Squirrels are cute, adorable creatures. You see them in pictures on Pinterest and there’s even videos online of people domesticating them. Don’t lie, you’ve probably considered getting one yourself. While squirrels are photo-worthy animals, they aren’t ideal for your front yard area or your backyard area. Squirrels can eat fruit, chew up the bark of the trees on your property, and even eat the birdseed that wasn’t meant for them. So, while squirrels are cute creatures, you want to keep them away from your property.
In this article, we’ll give you tips on how to deter squirrels to make sure none ruins your yard.
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How to Keep Squirrels Away
In this section, we’re going to talk about how to deter squirrels and how getting rid of squirrels will make sure your birds never go hungry again. There will be tips on how to keep them away, what not to do, and how to look out for signs that clearly indicate that you’ve got a squirrel problem.
1) Don’t Feed the Squirrels
It should go without saying that if you aren’t wanting squirrels to return to your yard, you shouldn’t feed them. Even if they are incredibly cute and you want to be an animal lover, if you’re also looking to save your yard, don’t continue feeding them – or don’t start at all. When you are hanging bird feeders, don’t scatter any additional seeds in the grass because this will be easy targets for any hungry critter.
2) Clean Your Yard So Squirrels Aren’t Tempted
It should go without saying that you should clean your yard, but you should especially clean your yard if you are wanting to keep squirrels out of your yard. If you have any seeds or fruits or anything that squirrels like to eat lying around, they’re going to be attracted to your grass. Make sure you rake your grass frequently. And when you are throwing trash out, keep everything tightly sealed so nothing attracts squirrels.
3) Use Sprinklers To Keep Squirrels Out
If you are looking to keep squirrels out of your land, installing sprinklers is also a way to keep them away. Getting rid of squirrels can include something as simple as water. If you have your sprinklers set on a timer, you can have it where it goes on during certain times that you know squirrels head to your estate.
4) Block Their Entry Ways
If you are looking to get rid of squirrels or prevent them from getting in, you need to make sure you block their entryways. If you’re looking to prevent squirrels from traveling along utility wires by installing two-feet sections of lightweight two-to-three-inch diameter plastic pipe around the wires.
5) Use Taste Repellents To Help Keep Squirrels Away
If you are having a problem with keeping your yard free from seeds or fruits, which causes squirrels to return to your land; then it’s suggested spraying your yard with taste repellents. There are plenty of products out there that are not harmful to your yard and also not harmful to the squirrels. The object in getting squirrels to stay away isn’t to harm them. It’s simply to make your yard undesirable to them. You can also plant mint at the edge of your yard to repel squirrels as they dislike the smell of mint.
6) Plant Flowers That Squirrels Don’t Like
Another way to keep squirrels away and ensure they don’t return, plant flowers that squirrels are not fans of. These flowers include daffodils, snowdrops, allium, and hyacinth. These are good ideas to plant so squirrels don’t return. Plus, they’re lovely looking spring bulbs that will make your yard look nicer.
7) Make Sure Squirrels Aren’t In Your Home
If you are experiencing an uprising of squirrels, the problem may be bigger than you think. You should call an exterminator to take a look at your home, because squirrels could live within your walls. They could be burrowing themselves deep within the walls of your home and this is why, no matter what you do in the yard; they aren’t fully gone. So, make sure you call professionals to examine your home.
8) Get a Dog
On top of getting a dog because they need a home and are extremely loving, dogs love to chase squirrels. Squirrels can easily outrun a dog and realistically, a dog is never going to catch a squirrel, but it will at least chase off squirrels and make it where they won’t want to return to your yard – because they know a predator like a dog is around.
What Not to Do When Trying to Deter Squirrels
In this article, we’re talking about how to keeping squirrels away. There’s plenty of neat tricks and tips to ensure your estate stays squirrel-free. But, there are errors that people can make. If you are looking to keep squirrels away from your estate, we don’t suggest using items such as BB Guns to get rid of them. Not only is it an inhumane method of pest control, but BB Guns may be illegal in your state. There are also hunting seasons where squirrels are fair game and if they are killed outside of this time period you could face some hefty fines that you weren’t thinking about.
We also don’t suggest trapping squirrels. Even if you are trapping squirrels to humanely place them back in to the wild, this does nothing to stop other squirrels from coming into your land. This does not prevent squirrels from eating bird seeds or fruits that are in the grass on your land. You may also run the risk of being bit while you are trapping squirrels and considering they’re wild animals, you don’t want to run the risk of getting any sort of infections.
How to Know You Have Squirrels?
Have you never seen a squirrel on your property, but you have a feeling it’s been there? How do you find out if squirrels have been making their way into your yard and eating your bird food? Here’s the signs that you’ve been infested with squirrels:
- Holes the size of a golf-ball or smaller in your plant beds
- Bite marks on the fruit in your yard
- Plants that were previously there are now missing
- Bark on your trees being bit up
- Container digging
Squirrels Aren’t Intentionally Trying to Ruin Your Yard…
…It’s just their nature. When you are a homeowner, you are going to have to come to terms that your home is within an area that is interrupting animals’ natural habitat. Squirrels are just looking for food, like any of us. It may seem frustrating to have squirrels on your property, but it is just part of owning a home. This being said, you want to make sure there are no squirrels in your home, because this will cause some permanent damage. Instead, follow the steps above to keep squirrels away from your home.
You can do this humanely. We understand you want to make sure your yard is pristine, so you can do this by planting items like mint and even garlic plants – as these are smells that squirrels hate. If you’re finding that the squirrels are not going away no matter how much you’ve tried, it’s always good to call a professional.
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