8 Ways to Get Rid of Squirrels

1. Use Motion Activated Sprinklers

Like most animals, squirrels don’t like getting sprayed or splashed with water unexpectedly. Many manufacturers have taken advantage of this fact by producing motion-activated sprinklers that can deter squirrels and other small animals. These sprinklers typically use infrared sensors to detect motion up to a great distance, meaning you can use just one or two of them to add protection to your entire garden. While this solution is an excellent option for scaring squirrels away, it isn’t completely foolproof. Some squirrels may be more tenacious, requiring more intervention to scare them off.

2. Modify Their Habitat

If you modify your home area, you can create spaces that squirrels are more likely to avoid. For example, you can trim branches that hang over your home or garden. You can also clean your property to ensure that squirrels’ access to food and water is severely limited. Rather than leaving fallen acorns lying on the ground, rake them up and dispose of them before the local squirrels have an opportunity to feast. You can also remove bird feeders and seal your trash cans so that squirrels can’t access them.

3. Construct Barriers

If you face issues with squirrels invading your vegetable garden, you can erect barriers to keep them out. Ideally, you could build a greenhouse for your garden, but we understand that not everyone has the resources to do so. If you can’t afford to build a greenhouse at the moment, a barrier made with wire could get the job done just as well. Simply construct a barrier using wire mesh that covers the entirety of your garden. If you use stakes to hold it in the ground, you can pull them out whenever you need to tend to your garden. This may not be the most aesthetically pleasing method, but it will keep the squirrels away from your produce.

4. Scare Them Away

If the other squirrel removal methods haven’t wholly solved your squirrel problem, there’s one last option we can suggest. Adopting a cat or dog can be a highly effective way to keep squirrels at bay, as these animals will routinely chase or even kill squirrels that they encounter. If you don’t want to adopt a real animal, you can choose from alternatives. For example, some retailers sell containers of wolf urine that you can spray in your garden. This urine scares away many prey animals, like squirrels and rabbits. You can also purchase fake owls that can be placed throughout your yard to scare away encroaching squirrels.

5. Use Exclusion Methods

If you have noticed squirrels creeping through your attic or invading other areas of your home, exclusion may be your best bet for keeping them out of your home for good. Exclusion methods include any action that can be taken to screen or block potential entry points that are accessible to squirrels.

To effectively exclude squirrels from your home, consider covering overlapping sections of your roof and filling small gaps under the eaves of your roof. You can also install sheet metal or hardware cloth over potential entrance sites, such as gaps in your siding. Hard material will ensure that squirrels can’t gnaw their way into your home, so you won’t have to worry about them sneaking in as easily.

6. Use a Repellent

If exclusion methods do not garner the results you need, you can also try using repellents to get rid of squirrels off your property. This is especially useful for people who live on heavily forested land, as this type of land invites far more squirrel activity than the typical urban suburb. If you don’t wish to harm the squirrels, don’t worry! Also, there are many non-toxic squirrel repellents available on the market.

One of the main repellents available uses a combination of thiram, a fungicide, and capsaicin or mustard oil. This mixture is usually sold in a spray bottle, which can be used to coat your garden or the exterior of your home. There are also gel-based repellents, but The Humane Society doesn’t recommend them, as the gels used in these pesticides can harm other animals, like birds.

7. Set Traps

Trapping squirrels outside is likely to be a futile effort, as there will always be more squirrels. We only suggest using traps to catch squirrels that have entered your home already. To catch squirrels, you can use wire-cage traps that you’ve baited with nuts, peanut butter, or slices of fruit. Once you have the squirrel captured, just release it into your yard. If you follow-up with the exclusion and repelling methods listed above, your yard should be squirrel free soon enough.

8. Mulch Your Garden

If you’ve noticed squirrels digging up your lawn or garden, you can use mulch to stop them. You can prevent this destructive digging by placing thick mulch along your garden beds. The squirrels may try to dig there, but if you use heavy mulch that includes stones, they won’t have much luck.