How to Get Rid of Squirrels Fast Using Home Remedies

The odd squirrel here and there doesn’t pose much of a threat but they can become a bigger problem once they start to invade your house and yard space. Did you know that rodents like squirrels are well known for causing electrical fires in houses?

Their sharp teeth can easily gnaw through the wire insulation material. Here are our top suggestions for keeping the squirrels out using natural home remedies.

How to get rid of squirrels

1. Set up Excluders with One Way Door

If the squirrel problem that you have is in the attic then one suggestion is to set up a one-way door at the hole where the squirrels are entering and exiting from. These doors will let the squirrels leave and prevent them from coming in again. Any other holes you identify in the attic should be covered with material which the squirrels won’t be able to easily gnaw through, such as chicken wire.

These excluders will also prevent other rodents like mice and rats from entering the attic space. Ever wondered how these rodents get into the wall and ceilings? This is one answer.

2. Repel the Squirrels with Cayenne Pepper

If the squirrels are having an absolute feast with the plants that you grow in the backyard or garden then we suggest trying to repel them with cayenne pepper. You can sprinkle the pepper around the perimeter of the garden bed and also add some to the soil of any potted plants you may have outside.

3. Set Up a Chicken Wire Barrier

Unfortunately, the most fool-proof way to stop the squirrels from damaging your plants is by setting up some sort of physical barrier. Chicken wire is a cost-efficient way of setting one up. We suggest setting up the barrier a few inches deep into the ground to prevent any squirrels from digging underneath it.

This method can also be helpful if your yard has squirrels that like to snatch the food from the bird feeder, which make it less likely for birds to come.

4. Deter the Squirrels with Blood Meal

Some gardeners have success keeping squirrels away from the garden by using blood meal, which is commonly used as plant fertilizer. Like the cayenne pepper method, we suggest sprinkling a bit of the powder at least once a week during peak squirrel season. Just be sure that you won’t be over-fertilizing the soil as blood meal is a rich source of nitrogen.

Common squirrel control FAQ

Will rat poison kill squirrels?

Yes, rat poisons may help kill squirrels and other rodents like chipmunks but might not be the best way to deal with them. Rat poison might not even be the best way to deal with rats in most situations, as it kills them really slowly, leaving their carcass in inconvenient spots or hard to reach places.

Another downside of using rat poison is that it can negatively affect wildlife, as a poisoned carcass can become food for other animals, infecting them too. It can also be considered an inhumane approach, as several poisons will make the animal suffer.

Squirrels and chipmunks might look cute for some but are considered a pest by many due to the issues they can cause. Though there are many laws against killing them, there are several ways to dispose of the problem.

If your residence’s proper care isn’t enough to steer them away from your property, check your local laws and spots safe for releasing these rodents and use a live trap. Attract them with bait to the live trap, then release them back into the wild far away from your home in a safe spot where they can live.