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)

New For Spring 2021:

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

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

FAQs

Homemade Squirrel Repellent Recipe 🐿️ - House of Hawthornes? ›

Cinnamon: A generous amount of ground cinnamon or cinnamon oil mixed with cayenne extract or peppermint oil and warm water must be applied to affected areas to ward squirrels away. And as elements such as rain can wash away the scent, reapply the perimeters at least once a week or as needed to get the best results.

What is the best homemade squirrel repellent? ›

Cinnamon: A generous amount of ground cinnamon or cinnamon oil mixed with cayenne extract or peppermint oil and warm water must be applied to affected areas to ward squirrels away. And as elements such as rain can wash away the scent, reapply the perimeters at least once a week or as needed to get the best results.

What home remedy keeps squirrels away? ›

You might also plant peppermint or mint or spray essential oils made from these mints that squirrels find intolerable. You could also scatter mothballs, spray cider vinegar or sprinkle white or cayenne pepper; the pungent smells of all of these are known squirrel repellents.

What smell do squirrels hate the most? ›

Squirrels hate the smell of peppermint oil and will stay away from areas where it is used. You can use peppermint essential oils in a number of ways - you can add it to water in a spray bottle and spray it around your property, or apply it to cotton balls and position them in areas where squirrels are active.

What squirrel repellent actually works? ›

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. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.

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.

What kind of vinegar do squirrels hate? ›

The acetic acid in the vinegar has a strong and unpleasant odor which can repel squirrels from your yard or garden. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar; make sure to dilute it with water before spraying it around areas where squirrels are known to visit.

Do dryer sheets repel squirrels? ›

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.

Do squirrels hate Irish Spring soap? ›

Irish Spring can be used as a squirrel deterrent

According to University of Missouri Extension (MU Extension), using soaps with strong fragrances (like Irish Spring) are only partially effective in keeping animals out of gardens.

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.

Does pine sol get rid of squirrels? ›

Some of the other common rodents include squirrels, hamsters, gophers, and others. Does Pine Sol deter rodents? As will most cleaners, Pine-Sol contains properties that may deter rodents and other types of pests; however, this is not a viable solution as a pest control measure.

How do I get rid of squirrels permanently? ›

Remove what attracts them.

The sight and smell of fallen fruit, nuts and seeds lures squirrels. Rake your yard regularly to remove these items from under bird feeders and trees. Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids to keep squirrels out of your trash.

How do farmers keep squirrels away? ›

A farmer is showing the world an easy way to keep squirrels out of the garden. The only two ingredients needed are a spray bottle of water and some hot sauce that is subsequently applied to the plants that the squirrels frequently feast upon.

Does Vicks Vapor Rub repel squirrels? ›

If you want to deter squirrels from invading your bird feeders, you can use Vicks VapoRub to repel them, as these critters are known to dislike its scent. Apply a thin layer of the ointment along potential access routes to the bird feeder, such as on the poles or around the chains from which the feeder hangs.

Will mothballs keep squirrels away? ›

Mothballs have long been recommended as a good remedy to keep squirrels away from properties. However, the natural pest repellent only works to temporarily keep squirrels at bay and can actually be dangerous to the health of your family and pets if used carelessly or improperly.

References

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