Are squirrels damaging your garden and chewing wires on your premises? If you are looking for how to get rid of squirrels, you are not alone. These adorable rodents have the potential to seriously harm home electrical systems, gardens, landscaping, and even property foundations. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know to keep bushy-tailed rodents away. You will learn how to get rid of squirrels using effective, humane, and research-based methods. From natural predators to exclusion techniques.
Awareness of the Squirrel Problems
Eastern gray squirrels are highly adaptable creatures. They can jump up to 100 feet, climb vertically, chew through plastic and wood, and invade through tiny holes to enter your garden, roof, or crawlspace.
Common squirrel problems include:
Squirrels damage various things in your home or garden. They dig up flowerbeds and lawns, chewing the wires of the electrical utilities. They take advantage of fruits and vegetables and empty bird feeders while nesting in attics or chimneys.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels: Complete Guide
To eradicate squirrels successfully, combine multiple techniques. Here is a detailed breakdown of the best approaches to get rid of squirrels in your garden or home.
1. Seal Entry Points
One of the most effective ways to prevent squirrels is to stop entry into the garden or home. Inspect your home regularly for gaps or vents. Seal all those points with steel mesh and hardware cloth so that they can’t enter. Use weatherproof materials around windows and doors. To cap chimneys with squirrel-proof covers to block their entry points.
2. Use Natural Repellents
Many natural repellents make your garden or home less attractive to squirrels without harming them. Vinegar and garlic sprays around the plants and entry points mask the odor of food in the house or garden. Sprinkling cayenne and peppermint oil in gardens or on birds’ feed makes them stay away from a strong scent. Squirrels have a strong sense of smell and can be deterred by pungent smells like menthol.
3. Use Artificial Repellents
Artificial lights, ultrasonic repellents, or motion-activated sprinklers can produce fear in squirrels and discourage them from entering the garden or home. These are nonlethal and humanely effective. Lights and ultrasonic repellents cover a large area and work for other pests like deer.
4. Remove Attracting Substances
Fallen nuts, fruits, and bird feed seeds are food sources that squirrels love. They are attracted to pet food left outside and open trash bins placed in open areas. They always come to eat food, so remove what they want to eat, and you reduce their interest in your garden or home.
5. Protect Your Garden
Creating a physical barrier to protect your plants and produce is a simple technique to avoid squirrels in your garden. Chicken wire or mesh cloth can protect your bulbs and vegetable beds from the damage of squirrels. Garden netting helps to overcome the loss of fruits and berries. You can save your plants by creating boundaries around plant beds with plastic or steel fencing.
6. Use Live Traps
Live traps can assist in relocating squirrels without harming them, but in some states, relocating squirrels without permission is illegal. So, contact your wildlife or local public office before trapping squirrels. Usually 16 inches long, a live-catch trap is recommended, placing nuts, sunflower seeds, or apple slices near squirrel activity. After trapping, release squirrels at least 5-10 miles away in a wooded area.
7. Call a Professional Wildlife Control Office
If you’ve tried every technique you know and still have squirrels, it’s time to call a professional or wildlife control office. Professionals use advanced exclusion and deterrent strategies that are safe according to the rules and regulations.
Seasonal Tips on How to Get Rid of Squirrels
Spring
Squirrels search for nesting indoors; sealing entry points and removing attic nests helps to safeguard the garden or home.
Summer
The use of repellents and traps is an ideal technique during the summer season because, in this season, squirrels are collecting food and raising young ones.
Autumn or Fall
For squirrels, autumn is a food-gathering season for winter. So, remove the attractants and clean the debris or fallen fruits and nuts.
Winter
Squirrels need warmth in attics during winter, and creating barriers and professional removal can help control them.
Conclusion: Take Back Your Space from Squirrels
Dealing with squirrels is a never-ending war. By following these scientifically proven and respectful strategies, you can learn how to get rid of squirrels quickly and effectively without harming animals or your property.
From exclusion methods to natural repellents, the right combination of strategies will ensure a squirrel-free garden or home. Take control today and recover your peaceful outdoor space.
FAQs on How to Get Rid of Squirrels
What is the fastest way to get rid of squirrels?
One of the fastest ways to get rid of squirrels is to remove food sources that they love to eat and plant natural repellent flowers around your boundaries to discourage their entry into your property.
What do squirrels hate the most?
In addition to hating scents like menthol, peppermint oil, and hot pepper spray, squirrels are also afraid of human and dog hair.
Is it legal to trap and relocate squirrels?
It depends on your location. Some states require a permit for the relocation of squirrels. Always check your local regulations before relocating them.
What is the best bait for catching squirrels?
Sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and apple slices are the best bait for catching squirrels.
How do you keep squirrels out of your tree?
Squirrels revisit those places where they find food, like nuts, fruits, and other seeds. First of all, remove the food sources around your plants. Plant natural repellents like daffodils, garlic, mint, and onion near the tree to help keep squirrels away.
Can squirrels cause electrical fires?
Yes, squirrels cause electrical fires because they chew on electrical wiring, which can lead to a house fire.
