Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (2024)

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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.

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (1)

Table Of Contents

  • Printable Recipe
  • Using In The Garden
  • Companion Plants That Repel Squirrels
  • Other Squirrel Deterrents
  • Other Scents To Repel Critters

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.

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (2)

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 Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (3)

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (4)

Homemade Squirrel Repellent

Easy to make squirrel repellent spray for your garden

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 Spray Bottle

Author: Pam Kessler

Cost: $3

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

Disclaimer: Please don’t be silly and spray this stuff in your eyes or face. It is a pepper based spray and it is HOT!

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.

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Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (5)

(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

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (6)
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

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (7)
Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (8)

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Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (9)

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Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best homemade squirrel repellent? ›

There are several effective homemade squirrel repellents. One popular option is to create a strong-smelling mixture using vinegar, ammonia, or essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, or citrus. Soak cotton balls in these scents and place them in areas where squirrels are active or use them to block entry points.

What home remedy keeps squirrels away? ›

Use Strong Odors

Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint.

What repels squirrels the most? ›

Squirrels have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find food sources and shelter. You can repel squirrels using scents they hate such as, capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish Spring bar soap, and rosemary.

How do you make homemade squirrel repellent with vinegar? ›

You can simply make an easy spray. Mix one ounce of apple cider vinegar with one gallon of water. Then put some in a spray bottle and spray it around the perimeter of your yard, including trees, bushes, and garden beds. This will create a barrier that squirrels won't want to cross.

What smell do squirrels hate the most? ›

Now that we know more about them, we'll discuss the scents they hate! The scents on this list are: Peppermint Oil, Capsaicin, Coffee Grounds, White Vinegar, Garlic, Cinnamon, Predator Urine, Irish Springs Soap, Dryer Sheets, and Rosemary.

How do farmers keep squirrels away? ›

A lot of animals are repelled by the scent of mint and squirrels are one of them. You could try planting some mint under your fruit trees or make a spray similar to the hot pepper spray using peppermint or spearmint essential oils and water. Again, you'll have to reapply the spray periodically to ensure it's effective.

What does Irish Spring soap repel squirrels? ›

Yes, Irish Spring soap can help to keep squirrels away. The scent of the soap is unpleasant for the animals and will prevent them from entering your home or yard. You can use either a liquid soap solution or shave bars of Irish Spring and sprinkle it around areas that squirrels are known to frequent.

What seasoning keeps squirrels away? ›

Any repellent (granular or liquid) that contains cayenne or capsaicin is very effective against squirrels. You can actually mix crushed red pepper flakes in your birdseed to repel them from bird feeders (birds can't taste the heat).

Do dryer sheets keep squirrels away? ›

According to Precision Pest & Wildlife Removal, squirrels dislike strong scents, including natural and synthetic fragrances. Because dryer sheets have a high amount of strong fragrance, they could be effective for keeping squirrels away from your yard.

What is toxic to squirrels? ›

Toxic Foods for Squirrels:

1. Chocolate: While it may be a delightful treat for us, chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to squirrels and can lead to severe health problems. 2. Avocado: Avocados contain persin, a substance that is toxic to many animals, including squirrels.

How long do coffee grounds keep squirrels away? ›

Coffee grounds will keep squirrels away from your garden because they do not like the smell. Simply sprinkle some fresh grounds on the soil surrounding your plants every two weeks. You can also try spraying your plants with a hot pepper spray for the same effect.

What is a simple squirrel repellent? ›

To keep squirrels out of a birdfeeder or other parts of a yard, spray the property with a mixture of tabasco sauce and water or sprinkle ground pepper throughout the area. This can also work for crawlspaces and attics, although if applied as a liquid solution, it may discolor hardwood surfaces.

How do you make homemade squirrel repellent spray? ›

One effective recipe includes mixing 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper , 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic , and 1 teaspoon of dish soap in a gallon of water . This mixture can be sprayed on areas where squirrels tend to frequent , such as bird feeders , gardens , and flower beds .

How does aluminum foil repel squirrels? ›

Most recommend using foil when growing tomatoes in pots: putting it over the pot, then poking holes for the seedling and for water. The only theory given was that squirrels don't like reflective surfaces, which is true, although most of the time the shiny object needs to be moving to achieve optimum scare factor.

Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away? ›

The taste and smell of coffee is pleasing for many, but squirrels disagree. Coffee grounds are a natural repellent for squirrels, and they're easy to mix in with your soil. Instead of discarding your leftover coffee grounds, sprinkle them around the surface soil in your potted plant.

Do squirrels hate Irish Spring soap? ›

Yes, Irish Spring soap can help to keep squirrels away. The scent of the soap is unpleasant for the animals and will prevent them from entering your home or yard. You can use either a liquid soap solution or shave bars of Irish Spring and sprinkle it around areas that squirrels are known to frequent.

References

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