Undoubtedly, squirrels are adorable animals. However, they can be highly destructive, which is why you should learn about the ten scents that squirrels hate and how to use them.
Squirrels can be a nuisance in many ways, especially a gray squirrel who is very naughty. They are often very destructive, chewing through wires, insulation, and other materials in order to get to food or nesting material.
They make a lot of commotion, particularly when they are fighting or mating.
Squirrels use their sense of smell to find food sources and shelter. They are also very territorial, so if you can find a scent that they hate, you can keep them away from your property.
There are various ways to keep squirrels away from your property. One of the most effective methods is using scents they hate.
Let us learn more about the scents and find out about certain tips regarding how to use them.
Table of Contents
What Kind of Damage Can Squirrels Cause?
Squirrels can be a common concern for homeowners, as they love fir and pine trees. These rodents can be the reason behind a lot of damage to your property, as well as to the trees in your yard.
They might carry diseases that can be harmful to humans and pets.
These annoying little animals cause a lot of damage, both structurally and nutritionally. They are known to chew through wires, insulation, cloths, and other materials in order to make nests.
In addition, they often steal food from gardens and birdfeeders, as well as cause general mayhem and destruction.
The rodents can gnaw through wires, insulation, and other materials, which can cause a fire or power outage.
Scents That Squirrels Hate and How to Use Them
To deal with the nuisance that ground squirrels create in your house, the best solution is to first learn about the scents that squirrels hate and how to use them. Let us take a look.
Squirrels Stay Away From Capsaicin
One of the best ways to keep squirrels away from your vegetable garden or other areas is by using pepper or chili powder sprays.
These spices are irritating and unpleasant for squirrels, and they will stay away from areas where they are present.
Capsaicin is the main component in chili peppers and jalapeño pepper which makes them spicy. It can be used to deter squirrels from coming near an area.
Sprinkling them around your yard should keep the squirrels at bay.
Squirrels Hate White Vinegar
One of the ways to keep squirrels away is by using a scent that they hate. One of the scents that seem to work best is white vinegar.
To use the spray, mix together 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle. You can then spray this mixture around your yard or garden to keep the squirrels away.
You can use this scent by spraying it near the areas you want to protect or by planting plants that give off these deterrent smells.
Peppermint Oil Naturally Repels Squirrels
Peppermint oil is a popular choice for repelling squirrels. It is a natural product and thus does not have any harmful side effects. However, it is recommended to dilute the oil before use, especially if you are using it on plants or animals.
This oil has a very strong scent that most animals, including squirrels, do not like. You can either buy a spray or product that contains peppermint oil or you can purchase the oil separately and mix it with water in a spray bottle.
Coffee Grounds Naturally Deter Squirrels
One of the many ways to deter squirrels from your yard is by using coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are a natural deterrent and will make your yard unappealing to them.
The grounds contain caffeine, which is harmful to squirrels. They will avoid areas where coffee grounds have been spread. In addition to using them as a deterrent, coffee grounds can also be used as fertilizer and as a source of caffeine for gardeners.
Simply sprinkle them around the areas where you don’t want the squirrels to go. Another is to mix the grounds with water and pour it into a spray bottle, then spray the solution on plants or trees that the squirrels like to eat.
Another way is to put the coffee grounds in a sock, tie a knot in the top, and hang it from a tree or post near where you’ve seen the squirrels. The smell of fresh coffee will hopefully keep them away.
Cinnamon Keeps Squirrels Away
Cinnamon is a spice that can be eaten in small amounts or sprinkled around to repel squirrels. It has a very strong smell that the animals don’t like, and it will help keep them away from your property.
It needs to be used in bulk and repeated every 4-7 days.
Cinnamon oil can also be used to keep squirrels away. It can be diluted with peppermint oil and sprayed around areas where pests are a problem. The smell will keep the squirrels away without harming them.
Predator Urine Repels Squirrels
One way to deter squirrels from your property is to use predator urine, as predator urine repels squirrels. There are a variety of different predator urines that you can purchase, but the most common one is fox urine.
It is important to place the urine in an area where the squirrels are congregating or where they have been seen.
These products can be bought from most hardware stores or online, and they are relatively inexpensive. The most common ingredients in these products are fox, coyote, or bobcat urine.
The predator urine can be used in a variety of ways, but typically it just requires shaking or spraying the repellent in the desired area.
Squirrels Avoid Garlic
Garlic is one of the many scents that squirrels hate. If you have a garden and are plagued by squirrels, planting garlic around your plants will help to keep them away.
The scent of garlic is powerful enough that, when used in the garden, it can make squirrels think that there is only garlic present. This will cause them to avoid the area.
You can either spread the scent around your property or use it as a deterrent in areas where you don’t want squirrels to go.
To utilize it, crush some cloves finely and sprinkle them in a concentrated area near the plants you want to repel. Remember that the garlic scent will diminish after a day or two, and you’ll have to reapply it.
It is essential to note that you should only use garlic if you are sure that the other plants in your garden will not be harmed by it.
Squirrels Hate The Scent of Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are one of many scents that squirrels hate. They work because the smell is overwhelming, and it creates a barrier between the scent of the squirrel and their food.
If you are having problems with squirrels in your yard, try using a dryer sheet as a deterrent.
Irish Spring Soap Can Repel Squirrels
Irish Spring Soap is a soap that has been specifically designed to repel squirrels. It is said to work because the strong scent of the soap confuses the squirrels and deters them from coming near.
Rosemary Repels Squirrels
Rosemary is a kitchen herb that has been shown to be effective in repelling squirrels. It is one of many scents that they do not like and can be used to keep them away from your property.
In order to repel squirrels, you need to use a strong rosemary scent. You can do this by planting rosemary around your property or using a rosemary essential oil.
Squirrels also dislike the smell of daffodils.
Distinctive Smell of Mothballs
Squirrels dislike the smell of mothballs, which can be used as a deterrent. Mothballs release a strong odor that is unpleasant to most animals, including squirrels.
If you are looking to keep these rodents away from an area, placing mothballs in the vicinity is an effective way to do so.
However, it is essential to note that the smell of mothballs is highly bothersome to many people. The smell is often described as being sharp, nauseating, and pervasive.
It can be problematic to get rid of the smell, and it can last for a long time.
Where to Use Repellents?
One of the ways to keep these animals away is by using repellants. However, it is important to note that squirrels are attracted to artificial scents, so you need to be careful where you use them.
Repellants can be used in a variety of areas to deter squirrels from entering. Some common places are gardens, bird feeders, attics, and other areas where they are not wanted.
It is important to use a repellant that is specifically designed to deter squirrels as they will have different preferences than other pests.
When using repellants, it is important to remember that they work best when applied as close to the squirrels’ source of food as possible.
This will help reduce the amount of contact the squirrels have with the repellant and make it less likely for them to become accustomed to it.
There are a variety of different repellants available, so be sure to choose one that will work best in your specific situation.
Attic
Squirrels and other pests can get into attics through small openings. This can cause a lot of damage to the attic over time as well as create a nuisance for the homeowners.
Attics can be commonplace for squirrels to build their nests. The animals use the space to raise their young and stay warm in the winter.
It is important to take steps to deter them from building nests in your attic as they can cause damage and are a nuisance. There are a variety of scents that squirrels hate, which you can use to keep them away.
Siding
Squirrels are notorious for their ability to find small openings in homes and buildings. They can easily get into a home through a hole the size of a quarter and a siding.
This makes it important to take measures to keep squirrels out of your homes, such as to block entrances and all the sculpture and base.
Gardens
One way to keep squirrels away from your garden is to use their natural aversion to certain smells. There are a number of scents that squirrels seem to hate, and using them in your garden can help keep these pests at bay.
You can use them in various ways, such as planting mint or lemon balm around the edges of your garden, sprinkling ammonia on plants that you don’t want squirrels to touch, or scattering garlic cloves throughout your flower beds.
Summary
There are a variety of smells that squirrels dislike and react negatively to. These smells can be used as deterrents to keep squirrels away from your property. Commonly, overly sweet or spicy smells are the most effective in repelling these rodents.
Essential oils are a natural way to deter squirrels from your yard. By mixing different essential oils with water, you can make a squirrel deterrent spray that will keep the pesky critters away.
Another way is to plant garlic in the affected areas; they will not like the smell and will stay away. You can also use other plants that have a strong scent, such as lavender, peppermint, or citronella. These plants can be used in combination with each other to create an unpleasant barrier for the squirrels.
Coffee grounds are also great when it comes to detering squirrels. You can sprinkle them around the hibiscus plants using sprinklers, and the strong smell will keep the squirrels away. Another way is to grind black pepper or cayenne pepper on top of the plants. The smell will also deter the squirrels.
Bounce dryer sheets are also a highly effective way to deter squirrels.
