Categories: Recipe

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe

Published by
James marcus

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.

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

(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

New For Spring 2021:

Other posts you may enjoy:

How To Get Rid Of Skunk Smell On Your Dog

Natural Ways To Repel Mosquitoes Without Bug Spray

How To Identify And Treat Poison Ivy

DIY Stove Top Home Fragrance (Lemon and Rosemary)

This post was last modified on 13/10/2023 17:55

James marcus

Garden Courte is a blog written by [James Marcus], a passionate gardener and writer. She has been gardening for over 20 years and has a deep understanding of plants and how to care for them. In her blog, she shares her knowledge and experience with others, providing tips and advice on gardening, plant care, and more.

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Published by
James marcus

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