Squirrels may look cute, but they aren’t the most welcome of visitors to your yard. They can cause damage to plants, trees, and bird feeders. Squirrels will eat flower bulbs, seedlings, and fruit from trees and carry diseases that affect humans.
There are several methods of getting rid of squirrels that work well in different circumstances. Let’s look at how to get rid of squirrels from your yard and home.
How to get rid of squirrels from your yard
Many natural squirrel deterrents will stop these pests from entering your yard or home without harming them. You may find that you need to use a few of these methods before you’re successful. Squirrels aren’t nocturnal, so don’t worry about battling them at night.
1. Make a Scarecrow
This is an excellent homemade squirrel deterrent. Squirrels will stay away from your yard if they think there’s someone there as they are wary of humans. It’s a good idea to move the scarecrow around every now and again so that they don’t get used to it and realize it’s not a real person.
2. Motion Sensor Sprinkler
This is another great homemade detergent that works well to repel squirrels without harming them. The motion sensor can be adjusted so that it responds to squirrels. When the squirrel steps into the area of the yard where you have placed the sprinkler, it trips a sensor setting off a spray of water which scares the squirrel away.
3. Strobe Light
If you have issues with squirrels that are not responding to the first two deterrents, try installing a strobe light in your yard. These lights flash rapidly on and off, scaring squirrels away due to their sensitive eyesight. The flashing light will often keep them from approaching your yard at all.
4. Hot Pepper Spray
This method of getting rid of squirrels is also effective against moles and raccoons that are digging up flower bulbs or other plants in the garden. Mix 1/2 cup “hot pepper” sauce (the kind that contains actual chili peppers) into a gallon of water and spray it around in the areas where these animals like to dig for food. The pungent odor and taste will keep them away from your yard for good.
5. Remove Potential Food Sources
Mice and rats are attracted to areas where they’ve found food in the past, which is why you should aim to clean up potential food sources. Don’t leave pet food bowls outside and remove bird seed and garbage. Keep these items out of the squirrel’s reach or inside tightly closed containers that these vermin cannot chew through. Make sure to remove any acorns from your yard.
6. Invest in squirrel-proof Bird Feeders
The best way to get rid of squirrels is not to give them a reason to visit your yard in the first place. Squirrels often climb up bird feeders hanging from tree branches, so it’s important to secure these items inside metal cages that they won’t be able to chew through with their teeth.
A squirrel-proof bird feeder is the easiest way to cut off their source of food.
7. Squirrel-proof your home
Many homeowners have had squirrels breaking into their homes or roof spaces. Check all windows, doors, screens, and vents on homes or outbuildings around your property to ensure no openings are large enough for any wildlife to fit through.
Please note that squirrels and other animals can fit through very small openings, so it’s essential to seal up any gaps around your home’s foundation or under decks and outbuildings where they might find a way in. These pests also often hide inside the walls, so be sure to check for any openings before sealing them off completely with expanding foam insulation. This will provide a good barrier against any critters that want to enter the space.
8. Use Fox Urine pellets
You can also try sprinkling some fox urine granules in areas you want to keep squirrels away from — they won’t like the smell and will find somewhere else to go! This may be an effective method of keeping squirrels out of your yard, but be careful about where you place them because animals have been known to dig up fox urine pellets placed near their burrow entrances if they are hungry enough.
9. Talk to Your Neighbors
Sometimes the best way to get rid of wildlife such as squirrels is by having your neighbors do it too! Animals are often attracted to the same areas, so squirrels may be coming onto your property because they are trying to get into your neighbors’ homes or yards. Be sure to speak with them about the problem and see if there’s any way you can work together on resolving it.
10. Set Traps
If none of these methods are working for you after a few weeks, setting humane traps may be an effective way of getting rid of squirrels around your yard without killing them. These small rodents are naturally wary of new things in their environment, so once you’ve caught a few of them and relocated them away from your property, they may be less likely to come back.
11. Keep Your Trash Locked Up Tight!
Make it difficult for squirrels and other wildlife to access your trash so that they don’t have a food source. Secure lids with bungee cords, place bins so that the opening faces inward instead of outward, and put some small rocks on top of the cover to weigh it down.
Conclusion
Squirrels can often become a nuisance to homeowners. If you want to get rid of them, you may need to try several different methods. The best thing to do is eliminate any food sources from your yard, including garbage, pet bowls, and bird feeders.
Squirrels are more likely to keep returning to your garden if there’s a source of food for them.
The above list includes some inexpensive and harmless (to humans and their pets) ideas that will help you get rid of squirrels in your yard for good!