Squirrels spend a enormous amount of their day eating, digging and gnawing their way through your garden, bird feeders and sometimes your house. Squirrels have learned to coexist with us by living both on natural foods and handouts. Their agility, determination and sometimes destructive natures make discouraging them a frustrating challenge. There is no one answer to repelling these little rascals but here are some ideas on solving your problems.
Instructions
1. Grease the pole to your bird feeder with vegetable oil, baby oil, petroleum jelly, cooking spray, or WD-40. This makes the pole slippery so the squirrels cannot climb up it. Also sprinkle pepper in with your bird seed--the birds will not even notice but the squirrels will. Squirrels have a keen sense of smell so black or red (cayenne) pepper will repel them.
2. Spray a concoction of 3 tsp. pepper sauce, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. of dish washing liquid and 2 cups of water in a 16 oz. trigger-spray bottle to spray all around freshly planted bulbs, young trees and tulip beds.
3. Sprinkle black pepper around flowerbeds and vegetable gardens. If it rains, be sure to re-pepper your garden. Also try used cat box liter on the ground around the base of each flower--but do not use this litter around vegetable or herb gardens.
4. Wash your vegetable garden with 1/2 cup of castor oil and 2 gallons of water. This is even good for the soil.
5. Hang peppermint oiled cotton balls from old sheer panty hose around the area where squirrels are being destructive. The smell of mint repels squirrels. Hang a Slinky around your bird feeder, too--the bouncing springs will frighten the squirrels for a while.
6. Wrap dog or human hair around bulbs when you plant them. Squirrels do not the like the texture of hair and will leave them alone. Old dryer lint may also work.
7. Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon around flowers or vegetables. Crushed jalapeno or Serrano peppers are also a good sprinkle to use. Many people swear by mothballs because squirrels do not like the strong odor.
8. Plug all entrances to your house, gables, chimneys and attics with fine 1/2 inch hardware cloth or 26-inch gauge metal screen. Squirrels can be discouraged from climbing trees if you put a band of 2-foot wide sheet metal around the trunk of a tree. Trim all branches far away from the house so squirrels can't leap from a branch to the roof. But remember they are amazing jumpers.
9. Check your local hardware store or nursery for humane traps and commercial repellents if none of these ideas work for you. Many people just give in and put up a feeder just for the squirrels. They are enjoyable to watch and pretty darn cute.
Tips Warnings
Squirrels that have found their way into a living area can usually be encouraged to leave by darkening the room and opening a door or window to the outside. If a squirrel gets trapped inside your chimney, lower a rope down the chimney and he will be able to free himself.
Trapping squirrels to reduce populations is generally not effective and poisoning is illegal.
Tags: repel, squirrels, your bird, bird feeder, Many people, Squirrels have, your bird feeder, your garden, your house
