You'll often see squirrels scampering up and down trees in your neighborhood.
Squirrels may seem cute and fluffy, but they can cause lots of damage to your garden plants, trees and outdoor furniture. While poisoning the squirrels or shooting them may prove effective, such methods of control can also pose a hazard to your family and your pets. Thankfully, several natural methods of control involving natural repellents and landscape modification can help deter and drive away these furry animal pests. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Trim the trees in your landscape if you have a problem with squirrels jumping onto your home or outdoor structures. For the best results, cut the trees so that their branches are a minimum of 8 feet from your garden structures and your home.
2. Squirrel-proof the trees and shrubs in your landscape to stop the squirrels from scampering up them. Wrap 24-inch-wide metal band around the trees, placing the bands six feet above the ground. This doesn't just keep the squirrels out of your trees but also deters them from your overall landscape since they won't want to venture in without the safety of being able to climb the nearest tree.
3. Treat the area with a capsaicin-based squirrel repellent, typically procured in powder or liquid form. Capsaicin is derived from hot peppers, tasting spicy and irritating the squirrel's sinuses when breathed. This method of control is ideal if the squirrels are chewing on garden furniture. You can also treat your seeds and garden bulbs before planting if you have a problem with squirrels digging up the seeds.
4. Trap the squirrels with a live trap. While this won't work for large squirrel populations, it can effectively and naturally eliminate small groups of squirrels. For the best results, bait the trap with grain such as corn, then release the captured squirrels a minimum of five miles away. Continue trapping until you experience a 14-day period of inactivity.
5. Block squirrels from accessing your bird feeders if you have a problem with the furry pests stealing the bird feed. If you have the feeder hanging from a string of wire, place sections of PVC pipe along the wire. The squirrels won't be able to run along the wire with the spinning, slippery PVC pipes in their way. If you have the feeder mounted on a pole, grease the pole with a petroleum jelly product to stop the squirrels from climbing up.
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