Are you sick of squirrels? Looking for ways to get rid of them?
Squirrels don’t harm humans, but they can be a great disturbance in the garden or yard. Squirrels do much harm to the fruits, vegetables, and other plants of the garden. They can also be a great threat to the power supply cables which may result in a power outage. They are also known to carry numerous diseases that are dangerous to humans. For the sake of your health and property, it’s time to say goodbye to these little creatures!
Wait, starting without a plan?
So before we start looking for the answer to the most-awaited question “How to get rid of squirrels”, make sure you have a glacial and fruitful plan for driving them away. Because a strategic step can be more beneficial to this work.
Let’s Find Some Effective Ways to Cease Away Squirrels
1. Dispel All Stuff That is Needed for Their Living
Squirrels will make your property as their resident if they can get enough food for them. That’s why carry away all fallen berries, nuts, and other debris that attracts them and that are needed for their living. This will resist them from entering your property.
To ease this process you can divide it into several steps.
- Firstly, gather all fallen fruits, nuts, corn, birdseed, grains, etc from your yard.
- Secondly, tied up waste food, drinks, and pet food.
- Then, take aside trash and cover up the dustbin.
- Finally, make sure they don’t have any food source to live on.
2. Build a High Fence
As we know squirrels are little creatures, a high fence can be a great barrier for them. Also putting up a fence also encloses your yard. To stop squirrels from entering into your property, fencing can be done in several methods:
- You can put a plexus fence also known as mesh fence. Mesh fence is known to have a great effect in resisting squirrels
- Or you can put an L-shaped fence around your property. This might help you also.
What if they still manage a way to enter, after all these precautions?
Well, if there is a problem there has to be a solution also. If squirrels still manage any pathway to enter your yard, you can follow the following steps:
3. Try to Use Mulch
As we know squirrels do much harm to the plants, so you can try using mulch. Basically mulch is a layer of material applied over the soil of any plant to improve the fertility of the soil. But there is something in mulch, squirrels are not very fond of. So mulch over the soil will keep squirrels away from your plants. Heavyweight mulch like rock debris, stones will give better results in this regard.
Ohh, No! Can’t do all this hard work, Isn’t there something easier? Okay, if you are not willing to do such work, then you can just use traps or baits to get rid of these creatures.
4. Traps
Using traps can be an effective measure in removing squirrels. There are many traps in which you can catch squirrels dead or alive whatever you want. Because in many countries killing animals is forbidden, so sometimes you need to catch them alive. Squirrel traps can be categorized into 3 sections:
- Live Traps: Live traps help you to catch these creatures alive. It includes cages and traps with one-way elimination. Live traps are easy to set up, can hold multiple squirrels very easily, Friction-free inner surface to Avoid Injuring the Animal.
- Kill Traps: In kill traps, squirrels will be found dead. Kill traps work alike the traditional traps used for rats, in which a spring is attached and a mechanism cracks down onto the squirrel. This kind of traps is more dangerous to set up than the live traps. Also, there remains a risk that you may get your own fingers caught in the trap.
Both live and kill traps need to be washed properly before reuse. Also, squirrels carry many diseases so you need to wash also after collecting the squirrels. You can use anti-bacterial sprays to disinfect the traps and the place.
- Electric Traps: Nowadays more advanced electric traps are available in the market, to catch squirrels. Electric traps work by giving electrical shocks to the squirrels. As a result, there remains no mess to clean up. It just needs batteries to perform. These traps might be a little costly than other traps, but they are comparatively more effective and safe.
Will rat traps kill squirrels? Well, if you do not change or modify your rat killing trap, it can still knockdown squirrels. Just turn the trap on the right side. But the chance of a successful kill is not very high.
5. Baits
If traps are not working, then baits can be used. Anyone will find different kinds of poison baits in the market. But the main problem is it can kill other animals too. And that will create another vast problem for you. So make sure only squirrels get the poison. To be expected, rat and mice control baits may not work against squirrels.
6. Try Using Moving Bodies in Your Property
It is seen that squirrels are afraid of anything moving around them. So it can be used as a weapon to drive them away. A sprinkler with a motion sensor can be used in this regard. So every time a squirrel comes close, the sprinkler will scare it away. Pets like dogs, cats can also frighten them.
How can we repel them?
To repel squirrels from your garden, you can take the help of available squirrel repellents.
7. Squirrel Repellents
If you are not willing to use any traps or poison, you can simply use available repellents to drive away squirrels. The use of repellents can be more effective, easy and eco-friendly. There are several types of repellents available in the market.
- Electronic Repeller: Nowadays some pests control Electronic devices that are available in the market. These kinds of devices use motion censored ultrasonic sound and strobe light which can be very effective and eco-friendly. Whenever a squirrel comes near the device, it will spread ultrasonic sound which is not bearable for them. This kind of device is also effective for bats, mice, cats, chipmunks, and other pests.
- Chemical Repeller: Some kinds of granules are available in shops, which may serve your purpose. These granules powder has a kind of smell that is intolerable for squirrels. But in some cases, it might be ineffective also.
- Natural Repeller: It is seen that Peppermint Spraycan be used as a squirrel repellent. You can simply grind some peppermint and make a spray. And because of its non-toxicity you can spray it both inside and outside of your house. You can even use it around children and pets, if needed.
8. Squirrel Deterrents
Squirrel Deterrents are the main barriers to stop squirrels from entering any place. Metal fence, netting, mesh fence are some of the methods of deterring squirrels. A non-popular technique is, putting a light automatically on for all time near an electric fence with a little voltage, being attracted by light squirrels will come near the fence and will get a small shock which will frighten them. Being frightened, they will eventually leave the place. This method can be useful in frightening squirrels.
What if something that you can easily get in your kitchen drives these animals away?
Yeah, you got me! It’s nothing but Pepper.
9. Pepper
Pepper is something you can easily get from your kitchen. According to some gardeners, if you take a mixture of pepper(cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika whatever you have along with some other seasoning and spread it under your plants and around your property, the squirrels will discover your place as distressing and eventually, they will leave your place. Just make sure neither you are eating any fruits before washing nor your children and pets.
Final Thoughts
To get the best result, at first take a look around your garden or whole property. Try to find out from which point they are getting into your place, what are they getting to eat in your place. Then make up your plan and start your move.
Try using traps and baits. Place your traps in their moving ways, under trees and plants, under poles in a strategic way. Use baits onto the trees.
Use repulsive sprays and pepper sprays. It will keep them aside from your doors and windows. Also, this method is effective and eco-friendly.
If none of these works, grab any squirrel repellent available on the market for better results. In my opinion, Electric repeller would be better.
The rest of the methods might work more or less depending upon your place and situation. Don’t get discouraged, if you fail at your first try. Be dedicated and try other methods.
Catch them all!
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