re prey animals, squirrels are incredibly aware of surrounding predators. While they often out-smart humans, dogs and cats pose more of a threat to these wily rodents, who see them as natural predators.

It takes a very agile dog and a very stealthy cat to actually catch and harm a squirrel. While that shouldn’t be your goal, just having a pet or two at home, roaming around the yard occasionally, will be enough to keep squirrels at the boundary.

Keep Up with Home Maintenance

Owning a home means endless to-do lists, and it’s easy to put some tasks at the top of the lists and others at the bottom. But keeping up with routine home maintenance – at least checking common problem areas – can help keep squirrels at bay.

Here are some tips and tricks to make your home squirrel-proof:

Welcome Wildlife

An overabundance of squirrels is a sign of an unbalanced ecosystem. Although having predators such as foxes might seem intimidating at first, they do wonders for keeping the squirrel population under control.

Learn to live in harmony with the wildlife around your home and they’ll take care of the rest. As soon as a coyote starts makings its rounds through the neighborhood, you’ll notice the squirrel population drop drastically.

Whatever you do, don’t feed or try to attract predators. They are still wild animals and should be treated as such.

Sit back, have a coffee, and watch nature take its natural course.

Grow a Garden

We get it, you might not have the space to grow an expansive garden that includes naturally squirrel-repelling plants. If you’re in a tight spot you probably want to focus on the flowers and vegetables you love the most.

Unfortunately, squirrels are just as comfortable in residential settings as they are in rural areas and they move so quickly that they don’t see humans as threatening most of the time.

If you can find a little space to grow some additional plants, the following could benefit you as squirrels naturally avoid them:

The above plants are relatively easy to find and inexpensive. Planting them right in the ground, or in planters around the area you want squirrels to avoid, can go a long way in keeping the rodents out of your garden or away from your house.

Call In the Professionals

If all else fails, check in with your local pest or rodent control company to see how they can help you. They may be able to provide guidance as to what exactly is attracting squirrels to your home and yard, and what the next steps are if you’re unable to combat them yourself.

It’s important to keep in mind that you should not touch or handle squirrels yourself, and to protect yourself from bites. A better option is to get in contact with a professional. Check out our nationwide pest control finder to get connected with a wildlife pro near you in seconds. Using our partner network helps support pestpointers.com!

If you’re keeping up on home maintenance and come across a squirrel family or colony, wait until they vacate the area before moving forward with blocking entrances and using the deterrents mentioned above.

If you’re interested, here are some more ways that squirrels can damage your home.

Last Words on Squirrel Control

Luckily for you, there are a variety of scents that will keep squirrels away and under control. While these tree-dwelling animals might be cute to watch play around among the branches, they can cause a shocking amount of damage to the home and garden.

The majority of scents listed above can be found in most home pantries or supermarkets. Keep an eye out for the following:

Additionally, anything hot or spicy that can be turned into a DIY spray is a great option. Hot sauce and garlic are great examples. 

Place scents where needed, as needed, and make sure you’re paying attention to when squirrel activity seems to increase. At that point, you might need to re-spray or soak some cloth in the scent once again.

If you’re looking for something a little more heavy-duty, track down some predator urine. While it sounds unappetizing, squirrels are prey animals and will do everything they can to avoid areas where predators seem active.

Throw on some gloves and sprinkle a little urine around the perimeter of your garden or home.

The most important advice we can give when it comes to squirrel invasions is to pay attention! 

The signs are there, and usually obvious, but you should be checking on the outside of your house regularly to make sure they haven’t infiltrated anywhere.

If you have a particularly bad squirrel population, take additional steps such as getting a furry friend, growing plants that squirrels naturally hate, or bringing in the professionals if the task gets overwhelming.

References

Carey, A. B. (2000). Effects of new forest management strategieson squirrel populations. Ecological applications, 10(1), 248-257.

Fitzgerald, M. (1983). Capsaicin and sensory neurones—a review. Pain, 15(1-4), 109-130.

Nevraumont, Peter N. (1998). Balance: Humanity and the Biodiversity Crisis. Princeton Press.

Stroud, Dennis C. (1983). An Evaluation of Burrow Destruction As a Ground Squirrel Control Method. University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

What squirrels hate most: food, flowers, smell, plants

Creating an environment that squirrels don't like is one of the most effective strategies to keep them out of your yard. Let's find out how to make this action plan.

Chipmunks dislike various things, including food, flowers, plants, and even scents. Because these creatures are considered a problem in many parts of the United States, anything they don't like can become a natural deterrent for squirrels.

In this article, we'll talk about the things squirrels hate the most, including plants, food, flowers, scents, and other related items.

Which plants do squirrels avoid?

Squirrels are most often found around trees. Trees shelter them, but there are many trees and plants that squirrels despise and shun.

Here is a list of the top 10 plants/trees that squirrels avoid in the first place and why.

Plants that squirrels avoid Causes
Soy candles Cinnamon
Onion Squirrels don't really like the spicy smell and taste of onion plants.
Garlic The smell of garlic is too strong for squirrels. As a result, they avoid garlic plants or anything that smells like garlic.
mint Mint, especially spearmint and peppermint, has a strong odor that irritates sensitive noses. Like the plant itself, squirrels dislike peppermint essential oil.
Hyacinth Squirrels despise scented hyacinth, especially bluebells!
pepper Squirrels dislike pepper, including those that produce white pepper, black pepper, red pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and jalapeno pepper. In fact, a significant number of commercial squirrel repellants use hot peppers.
Rosemary Only the strong smell of rosemary will scare away squirrels. It should be noted that the slight smell of rosemary is unlikely to affect these critters.
Lily of the valley Again, it is the strong smell of lily of the valley that repels squirrels.
Geranium Geranium emits an odor through the oil it produces. The protein repels the plant's citrus aroma, which also has warm green, earthy, or peppery undertones.
Snake head hazel grouse 1. Grouse flowers Snake head resembles the head of a snake, which is enough to scare away squirrels. However, the real task is performed by its unpleasant smell, which actually repels these rodents.
2. The smell is often compared to that of a fox.

Note: This plant produces poisonous chemicals such as Merlin and Tulipalin A, which can cause serious health problems in humans if consumed.

Squirrels avoid plants Image Photo: Cheeky Chipmunk by Jeff Clark licensed (CC BY-SA 3.0)

What colors do squirrels avoid?

Some varieties of flowers are more resistant to proteins than others. Some flower plants can also scare these critters away from flower beds.

Image Photo: Daffodils by the River by Annazach Licensed (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Here are the top flowering plants that squirrels scorn and shun.

Squirrels avoid flowers Consequently, he prefers to avoid any yard with daffodils growing in it.
Bleeding Heart Although bleeding heart flowers cannot protect other flowers in the yard from squirrel damage, they can fight off animals without harm. Thus, the bleeding heart is one of the flowering plants that repel squirrels.
Irises Irises can effectively repel squirrels when planted with other plants that repel them. Squirrels do not consider these flowers to be edible or repulsive.
Galanthus Galanthus effectively repels squirrels due to the smell it produces. Protein will scare away the aroma that even the bulbs of these plants emit.
Carnation Although squirrels don't like the smell that dianthus produces, they can eat the plant if they are particularly hungry. In addition, dianthus is more attractive to squirrels than other fully squirrel-proof flowers.
Goldenrod Goldenrod has evolved to be resistant to all mammals, especially squirrels. Squirrels mostly avoid the flowers and foliage of this plant because they are unpalatable in taste.
Squirrels avoid flowers

What food do squirrels hate?

Because their teeth are constantly growing, squirrels need something to chew on to keep them in good condition. However, they do not enjoy all kinds of food.

Here is a list of foods squirrels hate.

Squirrel food hate Causes
Acute pepper Squirrels cannot cope with a spicy feeling of acute pepper. Squirrels, like other mammals, have certain nerves in their mouths that respond to hot peppers. So naturally they hate that food.
Garlic In addition to the strong smell, squirrels hate the taste of garlic and therefore avoid it.
apple cider vinegar The smoky taste completely shuts off the proteins that apple cider vinegar produces.
Seeds Most of the time, squirrels stay away from seeds such as millet, safflower, canary grass, nayer and rapeseed. But remember that a hungry squirrel will eat any seed that gets in its sight.
Cracked corn Corn mixed with bird food is often less attractive to squirrels. Offering them this mixture will gradually cause them to look elsewhere where they are likely to find their favorite food.
Squirrels hate food

What smells do squirrels hate?

Below is a list of the top odors that squirrels hate the most.

Squirrels smell like hate Causes
apple cider vinegar Squirrels don't like the smell of apple cider vinegar. As a result, squirrels hate the smell of apple cider vinegar. As a result, using the scent of apple cider is very helpful in repelling these critters.
Spicy scent Spicy scents repel squirrels. As a result, they despise such smells. Therefore, the smell of white pepper and cayenne pepper can be used to repel squirrels in the yard.
Peppermint essential oil Squirrels dislike the smell of peppermint oil as much as they dislike mint itself. Peppermint essential oil is very unpopular with squirrels. They will want to avoid the smell as much as possible because they find it overbearing.
Naphthalene balls The irresistible smell of mothballs repels squirrels. These balls can be kept near flowers or even in other parts of the yard. To keep them working, refill mothballs every few weeks.
Predator/animal urine 1. Animal urine, especially squirrel-eating predators and other rodents, is disgusting to squirrels. Therefore, spraying a substance that mimics this smell throughout the yard will help to effectively repel the squirrels.
2. The squirrel will assume that there is a dangerous animal nearby when it smells a stench. Therefore, he will run away from the location.
The smell of certain flowers Some flowers, such as geraniums, daffodils, irises, galanthus, and others, have a strong odor that squirrels despise. As a result, they hate the scents of these flowers and prefer to stay away from them.
Skunk smell Squirrels are not very tolerant of things that smell like skunks. However, you don't have to catch real skunks to scare off squirrels. Instead, Cleomes, also known as the "Skunk Flower", is the better choice.
Irish Spring Soap The woody scent of Irish Spring Soap can repel squirrels in the same way it repels other rodents such as raccoons.
Squirrels hate smell

What makes squirrels stay away?

Image Photo: Coffee fine, moist by rums licensed (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Squirrels may look adorable from a distance, but they can be a real nuisance to a garden or yard. Therefore, it is necessary to keep them away.

Here are the best ways to scare squirrels away from property in more humane ways.

1. Keep pets

Squirrels are keenly aware of any potential predators around. So these cunning rodents are more at risk from pets such as dogs and cats. Squirrels consider these creatures natural predators. This way, pets will keep the squirrels away from the property's perimeter.

2. Coffee grounds

The smell of coffee grounds is not very attractive to squirrels. Finely ground coffee should be added to the soil where the plants grow, where squirrels often feed. This will help get rid of rodents.

3. Keep your house clean

Squirrels are active eaters. This way they will visit your property if they find food there. Therefore, maintaining the cleanliness of the house and the surrounding area is one of the vital tasks. Squirrels will not be as interested in returning to human property if there is no food nearby.

4. Seal Entry Points

Keeping your home tidy is important, but you also need to close any cracks that squirrels can get in. In other words, regular home maintenance and checking every nook and cranny can pay off in the long run.

5. Grow a garden

Grow a garden, even if it's just a garden, with flowers that squirrels hate to smell. You can include plants such as hyacinth, onion, garlic, daffodils and so on in your garden.

6. Feed the squirrels

It may sound strange, but having a separate feeding area for squirrels is a great way to stop these creatures from destroying surrounding property. Getting rid of proteins is probably impossible. So if someone can't beat them, feed them.

7. Get professional help

Call a specialist if all else fails. They can give advice on what attracts squirrels and how to deal with them.

Overview

Fortunately, there are many ways to repel squirrels. These rodents don't like much. And if someone manages to get their hands on the items that these rodents hate, fighting them can be easy.

when to start feeding the forest beauty?

In the days of golden autumn, warm sunny weather is enjoyed not only by residents of the capital, but also by wild animals living within the metropolis. This is especially true for squirrels: now there is enough food for them in any park. Animals can not only eat, but also make supplies for the winter. And a person should not interfere with them in this and knock down the fine tuning of natural instincts.

Nikolay Kudryavtsev, a Mospriroda specialist, spoke about when to start feeding squirrels and what kind of treats should be offered to them.

How squirrels spend autumn

In autumn, squirrels "change clothes" - from red fur to gray. And they actively stock up on food for the cold season.

- Squirrels do not hibernate, but simply change their summer coats for winter ones. This is necessary for camouflage - in winter it is easier to hide with gray fur. All autumn, these rodents fill their pantries with various supplies. Squirrels in our latitudes prefer a vegetarian diet, so they mainly store acorns and hazelnuts, cones, says Nikolai Kudryavtsev.

Squirrels especially love acorns - and this year has just turned out to be fruitful. They hide them in a variety of places - it can be the forest floor, and hollows, and crevices, and fallen trees. Only the memory of squirrels is short, and in winter they cannot always find their pantries.

- For a short memory, the squirrel is called "forest gardeners". They can be called symbionts with oaks: acorns, oak seeds, are quite heavy and are not carried by the wind. If the acorn sprouts under the canopy of the mother tree, then very soon, literally in a couple of years, it will die - it will not have enough light, because a large tree always gives shade. And squirrels carry acorns over long distances, helping oak trees to spread, - our interlocutor shared an interesting fact.

Also in autumn, squirrels arrange their “apartments”: they bring animal hair, moss, and dry grass into the hollow. All this helps to insulate the house so that it is comfortable to sleep there even in the most severe frosts.

How to help a squirrel?

Sympathetic park visitors are always ready to treat a squirrel, however, this is not worth doing in autumn.

- In autumn, there is enough food for squirrels in green areas that it is enough for daily feeding, and for supplies, and even remains. Therefore, do not feed the squirrels in the fall: by doing so, you violate their natural instincts. A squirrel, accustomed to treats from people, will become lazy and stop getting its own food, warns Kudryavtsev.

Squirrels should not be fed before the onset of severe frosts. There is an easy way to determine if top dressing is required or not. If there is frost on the ground, a little treat won't hurt.

What's on the menu?

Since autumn is a season rich in squirrel's favorite treats, maybe people should stock up on them in advance? According to Nikolai Kudryavtsev, something can be stored, however, as they say, "without fanaticism."

- Squirrels are big lovers of acorns. Of course, they will store them themselves, but you can also collect some in a bag and put acorns in feeders in winter, Kudryavtsev says.

You can also treat the squirrel with unroasted unsalted nuts - walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts. But almonds are banned, they are harmful for the fluffy forest beauty. The squirrel will also like unsalted, unroasted seeds. Seeds are generally a universal food that will be to the taste of almost all the inhabitants of the city park.

- Sometimes squirrels are recommended to be treated with dried mushrooms. In general, this is not the worst dish for them - the animal will crunch with dried porcini mushroom or boletus with pleasure. However, if the mushrooms are left in the feeder, they will quickly soak, mold or pathogenic bacteria can easily appear on them. So it is better to choose nuts, seeds or acorns: these feeds do not get wet and can be in the feeder for some time, remaining fresh, - the Mospriroda specialist warns.

By the way, hand-feeding squirrels is also not recommended. Despite their attractive and cute appearance, these animals can be carriers of diseases that are dangerous to humans.

Learn more