The tiny dwellers of the woodlands and the backyards, the bushy tail squirrels, appear cute and harmless on the first encounter. The picture becomes entirely different in the long run. They are extremely harmful and disastrous. They can be a real menace if they enter into your homes and through attics. These tiny species need only a small opening. It is very easy for them to crawl through these opening. Once they find an entrance, they start harming the property with gnawing and scratching. The most unfortunate implications are related to the damage of electric system. They can destroy the insulations and can cause short circuiting in the transformers too. These are the common complaints that a homeowner has regarding the squirrels.
The squirrels are equally harmful to the plantation sites. They can dig burrows all through the lawn to hide the nuts and other food elements. They are also detrimental to the trees as they scratch away the bark. Repetition of these things make the trees weaker and interior exposed to all kinds of the environmental conditions. They eat the cones and seeds profoundly which can be a loss for the commercial tree owners. Once they enter the gardens, they love to feed on the garden plants which adversely affect plant growth. Consequently, they are harmful both indoors and outdoors. Once they intrude into the domestic premises, they can be a real challenge to your rest hours. Their irritating sounds can bother the good night dreams both at night and in the morning. The gray tree squirrels are mostly active in the daytime, while the flying squirrels can be a challenge at night due to their nocturnal behavior.
In order to keep your domestic property safe from these little annoying creatures, you need to fight back. For this purpose, there are many repellents available in the market. We are going to discuss the most effective one in the coming sections.
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17 Homemade Squirrel Repellents
There are a number of ways to get rid of the squirrels. The methods range from the natural remedies to the artificial ones. The market is full of all kinds of agents to control the damage caused by the squirrels. There are several types of traps, chemical agents, and repellants available to control the intruders into your homes.
As some of the squirrel species are reducing day by day, therefore many conservationists prefer going for the homemade remedies that would not claim the lives of the squirrels but instead make them drowsy or unconscious for some time so these species would be safely handed over to the pest control teams.
Some renowned homemade repellants that have proved their real worth include the following:
If you are tired of the destruction of the bird feeders in your backyard, then try adding safflower seeds to the bird feeder. It will work two ways. Firstly, its nutritional elements are great for the birds, and secondly, its bitter taste repels the squirrels coming towards the birdfeeder. It is harmless, both to the squirrels and the birds. Without claiming the life of the squirrels, safflower seeds can keep them away from the birdfeeders.
A combination of hot peppers and the crushed garlic cloves is an excellent remedy. Both of them have to be mixed in equal proportion. The mixture can be transformed into an efficient repelling spray when mixed with water. Once the water mixture of garlic and pepper is well done, it can be sprayed on the invaded areas, and this will keep the squirrels away from the attics, openings and even lawns and orchards.
The highly pungent smell that arises from this acidic compound would be a great homemade repellent for the squirrels. The vinegar should be sprayed with the help of the spraying bottles. They are safe to use both indoors and outdoors. Once sprayed near the holes the movement of squirrels would be limited to their living areas.
Effective commercial repellents
1. Rodent Defense Small Animal Repellent
Exterminator’s Choice manufactures rodent Defense. It is an effective chemical repellent against all kinds of rodents in a safe and versatile manner. It is safe to use it outdoor and in semi-closed areas. It is highly effective when sprayed in the holes, gutters, cracks and all kinds of openings that are letting the squirrel in. It also prevents all sorts of intrusions and damages including those caused by scratching and gnawing.
2. Electronic Plug-in Pest Control Repellent
These are based on the ultrasonic technology. It works with high output that works on a wider range. High ultrasound waves are created the rodents can only hear that. These sounds waves are not audible to the human ears. These sounds cause the disordering of the endocrine system of the intruder and ultimately repels them from the invaded area.
3. Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce
This seed sauce is a supplement for the birds. It is a natural compound with a spicy flavor added to it. Such taste is not liked by the rodents. If this repellent is added to the birdfeeder, it will keep away the squirrels and not the birds. It can be used as an outdoor and indoor repellant. The 16-ounce repellant can be great to keep away these mischievous rodents.
4. Messina Squirrel Stopper
Messina Wildlife’s Squirrel Stopper is a renowned chemical repellent to keep away the rodents like the squirrel and chipmunk. It prevents them effectively from foraging, nesting and all possible kinds of damages. They can be used to keep away the squirrels from damaging the tree bark, planters, flower beds, bird seed, and feeders. If the repellent is used in the lawns and close to plantation areas, then they are not harmful for the healthy vegetation like fruits and vegetables. It is the organic components that make them safe for human health. They are composed of dry components and have no irritating or annoying smell. They are even more reliable for the floral collections and the other plants.
5. I Must Garden Squirrel Repellent
I Must Garden Squirrel Repellent is a unique, superior quality protection against the rodents that can fight back the devastations 365 days a year. It comes in two highly effective options including the liquid repellant and the granular repellant. The liquid option is great for gnawing and chewing while the dry repellant is used against the digging activities of the rodents. Although the physical appearance of both the options is different yet they are highly effective against the destructive habits and behaviors of the squirrels. They do not harm the rodents but stop them from causing problems both indoors and the outdoors. This repellent is different from others as it does not cause any harm to the human beings, pets and other animals. It is a proven protection against all kinds of rodents. It is a user-friendly repelling option that can be used in any of the available options. The impact of the said stays in the surroundings for a very long time and is weather resistant too.
Do’s and Don’ts
Although there are several repellents available both natural and synthetic, still there are certain do’s and don’ts associated with them. You have to be conscious how to use them and what to avoid. These do’s and don’ts are as follows:
DO’S
- In order to keep the squirrels away from the bird feeders keep the squirrel guard close to the bird feeder. The lesser the distance, the more effective will be the impact.
- It is better to keep repairing any opening or crack in the buildings that give easy access to the indoors. Leaving the damaged area for a long time can help these creatures learn from where to come and how. The early repairs can block their way.
- Attic cleanliness is a must. Make sure that the attic has no additional opening or something that can be a great attraction for the rodents. Anything they love in the attic will call them again and again.
- Properly covered ventilations are a great help to keep the squirrels at bay. All the ventilators must be securely covered with the net to prevent the rodents entering into the interiors.
- If the situation goes out of hand, instead of waiting to become the situation worse you should call the officially designated pest control department.
DON’TS
- Don’t let tall trees grow near the buildings.
- Don’t forget to set the bird feeders away from the trees.