Squirrels dance in the trees and are an inexhaustible source of fun for our pets, and we would certainly miss them if they left the environment around us forever. If you have a bird feeder, however, you also know that they can be a big nuisance to the garden. They eat bird food, spoil the vegetables in the garden, and sometimes even get trapped in the house. Learn how to control squirrels both inside and outside the home, with methods that are not cruel, but effective.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Check Out Squirrels
Step 1. Remove the squirrel food
Sure, you don't think that's squirrel food, but if squirrels are raiding your property it's because they find a lot of things to eat they like.
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Rake away nuts, berries, and acorns that fall from the trees in your garden. They are the main sources of supply for squirrels.
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Buy sealable external waste bins. If it's easy for a squirrel to get into your waste bin, replace the bin with one that has a tightly resealable lid. Make sure it is always closed.
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Step 2. Make your bird feeders squirrel-proof
Use these methods to prevent birds from eating bird food before the birds can find it:
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Buy a guard to attach to your feed dispenser that prevents squirrels from being able to climb up.
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Do not place feeders near the trees in your home. The squirrels will be able to bypass the protection by jumping from the branches or the ledge of your house to your feed dispenser.
Get Rid of Squirrels Step 2Bullet2 - Keep the area under your bird feeder clean. It can be tiring, but taking out any remains of seed that have been dropped by the birds will prevent the squirrels from hanging around your dispenser.
- Fill your bird dispenser with saffron seeds. Little birds are happy to eat those seeds, but squirrels find them bitter.
Step 3. Protect your garden with a net
If you don't do something to protect your garden, the squirrels will dig out the bulbs and uproot the vegetables. Use a wire mesh and make sure it is at least 12 inches deep so squirrels can't burrow under it.
Step 4. Use squirrel repellent
There are many products available at garden stores. They are typically produced with natural ingredients, which keep squirrels away.
- Some repellents are made with cayenne or black pepper, which repels squirrels but doesn't bother birds. You can add these repellents directly into the feed dispenser.
- Certain repellents are made from the urine of squirrel predators. They are used by spraying them for gardens, to keep squirrels away.
Step 5. Feed the squirrels
instead of trying to make them go away, think about feeding them to keep them away from your garden and bird dispenser. Scatter squirrels for your garden, or buy a dispenser and set it well away from your bird dispenser and garden.
Step 6. Test with sprinklers that activate with motion sensors
If the squirrels get close, they spray them, with the added bonus of watering your lawn.
Method 2 of 2: Check for Squirrels in the House
Step 1. Make sure there is no food in the attic
If squirrels enter your attic multiple times, it may be that they smell something in there that attracts them. Clean up the attic and make sure there is nothing potentially appetizing.
Step 2. Check the branches that are near the chimney and the roof
Step 3. Place a guard on your chimney
If squirrels and other rodents come into your home often, consider placing animal protection on your chimney. Often, they are made of stainless steel mesh, so you won't need to remove them when using the fireplace and lighting the fire.
Step 4. Provide an escape route
If a squirrel gets trapped in the fireplace or attic, make sure it has a way out. Hang a rope down your fireplace so it can climb up the roof. Open a window during the assault, and lure him by throwing squirrel food out of him.
Step 5. Buy a live catch trap
Home and gardening stores sell traps specially made to catch squirrels that do them no harm. Place it in the attic, and when the squirrel is caught, take it outside and let it loose.
Step 6. Use the ENPA
You certainly don't want to face squirrels in the attic and in your garden alone. Use an external rescue aid to intervene and trap the squirrel for you.
Advice
Try to prevent them before removing them. If you can understand why squirrels come there, in the first place, you can get rid of them without needing to use traps or harm them
Warnings
- While it may sound nice in the "Roadrunner" -Wile Coyote cartoons, spraying slippery liquids on the lower parts of trees, like cooking spray, doesn't work.
- After doing some of the things above, you may still have to wait until next season to see the squirrels nest somewhere else. Be patient.
