Squirrels can be a big thorn in your side. They spend an enormous amount of time eating and digging in your garden (or bird feeder), but what can you do?
You can take big steps and throw poison, but that has its drawbacks.
You can try to catch them, but that also has its drawbacks.
Or, you can try to repel them with simple things found around your house.
People have found all kinds of things that can be used to repel squirrels, but as with all things, some work for some people and not for others.
Take for example – mothballs. They used to be the number one option for repelling squirrels. Some people still swear by them, but the consensus now is that mothballs are absolutely useless.
So what can you use?
An online survey found the following 13 home remedies that people have used to repel squirrels.
- nutmeg and cinnamon
- peppermint oil
- Ability
- Jalapeño peppers (crushed in a blender)
- Serrano peppers (crushed in a blender)
- Cayenne pepper
- chilli powder
- tabasco sauce
- WD-40
- Aspirin and peanut butter (crush 100 aspirin and mix with peanut butter)
- dog hair tufts
- hair cuts
- Used kitty litter (placed around plants)
Some of these items you would place around your plants. Things like chili powder, cayenne pepper, and the like can be mixed with birdseed. Believe it or not, these hot spices don’t bother the birds, but their unruly squirrel friends can’t take it.
If one home remedy doesn’t work, try another. As stated above, some people are more successful with some than others.
As a last resort, there are commercial repellants that you can buy at your local hardware store. These will obviously cost more, but they are a stronger repellant and may have a better effect.
