Last week I showed you How To Make A Fall Corn Garland. In that post, a reader innocently asked if the squirrels around the house would try to eat the corn.
Squirrels, what squirrels?
We do have plenty of chipmunks running around here, but I have had corn stalks on my porch off and on for YEARS and I never had a problem with those cute little guys eating my fall displays. Never once.
The chipmunks and I are buddies. Amigos. BFFs.
And as for squirrels, I have never seen a single squirrel in the yard. Ever.
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Well not until Susie mentioned squirrels in her comment and then all of a sudden I see one of those stupid furry little rats with big tails poking around my porch.
Darn you Susie, you jinxed me!
But here's the kicker, I think the squirrel came up on the porch to give a seminar to the chipmunks on how to eat corn or something.
Corn Eating 101 taught by Skippy The Squirrel.
The little guys were very well behaved until Mr. Squirrel showed up on the scene and now I'm down 3 ears of corn!. And I know it was the chipmunks because I saw one scurrying out of the cornstalks when I opened the back door.
So I searched online and tried a few concoctions and theories and came up with a homemade squirrel repellent that seems to be working on both the squirrels and the chipmunks.
Of course, there's always the shovel over the head remedy, but I try very hard not to hurt other living creatures. Besides we USED to be friends.
Oh, and BTW, the squirrel in these photos is the stuffed squirrel my son bought at an antique mall a few months ago. He's long dead, probably 50 years dead, so it's not like I killed Skippy to make some pretty photos or anything.
How To Make Homemade Squirrel Repellent
Homemade Squirrel Repellent
Supplies
- 4 cups Water
- 1 oz Hot Sauce (½ of the small 2 oz bottle or 2 Tablespoons if using a larger bottle)
- 3 drops Dish Soap (you can also use vegetable oil if you prefer)
- 1 Spray Bottle
Instructions
- Pour 4 cups water into the spray bottle
- Add ½ of the small 2 oz bottle (1 oz) hot sauce into the water (or 2 Tablespoons if using a larger bottle)
- Add 3 drops dish soap
- Close spray bottle and gently shake
- Spray liberally on any garden vegetables or flowers. Re-apply after heavy rains.
- This won’t harm the squirrels and chipmunks, it will just deter them from eating your stuff
Notes
Others uses for Squirrel Repellent:
- Bird Feeders - spray on the birdseed in your feeders to keep the squirrels out. It doesn't hurt the birds or deter them from eating the seeds.
- Fall Outdoor Decor - spray on your cornstalks, pumpkins etc on your porch to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from eating them.
(my dead stuffed squirrel agrees, use your common sense when using this and keep it away from your face)
Using Squirrel Repellent In The Garden
Besides keeping them off my fall decor, it is also good for using in your garden. Just spray the plants and flowers you want the squirrels to stay away from (it won't harm the plants and flowers). You may need to reapply after heavy rains as it would tend to wash away.
Now if this homemade squirrel repellent would just work on snakes too, I'd be all set!
What are some companion plants for your garden to repel squirrels?
There are some plants that squirrels just do not like to be around. By planting these in the garden you have a better chance of keeping the squirrels and chipmunks away. And they are a nice organic solution to the problem.
- Marigolds
- Allium
- Daffodils
- Geraniums
- Lily Of The Valley
- Hot pepper plants
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the BEST way to repel squirrels?
Well, my homemade squirrel repellent obviously, but I'll list some alternatives.
Dogs and Cats - Not that they will be able to chase off every single squirrel in the yard, but the more your animals run around in the backyard the less you'll see squirrel activity. You can even go as far as to take some pet hair and place it around your vegetables and plants to keep the squirrels away.
Alternative Foods - You can always try to feed the squirrels in another part of your yard and hope it keeps them from wanting to eat your good stuff in the other part of the yard. Have you seen those cute little squirrel picnic benches?
Netting - Surround your plants with netting, similar to what you would do to keep birds from eating berries.
Chicken Wire - Create a tent of chicken wire around smaller plants or enclose the whole garden area in chicken wire.
Cover The Ground - Putting gravel in the beds (similar to what you would use in a gravel driveway) may deter them as they won't enjoy walking on it.
Tin Foil - Put a layer of tin foil around the base of plants and in flower pots. The reflection from the tin foil scares off squirrels and they won't like stepping on the foil. This remedy can get a bit expensive if you use it for the entire garden though.
Decoys - Buy fake cat silhouettes or fox decoys to stake out in the garden to scare them off.
What scent will repel squirrels?
Spicy things like my squirrel repellent above. You can also grind up some chili pepper flakes and spread them around the base of the plants.
Garlic
Peppermint
Predator urine - you can buy coyote urine in a spray bottle online if you don't want to follow your dog around the back yard in the morning
Cider Vinegar - soak rags in cider vinegar and lay in the garden
Mothballs
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RICK BATES
The sudden large population of chipmunks and the few older squirrels around our country property have caused over $3,000 damage to my truck and almost the same to my CRV. They love chewing the wires.
Donna
I tried it on my bird feeder pole , the squirrel still climbed up the metal pole, sat on a-branch I had sprayed, stretched way over to the feeder, which I sprayed, with his front paws, tipped it sideways as usual! So, it didn’t work for me.
Disgusted
Really!!!
Shovel over the head!!!
Disgusting! You and your comment! Are you prepared for your Karma bill???
Pam Kessler
Have you ever heard of a joke?
Grace
Actually my gramma would've smacked them w a shovel if she could. Buggers loved to raid her walnut trees. Wed spend all summer trying to outsmart the wee buggers
Kathy
BE NICE! It was a joke!
Amazed it the idiocy of others
To 'Disgusted' I would suggest you read Pam's comment again, she was not actually advising readers to kill. So re-read and try to understand it was a joke. Everyone else can clearly see it was meant in jest. You overrighteous people take thing far too literally sometimes and just make yourself look stupid! life is far too short, don't waste it being angry at everyone and everything. Calm down and go give your squirrel some love 🙂
Someone
100% agree
Grace
Curious about the soap, not sure the use it has? Also very hesitant as I have a butterfly garden (no squirrels there yet) and would hate to harm eggs, larvae or caterpillars
Could you double whammy them w spearmint / peppermint essential oils in the hot sauce concoction?
Pam Kessler
You certainly could try adding spearmint/peppermint. And the soap just helps it "stick to the plants".
Grace
Awesome thanks . I have a rat highway through my garden which this should help too. Wee buggers ate my tulips bulbs which were a gift from a friend so it's not just random digging .. and I found a bulb in my bbfly garden where none should be.
Bill
We have Mexican squirrels at our house. Contemplating an electric fence. We have a second story porch. We have one in the ffeder and 3 or 4 waiting on the ground.
Kathy
Will this work around vehicles! The little !&@) have cost us about $800 by chewing on gas lines and electric wiring on our truck. Mechanic says it sharpens their teeth! I hope they choked on the gas! I almost caught our truck on fire!
JAVIER SANTOS
How to get rid of gophers or moles
Donna
I was told to put an owl figurine in the yard. Tried that. Next day I looked out my window to see a squirrel sitting on its head and eating its ears.
Pam Kessler
Oh, no! That's hilarious. I've hard the plastic foxes on a stick work, but I haven't tried one myself yet!
Mary
I’m trying to understand... do you spray it directly on the dirt? Will it kill the plants? ( ( flowers on my deck))?
Pam Kessler
OK, I fixed it in the article to make it more clear. You spray it on the plants or flowers you are trying to keep them away from. It won't harm the vegetable plants, flowers or if dripping onto the ground.
Wheez
So I am going to try this spray on my tomato plants. I think the squirrels took a bite of my tomatoes on the vine. Breaks my heart! Need some kind of detergents.
Margaret Donohue
I am so glad I found your recipe for the squirrels. I do not like those little
buggers, driving me crazy. They get into my deck railing plants, flower pots, tomato pots, etc. I have had it. I thought I had it solved but back they are and now I am desperate. I bought some spray at Lowe's a few months ago but can't find it anymore. The substitute I bought does not seem to be working.
I will keep you posted as to when the funeral will be, please send flowers.
Barry
Also ... Hired a roofer to install heavy duty chicken wire in all the spaces where the dormers meet the roof. Those darn squirrels picked and picked at them until they pulled them off!
Barry
Squirrels in the attic for years chewing wires, storing hundreds of black walnuts in the ceilings, etc. Tried everything in the attic from coyote urine, sticky pads, electronic traps, rat traps, etc.
When that didn’t work, I went outside and got Hav-A-Heart traps. Caught 15 last year, and 4 so far this year in 3 months.
My wife suggested that I go outside and eliminate the source of the black walnuts. We found a tree two doors down. A helper and I filled a dumpster 3/4 full with about half of walnuts laying on the ground. Those trees create a HUGE amount of squirrel food. Wish I could chop it down, but it’s not mine.
Sam
Two words for you folks: pellet rifle.
carol Hoffman
I have the little red squirrels in my area and have gotten into my attic and also crewed their way into my studio. Tired everything and just gave up and used a trap to kill them. 9 in two weeks were found in attic. very upset, how to keep them from crewing behind eaves on roof or under siding.? pepper flacks just is not doing it.
Sandi
I read all the comments. I have the same squirrel problem. I have, however, after spending lots of money on deterrents, come across a great and inexpensive squirrel deterrent for my bird feeders. Ready? A metal slinky. Hang the slinky from the top of your shepherd's hook and let it hang down and around the pole. Squirrels don't have anything to hang onto for climbing. Works like a charm! For double shepherd's hooks, anchor it in the center of the top "arms" (I slipped the end of the slinky over one arm) and then wind it a little at a time until it's completely surrounding the pole going down. I've used this method since last summer and have had no more problems! I'll usually put some bird food on the ground for ground feeders. The squirrels will help themselves to that but can't go up the poles anymore. Good ole Walmart carries slinky's. They were $3 each when I set this up. Certainly much cheaper and cleaner than baffles. Hope this helps.
lsoo
Greasing the shepherd's hook pole wit WD-40 worked like a charm!