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How to Keep Squirrels Away From Your Garden
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In the uk it is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild as they are an invasive species, so the live traps are pointless, unless you want squirrels for pets. Most people just shoot them. We have both foxes and squirrels in our garden, so the predator urine trick doesn’t work in our case, neither does chilli powder, they just wipe their faces on the grass to get it off after they’ve done their destroying. Only an actual dog or cat chasing them away works.
To keep squirrels out of my garden & planters, I use composted sheep manure sprinkled on top of the soil, it works for cats too. I also heard that composted chicken manure is a good deterrent too. I had a huge problem with them digging in my garden & planters before using this but have no problem now
I had a red squirrel that took up residence in our basement last fall. They seem to HATE mice, maybe because they steal the squirrel’s stash? Anyway, I kept finding mauled dead mice, always in the same spot on the floor. No need for mousetraps!
Bags of avocados & sometimes oranges come in synthetic nets as do individual wine bottles, though the latter is made of plastic. Regardless, wrap the netting as close as possible around tomatoes when they first appear. Do not wrap flower buds (about to be tomatoes) as these are too fragile to withstand pressure. Once the tomatoes appear, adjust netting as tomatoes grow bigger. I have gone from 20% harvest to 95% harvest thanks to this no-cost netting method. Also, as mentioned, squirrels fear shiny objects. Hang a few old CDs around plantings and the reflection & movement helps ward off unwelcome critters!
I put mothballs in an empty gallon jug, or half gallon jug. Cut v on top of jug, maybe two or three v. Fill with water and then add water when needed. Keeps all animals out.
To keep squirrels out of my planters, I sprinkle Cayenne pepper on the dirt, and it looks like they hate that. YEY
To keep out/get rid of rodents and squirrels in your attic, just spray cologne or perfume! They will think humans are living there! Disperse the scent in all directions for coverage.
I worked in an old building that sometimes had squirrels get into the walls and attics, it was a heritage building with wood soffits and fascia so there was no keeping them out if they were determined, but what encouraged them to move away was every place anyone reported noise in the walls, I'd poke a hole with my jab saw and insert a few folded Bounce dryer sheets (the kind that are so perfumed that I hate even having them in the car when they're double bagged), and install a plastic access hatch over the hole... repeat every two weeks in all areas that have had squirrels though, if you just treat one area they go to another. To keep them off my balcony, I use a product called "Get off my garden" that's a very strong citronella scent they also don't like. I've even used citronella tea lights in my garden to keep the bunnies off my beans long enough for the plants to get established, hopefully it works on the groundhog that's been eating my brassicas...
Live traps, peanut butter, and a 55 g water barrel. I usually get ~50 per season. 90% are males, unfortunately. Any suggestions why that is the case?
~50? Not many. My first year I was well over 250. I was out in the street speaking with an elderly neighbor as a squirrel casually strolled by. Both of us watching that I said haven't seen one for a while. He said brazen. Why do you think so few? I said I was killing them. He asked how many (250) as he said his wife had 2 traps and was over 450.
My real reason for writing was peanut butter. Add a little to the bait pad with a little piece of apple. That is just enough to stick it and increase your catch rate. Wish there was a simpler way to dispose of them. Like an easy way to break a leg. So many hawks here I wouldn't have to clean up and would help with a healthy raptor population!