You can also use squirrel baffles on poles that support your bird feeders. Everyone is happy. But many gardeners claim the trick to keeping squirrels away from their prized tomatoes is to simply set up a feeder (with sunflower seeds and other nuts) in an area away from your garden. Keep squirrels away by adding a statue or figurine of a predator into your space. This way, you will be attracting squirrels away from your vegetable garden. Use a permanent marker to … To keep squirrels away from your bird feeders, mix several teaspoons of cayenne pepper with your birdseed before placing the seed in feeders. Keeping squirrels out of your garden is another way to keep your veggies safe. Coffee Grounds. Once the squirrels are trapped, relocate them to a different location at least five miles away. Another idea to keep squirrels away is to keep the coffee grounds (that is, the coffee residue left in the coffee maker filter after brewing it). Squirrels may seem cute and cuddly when you watch them romp in the park or your yard -- until they damage or destroy the plants you're raising. Squirrels eat; you garden. If a squirrel was nearby, they weren’t for long because our precious Trudy, our bulldog, would quickly chase them up a tree and away from the property. Organic Vegetables Growing Vegetables Gardening Vegetables Organic Fruit Squirrel Repellant Squirrel Feeder Insect Repellent Get Rid Of Squirrels Organic Gardening Tips. It is safe and relatively cheap, so try this method first. DON’T FEED THEM. Why do squirrels live in attics? Breaking: Veteran Landscaper Shares 38 Secrets to a Beautiful Landscape for FREE. Spray the mixture in whatever areas you want the squirrels to steer clear of, like the borders of your garden. Jul 17, 2016 - How to Keep Squirrels Away Naturally. Homemade Squirrel Repellent: Keeping Squirrels Out Naturally and Safely - Microabode. When you’re done brewing your morning pot of coffee, don’t dump the grounds into the trash. Squirrels don’t like it but birds are not bothered by the hot taste. While this might not be the aesthetic you were going for, the mere silhouette of an owl could send squirrels scurrying. Naturally, you want to protect the food from your birds but at the same time, do it in a way that doesn’t hurt squirrels. It doesn’t take long for those parasitic insects to find their way to the main part of your house and start feasting on your family pets. If squirrels are eating your plants, you will probably want to step up your game and use a spray squirrel deterrent. "I find squirrels to be more of a problem than bugs in my garden," says Blume. "They'll wait until something is almost ripe, and take one bite out of it and throw it on the ground." Squirrels are naturally attracted to debris and brush piles, because it makes it easy for them to run and hide from predators. vamphoto Getty Images. Trap squirrels using a one-way cage door—Install a one-way cage door outside the entry point you left so that you can catch the squirrels in a cage when they exit your attic. "Squirrels hate dogs. Put a two-foot-wide metal collar around trees, at least six to eight feet off the ground. If your garden attracts squirrels, another excellent way to keep them away is by installing motion-activated sprinklers. Every two weeks, add a new layer of grounds. These humane methods of repelling rodents are welcome because success doesn’t involve having to search for dead rat carcasses as you would have to with poisons. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A COMPLETELY SQUIRREL-PROOF FEEDER. However, you can probably find several natural squirrel repellants in your own kitchen. Squirrels are not the only animals that love eating sunflowers. For a homemade and natural repellant, simply mix a few spoons of strong mustard with a container of water. … Cats and dogs love to play with anything that moves, which make them a great, natural way to keep squirrels away by pursuing them. You can buy a commercial product that does a good job; but, if you are like me, you want to know that you are only using safe products in the vegetable garden. With sharp claws and athletic bodies, fox squirrels are natural climbers and will spend most of their days in trees. During that time, they search for food ranging from nuts and flowers to insects and small birds. A squirrel is naturally skittish, so the fear of being injured or eaten could keep them away from your lawn for good. Try simple things like netting the crown of the tree to protect new buds and young fruit. Measure the circumference of the tree. Squirrels may seem cute and cuddly when you watch them romp in the park or your yard -- until they damage or destroy the plants you're raising. Also, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on your plants so they taste bad if squirrels try to eat them. These do not harm the birds, but will repel squirrels and other rodents. Or, you can put down a layer of mulch around your plants, which squirrels don't like stepping on. Squirrels are prey animals and are frightened of anything that might eat them, including dogs, coyotes, and even cats. The bitter taste of the seed will not bother the birds but will angst the squirrels, keeping them away in a natural way. Just sprinkle some fresh grounds on the soil surrounding the plants to keep squirrels away. "Dogs hate squirrels," he says. Another cool way to use the hot sauce is to mix it with birdseed to keep squirrels away from your bird feeder. Foxes are natural predators of squirrels and the little creatures will always stay away from places frequently traversed by a fox. Have you ever wondered “How in the world do I keep the squirrels from emptying out our birdfeeders?” It’s a common problem that so many of us have while trying to feed our fine feathered friends. Yet the scent of predator urine can encourage the critters to stay away. While they probably won’t be able to catch the squirrels, their presence alone will prevent squirrels from entering your yard. Invite natural predators: Squirrels don't like birds of prey, but birds of prey like squirrels. Will fake owl keep squirrels away? To keep squirrels away, try planting marigolds, nasturtiums, mint, or mustard in your yard, which squirrels don't like the smell of. Different critter repellants can be purchased at hardware stores or lawn and garden stores. Take a cup of your favorite hot sauce, add a spoonful of cayenne pepper and a capful of Murphy’s Oil Soap, and mix together. If squirrels are getting into your garden, keep them away with a homemade pepper spray. Scattering dog or cat hair around your pumpkins can, therefore, help to keep squirrels from eating them, as they’ll naturally avoid any area that smells of a predator. Squirrels go nuts for fruit. Build a fence out of one-inch mesh wire. How to Keep Squirrels Away From Birdfeeders Naturally. Commercial pepper sprays are also available specifically for keeping squirrels away from plants and gardens. If you've seen hawks or owls in your neighborhood, make a perch for them to invite them into your yard. It is difficult to achieve total squirrel fruit tree protection due to the animals amazing climbing ability. Keep the coffee grounds. Curious squirrels can destroy bird feeders or eat all the seeds meant for your feathered friends. Make sure you wear gloves when handling hot peppers and keep your hands away from your face or eyes after putting up your hot pepper covered holiday lights. Consider better planting sites at installation of trees. Also, make sure you offer a supply of water near the treats stations as well. Plastic Netting . If you notice your plants are only … Keep limbs away from the home where they will often gain access to the tree. Now That's Interesting. Uncategorized / By Dave. A homemade squirrel repellent can be a safe and effective solution for organic gardeners to keep squirrels out of their gardens. Put the liquid in a plastic spray bottle and spray small amounts of this repellant frequently on your property. Garlic, peppermint, and castor oils affect the senses of smell and taste. Some of the smells that deter squirrels are pepper, mint, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Attics are warm, dry, friendly places where a family of squirrels can settle down and build a nest, store food, and use the bathroom in relative safety and comfort from the dangers of the natural world. According to McGrath, the best deterrent is absolutely free, as long as you're a dog lover. Many people are quick to turn to inhumane methods to stop squirrels. Put fences or netting around your plants. Not to mention, it was a great exercise for her too. Like strobe lights, these sprinklers do not harm the pesky little critters but instead scares them away. Fox squirrels build their nests during summer and endure the winter inside trees. Keep Squirrels Away from Plants in the Vegetable Garden. For instance, peppermint oil can also keep mice away naturally. Natural Ways to Repel Squirrels From the Garden Using Spices. Remove Debris. There are some ready-to-use sprays, like Havahart Critter Ridder. Naturally, squirrels were no different. If you don’t want to actually spray your plants, sprinkle hot red pepper flakes or powder in the soil around the plants to keep squirrels away. Place dog or cat hairs where squirrel activity is detected, they can scare rodents away. You can surround it with tall wire cages. May 30, 2016 - How to Keep Squirrels Away Naturally. Drive squirrels away using natural repellents. If you can’t keep ground squirrels out of your yard, you can keep them away from your trees and plants using squirrel baffles. How to Get Rid of Squirrels Naturally? Fox urine. The birds are not bothered by the spice, but the hot taste will keep the squirrels … Try these top tips for repelling squirrels naturally. How To Keep Squirrels Away Naturally? This means: Bird feeders are one of the big attractions for squirrels. Squirrels look cute and cuddly running down the sidewalk, but when they enter your home, there’s a risk of them bringing in fleas or even ticks on their bodies. But their most important reason for being there is to have babies. Squirrels are diurnal (active during the day) so you can see them doing damage to your garden. You can also use the homemade variety in attic spaces to stop squirrels nesting. It's available through garden stores. My mother-in-law lived right across the street from us at the time so our dog patrolled our yard and hers. Of course you’ll need to repeat this regularly, especially after each time it rains. If you remove all food resources, you remove the reason for squirrels to be there. Place plastic or metal collars on your trees to keep squirrels from climbing them. You can purchase them from home improvement stores or make your own out of sheet metal. If you prefer not to make your own mixture, you can buy Rat Magic, an essential oil-based repellent for outdoor use. Squirrels don’t like the texture or the smell, and will stay away. Here are some methods you can use to keep them off newly planted lawn. Most of the time, squirrels won't climb past these collars, making them an effective deterrent. 9. If you’d prefer some natural ways to keep squirrels away, these following tips will be helpful. In this article, we’ll go over 8 natural ways to keep squirrels away from bird feeders. While these critters can be stubborn, there are some humane methods you can use to protect your fresh grass seeds. Many of the repellants you probably already have in your home. Check your local laws before doing this, because it’s illegal in states like to trap and relocate wildlife. Luckily, there are natural ways to do that. The simple presence of a predatory bird in or around your yard will scare the squirrels away for good. Get a guard dog. How To Keep Squirrels Away Naturally? When considering how to keep squirrels away from your yard, a more direct option is to use a squirrel repellant. Use tempting treats like nuts or sunflower seeds. 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