Squirrel Repellents – Humane Wildlife Removal

Do squirrel repellents work?

While squirrels may not seem like a major pest, they can still cause problems. The most obvious issue is raiding bird feeders, but they can also get into garbage, spread diseases to pets, and build nests in attics. Keeping them away from your home so they don’t get comfortable is as easy as using the right squirrel repellents, right? Well, yes, as long as those repellents actually work.

Spray them Away

There are a variety of rodent repellent sprays on the market, most of them based on peppermint. Peppermint is toxic in heavy doses, and some people believe the smell deters rodents. Those people seem to forget that rodents aren’t very picky when it comes to what they smell, and they also apparently forgot that squirrels are outside, one of the worst places to try and repel something with a spray.

Any spray potent enough to repel squirrels would also endanger anyone or anything else outside. What works for mosquitoes doesn’t work for rodents, and that’s why these sprays have very little effect, if any, in preventing squirrels from entering your yard.

Pellet Repellent

In a similar vein, there are also granule, pellet-based repellents you can try. These repellents are non-toxic and composed of ingredients meant to irritate a squirrel’s nasal passages. This is a safe way to repel the squirrels without hurting them long term. It’s also not very likely that the pellets will bother other animals. Still, the threat is there. Birds may eat the pellets since most of them lack a sense of smell. However, since the smell will fade in the air and over time, the effectiveness of such pellets is temporary and variable. They work to an extent, for a time, at least.

Flower Power

Supposedly, certain flowers repel squirrels because they produce toxins the rodents don’t like, but won’t bother people or pets. Daffodils and hyacinths are two such flowers, but planting certain bulb flowers, geraniums, and Lily-of-the-Valley is also an option.

These flowers do work fairly well, and the only downside is in order to be truly effective you’d need to surround your yard with these plants. While not a terrible solution, some people might find it impractical. Still, as far as repellents work, these flowers are some of the most effective.

Technology!

As with most rodents, ultrasonic devices are often touted as a squirrel repellent. They’re often hawked to repel pretty much any type of rodent, and to an extent, they do work. The biggest issue with these devices is if you have them outside, they need batteries to work. Their range also isn’t very impressive. Stick them to any trees in your yard, and they might do a decent job of
keeping the squirrels away, especially with a flower garden nearby.
Squirrels can be more trouble than people realize, and keeping them out of your yard is no mean feat. A lot of the repellents on the market are of limited range and use, but combined with other methods and strategies, they do have their use. Make sure to review your decisions wisely, otherwise, your yard will be full of ineffective repellents and gloating squirrels.