Homemade Squirrel Repellents: Natural Solutions for Garden (2023)

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Are squirrels taking over your garden and leaving you feeling helpless? You’re not alone! These pesky critters can wreak havoc on gardens, consuming crops, disturbing bird feeders, and even damaging plants.

If this sounds all too familiar to you, then it’s time to take control of the situation with some homemade squirrel repellents for the garden.

With natural solutions like pungent scents or companion planting strategies, there are plenty of ways to keep those furry creatures away from your precious flowers and veggies – without having to resort to harsh chemicals or expensive traps.

Let’s explore how best we can use these homemade remedies in our gardens so that we can get back in control!

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipes

Squirrels can be quite pesky in the garden, but a homemade repellent can help protect your plants. For a natural DIY squirrel deterrent, mix up a spray with hot sauce, water, and dish soap that you can apply liberally on flowers, vegetables, and bird feeders as needed.

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe

Let’s try mixing up your homemade squirrel repellent for the garden. Here’s what you’ll need:

1. 4 cups of water
2. 1 oz of hot sauce
3. 3 drops of dish soap

Blend these three simple ingredients in a spray bottle. Apply it liberally around your garden and outdoor decor. The spicy scent drives squirrels away without harming your plants. Reapply after heavy rains for ongoing protection.

Consider planting squirrel-resistant flowers like marigolds too. With a homemade spray and strategic landscaping, you can deter those pesky rodents from destroying your garden.

Other Uses for Squirrel Repellent

You can also use homemade squirrel repellent to protect fall outdoor decor like cornstalks and pumpkins from pesky rodents. In fact, over 40% of homeowners reported squirrel damage to Halloween and Thanksgiving decor last year.

Here are some tips for using squirrel repellent on outdoor fall decor:

Method: Spray repellent directly on decor

How It Works: Creates an unpleasant scent barrier

Method: Soak decor bases in repellent

How It Works: Discourages gnawing and climbing

Method: Spray around decor perimeter

How It Works: Establishes a protective odor boundary

Method: Reapply after rain

How It Works: Maintains effectiveness

Experiment with different homemade repellents to find one that works best for your needs. Focus on scent-based solutions like garlic, hot pepper, and predator urine to humanely keep squirrels away. With some clever strategies and natural ingredients, you can enjoy cute fall decor without the squirrel headaches.

Using Squirrel Repellent in the Garden

Safely use homemade squirrel repellent in your garden. Spray plants and flowers carefully to deter squirrels without harming them, and plant marigolds, alliums, daffodils, and other squirrel-repelling flowers and plants nearby as natural, organic deterrents.

Safely Spraying Plants and Flowers

Consider applying the homemade spray judiciously to plants and flowers so as not to harm them. While the pepper spray deters nibbling squirrels, take care not to drench delicate blossoms.

Check for wilting or spotting after 12-24 hours before treating the entire plant.

Avoid wetting the flowers, just spray the stems, leaves, and soil.

Use a lighter application on tender seedlings and vegetables.

Rinse any overspray off petals and leaves to prevent burning.

With some care, you can reap the benefits of repelling squirrels without collateral damage to your garden.

Companion Plants to Repel Squirrels

After protecting your garden, mulch with marigolds to deter those pesky squirrels. Marigolds and other companion plants repel squirrels by scent and appearance. Chomping or digging in marigold-covered soil irritates little squirrel paws and noses with the pungent smell of the bright flowers.

Intersperse marigolds with garlic, peppermint, and even vegetable plants like hot peppers around your garden beds. The strong scent confuses squirrels and deters their desire to harvest in your garden.

Look for plants like geraniums, lily of the valley, daffodils, or alliums that naturally repel squirrels. They’ll help protect vulnerable plants without chemicals or traps while attracting helpful pollinators like bees to your garden.

How Repellents Work on Squirrels

There are a variety of homemade squirrel repellents you can use to keep squirrels out of your garden. Pungent smells like peppers, garlic, vinegar, and predator urine create an unpleasant environment that deters squirrels.

Pet-safe options like peppermint oil, mothballs, and predator decoys rely more on fear than irritation to repel squirrels yet won’t endanger pets or children in your yard.

Pungent Repellants

Sounds like a peppery plan to spread spicy smells around your yard to turn off troublesome tree rodents. Squirrels dislike pungent scents, so homemade repellents with hot peppers, garlic, cayenne, and vinegar can deter them when applied around plants.

• Plant marigolds, chives, garlic, and hot peppers to repel squirrels naturally.
• Make a spray with hot sauce, dish soap, and water. Reapply after rain.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper, chili powder, or predator urine near problem areas.
• Try peppermint oil, garlic mixtures, or mothballs for scent boundaries.

Pet-Safe Repellants

Try placing netting or grow some catnip in the area to repel squirrels without harm. Animal-friendly repellents are key for safe pest control in the home garden. Look for harmless squirrel deterrents like strong scents from plants, predator decoys, or physical barriers.

Pet-friendly options avoid toxicity while still driving away those pesky squirrels.

Grow geraniums, mint, or garlic plants for natural scents. Set up visual deterrents like fake owls or snake decor. Install raised beds with chicken wire underneath to protect bulbs and garden beds. With planning, you can find non-toxic solutions for keeping vegetable gardens and flower beds squirrel-free.

Keep your garden critter-proof without harming local wildlife by using humane squirrel repellents.

Covering Your Garden to Repel Squirrels

Prevent rodent damage by immediately covering your crops with physical barriers like chicken wire buried six inches into the soil.

Use 1/2-inch galvanized welded wire cut into 2×3-foot pieces to cover rows of low crops.

Bury chicken wire 2 feet around flower beds, leaving a 4-inch lip sticking above ground.

Shield individual plants with small wire tomato cages or bottoms of soda bottles.

Garden barriers like fences, netting, and aluminum foil act as the first line of defense against nibbling critters. Make the garden an inhospitable feeding zone for squirrels and vermin by denying easy access.

Consistent vigilance and timely deployment of deterrents prevent irreparable damage from occurring.

A multi-faceted approach using physical boundaries, natural repellents, and strategic landscaping provides the best protection against persistent garden pests. Shoot for total encasement. Fortify beds, borders, pots, and poles to proactively defend your fruits, veggies, and flowers from scavengers.

Dogs as Natural Squirrel Deterrents

Use your loyal dog’s fur as a natural squirrel repellent in flower beds. When incorporated into garden soil, dog hair emits a potent scent that deters curious squirrels and chipmunks from snacking in your yard.

Ask your canine companion for some fur trimmings after their next grooming session. Work the fur into the top inches of soil around vulnerable flower beds. Squirrel’s sensitive noses will detect your ally’s scent, triggering avoidance behaviors.

Continue applying fresh dog hair mulch routinely to reinforce the wildlife repellency. Your furry friend can passively protect precious bulbs like daffodils or lily of the valley without any effort beyond shedding.

Each time your dog’s coat blows out before summer, collect the fur to help safeguard garden plants.

Renewing the dog hair at regular intervals sustains the deterrent effects. By partnering with your loyal canine, you can leverage natural squirrel repellents for garden protection. Your four-legged friends make the perfect organic allies against curious squirrels trying to sneak inside your yard or house.

Let your dog’s fur do the work to create wildlife harmony.

Natural Squirrel Repellents

First, plant some of the scents and flavors that squirrels dislike. Strong smells like garlic, peppermint, and predator urine can drive them away. Sprinkling cayenne pepper and ground chili peppers around your garden beds also works.

Try lining the perimeter with nasturtium and marigold plants. Their scent deters squirrels.

Next, use visual deterrents. Install a raptor perch or owl nest box. The sight of predators nearby will scare squirrels off. Owl decoys are another option. Incorporate pet hair into garden beds as a natural scent barrier.

And be sure to spread any clippings far from the garden, as it can attract squirrels.

Finally, pay attention to squirrel behavior like their nesting times and food attraction habits. Avoid trapping squirrels unnecessarily. And offer them an alternative water source so they’re less tempted by your garden! With insight and patience, you can coexist with these clever creatures.

Protecting Bulbs From Squirrels

Lay black plastic netting over the bulb bed to thwart those pesky squirrels from diggin’ up your pretty flowers. Squirrels can’t resist bulbs, especially tulip and crocus bulbs planted in the fall.

Unroll some lightweight black plastic garden netting over the planting area before bulb planting time. Use u-shaped landscape staples to secure the edges. The netting allows water and light in but forms a physical barrier to keep squirrels from tunneling down to your bulbs.

For individual bulbs, try making cages out of chicken wire formed into tubes around each bulb. Bury the wire several inches into the ground so squirrels can’t dig under. Daffodils and fritillaria bulbs tend to be less appealing to squirrels, so try planting those if squirrels persist.

A little advance planning and protective measures will let you enjoy a gorgeous spring bulb display without losing bulbs to those rascally squirrels.

Keeping Squirrels Off Bird Feeders

Place your bird feeders on isolated poles at least 5-6 feet off the ground to keep those pesky squirrels from stealing the birdseed. Squirrels are clever and persistent when it comes to getting to that tasty bird food, so you’ll need to outsmart them.

Start by choosing slick metal feeders with springs that make it harder for squirrels to hang on. Then install a plastic or metal baffle on the pole below the feeder which blocks squirrels from climbing up.

Alternatively, hang your feeder from a wire between trees that is too far for squirrels to jump.

You can also make the bird seed itself less desirable by using safflower or nyjer seeds instead of sunflower seeds. Squirrels don’t care for safflower while birds still love it. And be sure to keep the ground below the feeder clean so squirrels aren’t tempted by fallen seeds or debris.

With a few simple precautions, you can enjoy watching the birds feast while the squirrels look on in frustration.

Reader Suggestions for Squirrel Repellents

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper around your flowers to keep those pesky squirrels out of your garden. I’ve found that motion-activated sprinklers can startle squirrels away as they scurry into the garden.

You can also use anchored traps, like mousetraps secured into the ground where squirrels dig.

Preventing entry is key to keeping squirrels from invading your home. Make sure there are no holes or gaps around the roofline or foundation. Trim any branches or bushes touching the house. And install chimney caps and vent guards to block access.

Taking a proactive approach by using humane deterrents can save you from more costly skunk smell removal or pest control down the road. With some clever tricks, you can outsmart those furry critters trying to sneak their way in.