Squirrel Repellent - What deterrent works?
Squirrel Repellent - With their bright labels and clever names, when you head into the pest animal section of your local hardware store or garden center, you'll see the repellents take up a lot of space on the shelves. There are a range of different types of products that you can look at, and compared to the sombre and functional options that offer trapping or exclusion, it is easy to pick up the spray gun or speaker that promises to solve the problem for you with minimum effort. These chemicals, home remedies and noise emitters are all said to make life in and around your property unbearable for the squirrels, and will encourage them to move elsewhere.
The picture that is painted on the packaging of commercially produced repellents is naturally very convincing, and they will usually claim to work in one of two ways. For both chemical and audio repellents, these are said to be very unpleasant, either in terms of the scent that the chemicals produce or the noise emitted, while there are other repellents that claim to mimic the scent of predator urine. The reality is that most squirrels will see more reasons to stay in an area if they are nesting there or finding a good food source, and a particular scent or noise will rarely cause them to leave their home.
GET HELP: Do you need professional help with a squirrel problem? We have wildlife experts servicing almost every area of the USA! HIRE US IN YOUR TOWN
COSTS: You may want to read more about squirrels or the prices we charge for our services: READ ABOUT OUR SQUIRREL PRICES
Chemical Repellents
These products can be made with a range of different ingredients, and predator urine or a substance designed to smell like predator urine can be included, but this is rarely enough to drive the animals away. Other chemicals will be based on substances that are naturally toxic such as ammonia or naphthalene, which is used in the production of mothballs, and these are both said to drive animals, including squirrels away, but there is very little evidence to support this. The other problem with using harsh chemicals is they can have unpleasant side effects, and this can include affecting plants and domestic animals.
Repellent Devices With An Audio Tone
This is a type of repellent that has really grown in the market over recent decades, with many people drawn in by the idea of a harmless repellent that gets rid of animals without any chemicals or harm to the animal. While the premise of such a solution is certainly attractive, there are many examples of squirrels and other animals that have used the time when the property owner was using an audio repellent to make themselves at home and build a nest in the attic. These should be avoided as they really are not effective at all.
Home Remedies To Drive Squirrels Away
There are a variety of recipes that are said to be effective at driving squirrels away, and a combination of cayenne pepper, jalapenos and onions that are chopped and boiled in water to make a spray is one such recipe. Another common mixture said to drive the animals away is to combine a fluid soap with cayenne pepper, which is then sprayed over the area where you want to drive the squirrels away from. The one successful home remedy really applies to bird feeders, and one great tip to keep squirrels away from the bird seed is to spread a thick grease or Vaseline over the pole holding the bird feeder, which will prevent the squirrel from getting to the seed.
Adapting Your Yard Or Garden To Be Less Attractive To Squirrels
Squirrels are animals that don't like to be too exposed, so areas where there is very little cover will usually not be their favorite terrain, so one measure is to remove any trees and foliage that would provide this. This may not be practical or desirable in many areas, so planting bulbs such as marigolds, onions and garlic are also said to be unpleasant to squirrels, although there is limited evidence to support this too. Squirrel proof bird feeders and netting over fruit and vegetable plants can also help to reduce access to the food source that may be drawing the squirrels to your yard or garden.
The Best Way Of Dealing With A Squirrel Infestation
Squirrels getting into an attic or wall cavity is an entirely different type of problem, but sadly squirrels are not generally driven out by repellents here either. There are two main options that can be used to deal with the squirrel infestation, and the first is to install repeater traps over the holes the squirrels are using to get in and out to catch the animals, and then to relocate them. The other option is to seal all but one of the entry points used by the squirrel and then to put an exclusion funnel over the final access point, which will allow the squirrels to get out but won't allow them back in again.
Go back to the main Squirrel Removal page for more information about squirrel repellent such as bleach, ammonia, mothballs. Can you buy something at Home Depot to repel squirrel? Here are other articles on the matter.
Read all About Squirrels in my educational articles that can answer your questions about how to take care of a squirrel problem. Learn if Mothballs or Ammonia help repel squirrels, what kind of damage squirrels can do in an attic, and if there are any Repellents best suited for attic spaces. Find out what attracts squirrels and how to keep squirrels Away from your Property. I can let you know if a squirrel in the attic will have a Nest of Babies and how to know if you have any baby squirrels in the attic. I can show you how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder and let you know what you should do with a squirrel after you catch it. Learn if squirrels chew on wood in or on a house and if repellents will work against squirrels in a Chimney.
