But squirrels dont just hate the taste of this just getting the stuff on their paws will feel fiery and unpleasant so they will soon learn to stay away. Just remember to wear gloves when mixing and applying. So will the sound of a dog barking. Squirrels dont like to eat things that are spicy, which is why we highly recommend capsaicin to keep squirrels away from edibles like birdseed. Moreover, they hate anything related to their natural predators. Im here with my team writing about best pest control practices. To give squirrels a quick scare and discourage them from your lawn, anything with moving parts such as a garden spinner or pinwheel can work by startling a squirrel into thinking that some large animal is coming to get it. In addition to peppermint, there are a number of other plants that repel squirrels, daffodils, jonquils, geranium, paperwhites, and hyacinth. Tea bags. What smell do squirrels hate the most? You just might be surprised at how effective it can be. Many ultrasound squirrel repellers also have other sounds functions like dog barking noises, gunfire and eagle sounds that you can set the machine on. What Smells Do Squirrels Hate? - CGAA Heres what we mean. What Sounds Squirrels Make & What Do They Mean? Squirrels have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to find food buried up to 1 foot underground and stay away from danger. (Video). Moreover, the critters can make it to the tree through branches or high places like the roof. Department of Health New York State. By taking a few simple steps, you can keep these furry pests out of your garden. If squirrels smell predator urine, they stay away to avoid being killed. Affiliate Disclosure By planting these around your home, you can help to keep squirrels at bay. Squirrels may have sharp teeth and claws but they are mostly defenseless against their natural predators like coyotes, foxes, raccoons, weasels. These devices are non-toxic, convenient to use, humane, and effective. 12 Smells Squirrels Hate And How To Use Smells To Repel Squirrels To date, Colgate-Palmolive (the makers of Irish Spring soap) hasnt sponsored a study showing the effectiveness of any Irish Spring soap squirrel repellent claims. Its one of the things which what squirrels hate the most. What scares them today wont always scare them tomorrow. But be careful, coffee grounds can be very toxic to cats and dogs. Squirrels do not like any overbearing smells like those of chili, garlic, onion, vinegar, floral soap, cinnamon, peppermint, and coffee. Image Credit: Coffee ground fine, wet by Romwriter is licensed under ( CC BY-SA 3.0) Below is an alphabetical list of all the smells squirrels hate, with links to where to buy the items and tips on how to use them for the best results. Since pepper doesnt repel birds, you can also sprinkle it inside your birds cage. You can also mix coffee grounds with some top soil, to reduce the acidity in the spread. These smells also dictate their dislike for certain foods as they do not like eating onions and other pungent-smelling foods. This root vegetable is slightly spicy and hasa bad smell that squirrels hate. There are various sights, sounds and smells squirrels dislike and try to avoid actively. To add to that, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that peppermint oil is definitely one of the smells that squirrels detest. 84 Days! What Smells do Squirrels Hate? - 06 Smells - Discover Creatures If you have a bird feeder, try spraying it down with vinegar solution to keep squirrels from climbing up. So far, there is no scientific study showing that cayenne pepper is better at repelling squirrels. Others have even posted videos of it not working for squirrels or other rodents. To use it, simply add a few drops to a cotton ball and place it near areas where youve seen squirrel activity. You can plant mint plants or use mint essential oils to repel squirrels in your yard and home. If youre looking to keep squirrels away from your property, you may want to try using citronella oil. Smells That Squirrels Hate [For Repelling Squirrels] - Squirrel Enthusiast How High? To make a squirrel repellent pepper spray, simmer two chopped jalapeo peppers or a handful of, Make a strong rosemary oil spray by filling a spray bottle with 6 ounces of boiled water thats cooled down. Squirrels love birdseed, which is why you often see them by the bird feeders in backyards. As a result, its important to take steps to prevent them from taking up residence in your home. When it comes to deterring squirrels, there are a few smells that they really cant stand. This means that if you buy a product or service through one of our links, we may receive a small commission from the sale for referring you. The same goes for hair clippings from your pets, indicating a potential threat to squirrels. These furry creatures wont eat them, either. This post contains affiliate links:Full Disclosure. This may also help of other rodents and garden pests. When it comes to sounds that squirrels hate, you can divide them into two categories: sounds that make life difficult for squirrels and sounds that outright scare squirrels. March 24, 2023 by Simon I have studied squirrels for many years, learning their behaviors and habits in different environments. You just set it up and it gets to work keeping squirrels away. Some people find the smell of cinnamon oil to be unpleasant, but to squirrels, it is downright offensive. However, there are some plants that squirrels cannot eat due to their very strong aroma. Squirrels despise spicy smells. Or make your own natural spray by mixing chopped garlic, pepper, vinegar, and/or peppermint oil (whatever you have in your house that you know squirrels hate the smell of) with water. The trick is, though, something that just looks the part wont work for long. But if they have already moved in, you need another game plan. Peppers contain capsaicin, which is a compound that makes the spicy flavour. When applied to plants or around the perimeter of your property, it can help to keep squirrels away. But how well does it work? Youll need to reapply the powder after it rains as heavy rain will wash it all away. Most people think squirrels are herbivores, preferring to feast on nuts, seeds and fruit. Leave the solution to sit for a few days before spraying it on fences, bins, walls, and garden stakes. Squirrels hate the smell of pepper, mint, mothballs, predator urine, skunks, coffee, and cinnamon, among others. As you can imagine, anything that is sticky or slippery really messes with their climbing game. It is also toxic to these pets once huge amounts are eaten. Getting wet. How Many? These small, white balls contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene and slowly turn into toxic vapor. How to get rid of squirrels | Homes & Gardens While squirrels may be cute, they can also be destructive, digging up plants and stealing bird seeds. However, this strong aroma is also toxic to cats and dogs. Thus, there arent many foods they wont eat. To keep squirrels out of your attic, soak an old towel, old clothes, or old shoes in. But how? Strong smells irritate their nose and keep them away. Nevertheless, they love collecting and storing various kinds of nuts, such as almonds and walnuts. Mint toothpaste. However, ensure that the piece of cloth is secure with a wire so it doesnt fall. To repel squirrels using vinegar, mix it with water in a spray bottle and spray the solution in areas where squirrels are frequent. Squirrels are generally friendly creatures. Im Thomas Matthews, the guy behind Pest Samurai. And they are survivors. These products usually contain a combination of different smells that squirrels dislike, making them an effective way to keep them away from your property. Squirrels can recognize close relatives with just a simple whiff. These rodents dont only dig holes in the ground for shelter; they also damage plants and chew on wood. While removing squirrels from trees is not an easy feat, you can use a combination of five of these tested methods to make the stay less comfortable for them, which can eventually lead them to evacuate the tree. For this reason, various commercial squirrel repellents use predator urine (like fox urine) to keep these critters away. Squirrels are notorious for raiding bird feeders and plundering gardens. Heres what we mean. Soak cotton balls in strong, fresh coffee and place these balls on plastic lids or in shallow containers around the plants you are trying to protect. Its what squirrels and animals smell when things burn, so mothballs remind squirrels of forest fires and they stay away from mothballs and the smell of danger. Spraying these products around your garden can help to keep squirrels away. Some squirrels may also get used to the smell. In contrast, it may be challenging to say what squirrels "hate" the most. Birds can also eat chili powder safely, as long as the amount is not excessive. The smell of a fox, coyote, or bobcat can be enough to send a squirrel running for the hills. Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. The spicy smell will deter them from entering, and the sharp taste will discourage them from taking a bite. As you can imagine, this formula produces a smell that is enough to drive anyone with a nose away. With a spray bottle, this mixture can keep squirrels away from planted bulbs and trees. 12 15 Hours! But even then, the scent only stays potent for so long. Once they learn that no harm comes to them from these devices, they may lose their fear of them. Squirrels hate strong smells and will stay away from areas that smell strange. Plus, theres anecdotal evidence to suggest that squirrels dont actually hate the taste or smell of cinnamon. Honestly, garlic has a smell and taste that squirrels dont like. The strong scent is unpleasant for squirrels, and it will also mask the smells of food that might otherwise attract them. MOST HATED SMELL: Bonide Repels-All Animal Repeller MOST HATED SOUND: Ultrasonic Squirrel Repeller with LED Lights MOST HATED SIGHT: Owl Decoy for Squirrels MOST HATED FEEL: Black + Decker Motion Activated Sprinkler Why Does it Matter What Squirrels Hate?