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.
Squirrels, what squirrels?
We do have plenty of chipmunks running around here, but I have had corn stalks on my porch off and on for YEARS and I never had a problem with those cute little guys eating my fall displays. Never once.
The chipmunks and I are buddies. Amigos. BFFs.
And as for squirrels, I have never seen a single squirrel in the yard. Ever.
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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
Homemade Squirrel Repellent
Supplies
- 4 cups Water
- 1 oz Hot Sauce (½ of the small 2 oz bottle or 2 Tablespoons if using a larger bottle)
- 3 drops Dish Soap (you can also use vegetable oil if you prefer)
- 1 Spray Bottle
Instructions
- Pour 4 cups water into the spray bottle
- Add ½ of the small 2 oz bottle (1 oz) hot sauce into the water (or 2 Tablespoons if using a larger bottle)
- Add 3 drops dish soap
- Close spray bottle and gently shake
- Spray liberally on any garden vegetables or flowers. Re-apply after heavy rains.
- This won’t harm the squirrels and chipmunks, it will just deter them from eating your stuff
Notes
Others uses for Squirrel Repellent:
- Bird Feeders - spray on the birdseed in your feeders to keep the squirrels out. It doesn't hurt the birds or deter them from eating the seeds.
- Fall Outdoor Decor - spray on your cornstalks, pumpkins etc on your porch to keep the squirrels and chipmunks from eating them.
(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
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Kay
My mother had the same issue with a few squirrels that didn't care about the Tabasco flavored plants. So, we went full evil on the little jerks. We have a few places in our area that have novelty bottles of hot sauce. Labels that say things like "Carolina Reaper", "Extreme Ghost Pepper", and "Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce"...let me tell you, those little jerks avoid the garden like it's a nuclear waste site. We mixed it similar to the recipe above. Sprayed it on the eaves of her house cause they were trying to get into the vents to the attic, and haven't seen a single one on the roof since.
Betsy
Hi, Do you think it works on spring/summer flowers? You know how they like to eat bulbs and flower tops
Pam
I haven't tried it, but I would think so! You may have to reapply when it rains though.
Vickie
I sprayed the mulch and let it dry before putting it around the flowers in my pots. Knock on wood, not a single squirrel mess from digging in my pots! This is huge because every summer, it is an absolute battle with squirrels destroying my flowers. Try it!
Pat
Is this safe yo use on electrical systems in my cars, where the most damage is done?
Pam
Not sure if you want to get the electrical system that damp. Not sure if that would be an electrical hazard or not.
Mary Lou
Last year the squirrels chewed the wires on Christmas lights. I am thinking about trying your recipe. I live in Minnesota so don't know if it will work in the cold
Dorinda A Selke
Hi - Loved your post and can really relate! Wondering if you think this repellant could be used near the bird feeder to repel the nasty things from eating all the seed. They sit there all day munching away ! If you can't use this spray, do you know anything that can be used that is safe for my yard birds? Thanks so much, Dorinda
Pam
You can actually spray it ONTO the seeds which sounds a little mean, but birds can't smell or taste, so it won't deter them from eating it and it doesn't hurt them. I would substitute vegetable oil for the soap (evern thought it's non-toxic I wouldn't want to eat the soap myself)! See this article from Birds and Blooms - http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/birding-basics/can-birds-smell-taste/ .
Sandi Magle
Oh this is funny, we've got hearty squirrels---as we died laughing watching one trying to carry a medium pumpkin in his mouth away, but he had to stop and pant/rest every few feet. I think this might do the trick, thanks. But, how will we know when our vegetables are ripe, unless they have chew marks in them? LOL.
Shelly
I need a fifty five gallon drum of squirrel repellant! We live in the woods and they are thick!!! They have destroyed the legs of all my wicker furniture on the front porch, chewed holes in my back porch screens and pulled stuffing out of my new porch cushions ($19.99 ea), They are so bad I can no longer put corn out this time of year, even pumpkins, they will eat holes in them!
Gerrrrrr! Tree rats!
Kim~madeinaday
I need gallons of this stuff! Thanks for the recipe! Lol, you cracked me up about Skippy being stuffed.
Kim
Mother Deer
Do you have anything to deter opossums? They are giving me nightmares! Great post 🙂
Pam
No I don't, but I could sure use one! I'll have to work on that!
Melinda
Awesome post!
Susie D.
Sorry, I never meant to give you a squirrel jinx. We don't have chipmunks here in my area, Until now I always thought they would be so cute to have around, but now I don't know how I would defend against chipmunks plus all of the squirrels we have, It sounds like the naughty squirrel that you have is in command of the chipmunk minions. I'm going to try mixing up some of your squirrel repellent to use. The squirrels here destroy my tomatoes, dig into my flower pots, and chew on the phone/internet connector (or some part) out on the telephone pole in our back yard and we occasionally lose our phone/internet/tv connection.. I'll try your repellent on my tomato pot area, not plants, and around my flower pots. Uverse will have to deal with the whatever those squirrels do out on the telephone pole.
A few years back I had one of my "light bulb" moments and decided to try putting Vicks Vaporub around the edges of the flower pots to repel and punish the squirrels. Bad Idea!! It kept the squirrels away, but even though I just put it around the edge of the flower pots, it killed my plants. Vapo-rized them maybe.
I did a second take when I saw the squirrel in your pictures. So funny the ways you had him posed. Does your son have a name for him/her?
Pam
We named him Rocky from the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons. The first one we bought was called Dusty, because he was all dusty from sitting at the antique mall for a while. Sorry about your Vicks problem. I used to eat that stuff when I was a kid. That probably explains so much!
Mary
One year I had some Indian corn and some small gourds on my porch for Fall decorations. The squirrels were eating my corn, so I put cayenne pepper on the corn, but the little bugger was eating it anyway. My daughter said he thought, "this lady sure seasons her food good." I also saw one running away with one of my gourds in his mouth. I see you added some other ingredients, so I''ll see if that makes a difference. There's one that digs in my flower pots and hides peanuts. I am tired of them. I used to think they were cute, but after the problems I've had, they're not my friends.
Pam
I know! The chipmunks bury acorns in my flower pots in the fall and it drives me nuts. Every spring I have to replenish the dirt because they have so much "stuff" buried in there I'm afraid the plants won't have enough good dirt to grow well!
Brian
I have the same problem. I used plastic fencing. It has the larger holes. I cut a piece to fit the pot. Cut a slit and an opening if around a larger plant. Lay it on top of your dirt. The squirrels can't bury anything.
Pam
That's a fantastic idea!
Nat
“ I used to think they were cute, but after the problems I’ve had, they’re not my friends.” This exactly my feeling for them right now!!
I have exactly same problem with them digging my flower pots & flower beds! I hope this ingredients works!!
Kathy F.
This totally cracks me up. The last photo of the squirrel looks like he is shrugging his shoulders. Great post!!
Pam
Thank you!
Shawn Begley
Yesss,Too funny!! I have been having a squirrel problem..Last year they ate my entire fall display on my porch so this year it's plastic gourds for me. I live in Indiana and the squirrels here in speedway are very bold. I went to leave one day and a squirrel grabbed the mini gourd with his teeth and leisurely pranced away! This year I planted loofah and they are doing well! I pray this spray works for these tree rats! Thank You Miss Pam!
Claudia
Oh how I laughed. The same thing happened at my house. The squirrel had to crawl up on a bench and stand on his or her hind legs. Maddening is’nt it
Pam
The odd thing is we have cornfields directly behind our house, so they could get as much corn as they wanted over there!
margaret abrusley
That's why they're known as Squirrely!! lol
Christine
You are about one day to late with this post!
I just had 3 out of 4 of my pumpkins eaten right down to the stalk by squirrels.
They are bold in these parts, doing it right in front of me as I watched through the slider door.
We've had an abundance of squirrels and chipmunks this year. It's been known as the Squirrel Apocalypse.
Hopefully this spray will help if I buy more pumpkins.
I miss them!
Thanks,
Christine
Amherst, New Hampshire
Pam
It must have been the weather or something. So many more chipmunks than I've ever seen before this year!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
You had me laughing with this post, Pam! Pinning your repellent recipe!
Pam
Thanks, Linda!