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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Will the spray get into the roots and affect the flavor of the vegetables?
Pam Kessler
No, it shouldn't affect the taste of the veggies as long as you wash them off before eating them. It doesn't affect the ground.
Glo
Haha gr8 post had me LoL 🤣🤣😂
question, does it have to be Tabasco sauce or can Tapatio be used as well. I have a pesky squirrel 🐿 that decided to eat my newly planted petunias 🌱 and sprinkling cayenne pepper didn't work UGH! Now I think its just messing with me 🤦♀️ lol 🐿
Pam Kessler
Tapatio has a few extra ingredients and from what I've read just a little less "hot" than tabasco, but I would think it would work the same way.
Joanne
I use cinnamon and red pepper flakes to deter them. They go somewhere else and I put rocks to keep them out of my plants on my deck. I do not plant vegetables as a rule. I am going to break that rule this year and grow tomatoes. I hope I get a good crop. I don't believe I'll have trouble with squirrels. The birds can be a problem sometimes. I get rid of them. My dog takes care of that.
Sally
We have put ghost pepper,Vicks vapor rub, hair spray , dog hair, Vaseline and cayenne on pumpkins and the squirrels just kept eating. Hoping the dish soap is the key here.
Hannah
Hi will this harm cats or dogs?
Anne Johnson
Am interested to see some comments from people who actually tried this repellant to see how it worked b4 I try it. Thanks
Mark Wyman
I tried your hat sauce repellent and had NO luck.. I used Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce and the Squirrels are still hanging around digging holes and making a mess... Any other ideas?
Mark Wyman
HOT SAUCE... "fingers
not working today"... lol
Melodie
This is Great!! The squirrels in our yard have a hate hate relationship with my dog. Maybe this will keep them out of our feeders and garden areas so our birds can enjoy their lunch instead of the squirrels!
Thanks for the idea!
Dorlis Grote
I live in the middle of the woods, squirrels abound. Most do not give me trouble, but 1 is a true P.I.A.. He gets into everything, shears petunias to the ground but does not eat them, prunes tomatoes to the point they do not survive when I bring them inside for the winter. He even tried my crown of thorns once. I have tried the hottest peppers known, he likes them! he even eats my pepper plants. chicken wire is my best defence gainst squirrels.
Elizabeth
Loved the post will give a try we live in country and they constantly eat our vehicles- thousands of dollars, we call them demon squirrels!
Tried so many other things might as well give this a try one can only hope
Beth
Loved the post We live out in country lots of demon squirrels they have done thousands dollars damage to our vehicles tried everything else might as well try this one can only hope haha
Beth
Sorry for the duplicate
Lori M
Omg that stuffed squirrel though! 😂
Sandi
I read all the comments. I have the same squirrel problem. I have, however, after spending lots of money on deterrents, come across a great and inexpensive squirrel deterrent for my bird feeders. Ready? A metal slinky. Hang the slinky from the top of your shepherd's hook and let it hang down and around the pole. Squirrels don't have anything to hang onto for climbing. Works like a charm! For double shepherd's hooks, anchor it in the center of the top "arms" (I slipped the end of the slinky over one arm) and then wind it a little at a time until it's completely surrounding the pole going down. I've used this method since last summer and have had no more problems! I'll usually put some bird food on the ground for ground feeders. The squirrels will help themselves to that but can't go up the poles anymore. Good ole Walmart carries slinky's. They were $3 each when I set this up. Certainly much cheaper and cleaner than baffles. Hope this helps.
lsoo
Greasing the shepherd's hook pole wit WD-40 worked like a charm!
carol Hoffman
I have the little red squirrels in my area and have gotten into my attic and also crewed their way into my studio. Tired everything and just gave up and used a trap to kill them. 9 in two weeks were found in attic. very upset, how to keep them from crewing behind eaves on roof or under siding.? pepper flacks just is not doing it.
Sam
Two words for you folks: pellet rifle.
Barry
Squirrels in the attic for years chewing wires, storing hundreds of black walnuts in the ceilings, etc. Tried everything in the attic from coyote urine, sticky pads, electronic traps, rat traps, etc.
When that didn’t work, I went outside and got Hav-A-Heart traps. Caught 15 last year, and 4 so far this year in 3 months.
My wife suggested that I go outside and eliminate the source of the black walnuts. We found a tree two doors down. A helper and I filled a dumpster 3/4 full with about half of walnuts laying on the ground. Those trees create a HUGE amount of squirrel food. Wish I could chop it down, but it’s not mine.
Barry
Also ... Hired a roofer to install heavy duty chicken wire in all the spaces where the dormers meet the roof. Those darn squirrels picked and picked at them until they pulled them off!
Margaret Donohue
I am so glad I found your recipe for the squirrels. I do not like those little
buggers, driving me crazy. They get into my deck railing plants, flower pots, tomato pots, etc. I have had it. I thought I had it solved but back they are and now I am desperate. I bought some spray at Lowe's a few months ago but can't find it anymore. The substitute I bought does not seem to be working.
I will keep you posted as to when the funeral will be, please send flowers.
Wheez
So I am going to try this spray on my tomato plants. I think the squirrels took a bite of my tomatoes on the vine. Breaks my heart! Need some kind of detergents.
Mary
I’m trying to understand... do you spray it directly on the dirt? Will it kill the plants? ( ( flowers on my deck))?
Pam Kessler
OK, I fixed it in the article to make it more clear. You spray it on the plants or flowers you are trying to keep them away from. It won't harm the vegetable plants, flowers or if dripping onto the ground.