[Evanesence]

The squirrels are not very skittish in my area. I would even go as far as to call them rebels and risk takers. I spend a lot of time watching them jump from tree to tree. They don't run off when they hear you coming until you get literally RIGHT UP on them.
So my problem with them is that they are burying their nuts in my garden then coming back later and digging them back up. They are tearing up my garden and I need to figure out a way to keep them away from it. What kind of things repel squirrels?
They are tiny and sneaky so they can fit in anywhere or find a way to. Help!
I also heard that they could get into your roof and start living there. Any advice?
Thanks!

 

[Joanie]

Do you know what kind of nuts they are?

 

[Herbalpagan]

chicken wire will stop them from digging in the garden, but it will take some work. You will need to cut the wire into strips and lay it down on the garden spot, cover with soil and mulch.
Another thing you might want to try is experimenting with what repels them naturally...some people use moth balls, but they are full of chemicals....so see if they react to a mixture of lavender and mint.

 

[ke4sky]

Squirrels v. Dogs

If you are unable to reduce the squirrel population by hunting, trapping or discouraging them by use of repellants, I would get a dog. My neighbor's Jack Russell terrier is the terror of all the squirrels in the neighborhood and he catches and eats a goodly number of them. You want an aggressive mutt who loves to chase them and can actually catch them, not just a barker.

Learn About Squirrel Control Options, Facts and Suggested Squirrel Baits | Havahart®
A Squirrel Place Control Section
Squirrel Control from Bio-Defend Animal Repellents and Natural Pest Control

 

[PaulBk]

+ 1 on the dog.

Our Brittany is the local terror of small woodland critters. We live in a rural area with plenty of woods. Squirrels (and racoons) abound, but not on our property.

-Paul

 

[tortminder]

squirrel repellant

Squirrels have a fatal allergy to .22 cal ammunition.

 

[The_Blob]

Squirrels have a fatal allergy to .22 cal ammunition.

'lead poisoning' IS natural causes?... naturally they will die if you shoot them...

 

[Canadian]

I'd vote or the .22 or the dog.

 

[The_Blob]

Hell, it's just squirrels, you could use a .177 pellet/bb gun, it's quieter & ultra-cheap. I've used them on pests up to about 4-5 lbs (rabbits), my daisy 880 is older than me & still works fine.

 

[TechAdmin]

What about urinating around the perimeter of the garden?

 

[Herbalpagan]

I've heard that urinating the perimieter does help with some pests. I know it usually works well with deer. I know that you can get "zoo-doo", poop from preditors in zoos and put that in your garden. There are also a lot of hunting scents that you could try.

 

[The_Blob]

isn't there a higher liklihood of harmful parasites from carnivore poo tho? I guess zoo animals are probably relatively parasite-free, but idk if that's the case with certainty.

 

[Herbalpagan]

Well, not only are the animals healthy, but you would never put fresh "doo" on your garden. You should "let it mellow" a bit, sort of like composting. But, if you get the packaged stuff, it would be homginized or something anyways. When using scat/doo to scare away another animal, you are using it outside the garden on the perimeter anyhow.
Another thing that I have seen stop rabbits in their tracks (litterally) is a ring of dried blood and bone meal around the perimeter, I don't know how it would work on squirells though.
I would get a scent lure type of thing and try that.

 

[Nadine]

There isn't anything easier to repel them like a scent such as vinegar?

 

[Turkish]

My daughter has the same problems with the squirrels burying their nuts in her potted porch plants. They really screw them up, they are all very close to dying. She's doing everything to keep them alive but it's almost useless when they come back 10 times a day to bury and dig back up.

Problem is, she lives in an apartment so chicken wire would not be practical and neither would urinating around the area. LOL