Squirrels are famous for their toughness and quickness. Many fences, repellents and tricks can’t beat these animals. However, you can make your yard and garden less attractive to squirrels by reducing food and shelter. How to keep squirrels out of garden?
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Check the house for garden entrances
Check the exterior
How to keep squirrels out of garden? Starting with the exterior of your house, look for any places where squirrels may have entered the garden. Be aware that the entrance hole may be smaller than you expect. Squirrels can fit through an opening the size of an adult’s fist. Look for gaps and weak areas, such as rot, during an exterior inspection.
Sealing Entrances
Safely seal all possible entrances and replace rotted wood, but be aware that despite your best efforts, squirrels will scratch and gnaw. Seal openings where siding and overhanging eaves meet.
Spray with a mosquito repellent available at garden, hardware, pet or feed stores. You can also use a homemade repellent by mixing chili sauce and water in the ratio of 1 tablespoon of chili sauce to 1 quart of water. Or mix chopped yellow onion, chopped jalapeño and 1 tablespoon of chili pepper and boil in two quarts of water for 20 minutes. When cool, strain through coarse cotton cloth and spray with a spray bottle. This mixture is reported to be effective on all animals, but is only good for three to five days.
Don’t trap squirrels in the garden
How to keep squirrels out of garden? If you suspect that squirrels have gotten into your garden and you’ve found their entrance, don’t accidentally keep them inside. To determine if the squirrels are inside or outside the house, crumple up some newspaper into a ball and stuff it into the hole. Wait two days. If the newspaper is intact, the squirrels are most likely outside. In that case, seal the hole.
If the newspaper is pushed out, set a live trap. Cover the trap with a blanket or towel to take the pressure off the animal. Take the trap outside and put the squirrel back in your yard near where it entered the house.
Preventing Squirrel Invasions
Look for outdoor holes. How to keep squirrels out of garden? Old garages and sheds, especially near trees, are the best places for squirrel nests. Seal up the holes as early as possible.
Have a roof repairman seal up holes in roofs and penthouses. If your roof is close to the squirrel’s range of activity, it may allow the squirrel to get indoors. Squirrels are at risk of electrocution indoors because they often chew on electrical wires.
Trim branches in your yard regularly. Make sure they are 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from the house, roof, and shed. For larger trees with thick, leafy branches, you may want to call a professional to do a high-branch pruning. Most squirrels prefer to make their homes in trees rather than outbuildings.
Avoid placing birdseed in areas you don’t want squirrels to visit. Nuts and seeds are squirrel favorites, so they can be extraordinarily persistent in trying to get at these foods. Get a squirrel-proof bird feeder and hang it away from roofs or trees.
If you don’t want to give up the bird feeder, you can buy some safflower seed mix. Most squirrels don’t like this type of food. Other options are white corn seed and thistle seed.
Chasing away squirrels from your yard
Check to make sure squirrels are not nesting in outbuildings or homes. How to keep squirrels out of garden? Seal the hole with newspaper. If you find the newspaper removed the next day, an animal has taken up residence in the hole.
If a squirrel has nested, get help from animal control or your local pest control center. The point is to catch the squirrels and get them back to nature. Make sure any squirrels you catch are at least 3 miles away, preferably in a river between your house and the squirrel’s new home.
When you find squirrels making a home in a tree, build a metal fence. Purchase metal sheets and attach metal springs. The fence should be at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) high to discourage squirrels from invading. Smaller trees can be protected with a ring of wire mesh.
If you find squirrels chewing on the bark, wrap the wire mesh around the trunk. Make sure you cover every tree and wire opening in your backyard with pieces of metal. Squirrels will move to other occupants that are easier to climb.
Fence in your yard so the dog can get outside. Squirrels may out-compete dogs, but they won’t choose a yard with only one dog and no predators. Most dogs instinctively chase and hunt squirrels. Dogs will not let squirrels near the house or yard, but will drive them into trees. Squirrels are more likely to stay away from the house if you combine this method with trimming branches and building a tree fence.
Cover the tops of garden plant bulbs with a thick object until the ground begins to thaw, or if you can’t find a heavy object that applies, then you can cover the ground with a thick layer of leaves. Squirrels may still drill holes, but many reasons prompt them not to do so.
Investigate to find out which types of bulbs will attract squirrels and which will not. Cultivate plants that prevent squirrels from nibbling on them. Squirrels are partial to saffron, autumn crocus, tulips and globe gladiolus. They like to nibble on garden corn. They don’t like scallions, daffodils, yellow daffodils, solanums, bluebells, and hyacinths.
Cover the wires leading to the house. How to keep squirrels out of garden? Buy plastic tubing 2-3 inches (5-7.6 cm) in diameter and make small cuts lengthwise along the tubing. The plastic tube will roll when squirrels try to climb the wires connecting the tree to the house.
Chasing away squirrels with chili water
Stir together a bottle (about 10 ounces or 30 liters) of cayenne pepper and 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water. Sprinkle the cayenne pepper water on tree bark or other areas where squirrels have been nibbling.
How to keep squirrels out of garden? Animal experts recommend this as a last resort. Because it’s harmful to both humans and animals, and is more inhumane than simply making your home unfriendly.
Check the plants and trees in your garden. Unless the trees are very sensitive, you can sprinkle capsaicin on the plants to chase away squirrels. Mix a small amount of capsaicin into birdseed. This method will chase away squirrels but won’t harm the birds.