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? ›

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.

What is the best homemade 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.

What smell do squirrels hate the most? ›

Cinnamon and Spice

Squirrels distance themselves from hot pepper smells, like jalapeño, cayenne, and black pepper. Because of the spicy nature of cinnamon, you can also use this to repel squirrels from your home! To use pepper as a deterrent, mix three spoonfuls with a half-gallon of water.

What is a proven squirrel deterrent? ›

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.

What can you use to keep squirrels away from your house? ›

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.

What do squirrels hate the most? ›

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.

Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away? ›

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. You can use your fingers to gently rake the grounds in.

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.

Will spraying vinegar keep squirrels away? ›

The pungent smell of pure apple cider vinegar repels the squirrels. ACV is readily available and can be sprayed directly on the plants and flower pots without harming them. Spray it as often as needed to keep the little creatures at bay.

Does Irish Spring soap repel squirrels? ›

Irish Spring is a surprisingly good squirrel repellent. You can learn more about this interesting use for the classic soap here.

How does aluminum foil repel squirrels? ›

Rodents hate the feeling of foil between their teeth, too, so placing strips of foil in your garden mulch will help deter squirrels and some bugs. If squirrels are eating the bark of your tree, you can also wrap the trunk in foil.

Do mothballs repel squirrels? ›

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.

How do I get rid of ground squirrels permanently? ›

Fumigation

Since fumigation is conducted underground, it's safer for non-target species while also effectively eradicating ground squirrels. Like trapping and baiting, burrow fumigation is most effective in the early spring, when the soil moisture is high enough to contain the gas.

What can I spray in my attic to keep squirrels out? ›

Natural squirrel repellents—such as apple cider vinegar, black pepper, garlic, and peppermint— can repel squirrels from your attic and discourage them from returning.

How do I keep squirrels off my porch? ›

Squirrels have strong noses and are not fans of pungent aromas like coffee, peppermint, apple cider vinegar, and soap. For an easy, low-cost solution, sprinkle leftover grounds in your garden, spritz vinegar on your vegetation, place soap shavings around your patio, and rub peppermint oil on your furniture.

How do I keep squirrels from eating my house siding? ›

Natural Attempts to Decrease Squirrel Damage
  1. Cut Back Trees and Bushes. Trim or reduce the trees and bushes that currently give squirrels easy access to your home.
  2. Add Porcupine Wire. ...
  3. Spread Repellent. ...
  4. Spray Deterrent. ...
  5. Add Roofing Cement. ...
  6. The Power of Protection with Hardie Siding.

How much cayenne pepper do you put in bird seed to keep squirrels away? ›

How much cayenne pepper should you mix with bird seed to keep squirrels away? None. Use a hot pepper oil. Not hot sauce, but an actual oil.

Does apple cider vinegar work to keep squirrels away? ›

Apple cider vinegar can be used as an effective squirrel repellent because the creatures can't stand the strong, pungent smell and unpleasant taste of the vinegar. You can safely spray undiluted apple cider vinegar on hard surfaces such as plant pots, decking, and fencing.

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