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

What is the best homemade squirrel repellent? ›

Here are a few recipes you can try: Hot Pepper Spray: Create a homemade squirrel repellent by mixing water with cayenne pepper and a few drops of dish soap. Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to areas where squirrels are active.

What is the number one squirrel deterrent? ›

White vinegar has a strong smell and is a powerful squirrel deterrent. The easiest way to treat a squirrel-infested area is to simply pour it on active squirrel hang-outs or spray it around your property with a mix of water.

What smell do squirrels hate the most? ›

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!

What spice keeps squirrels away? ›

Any repellent (granular or liquid) that contains cayenne or capsaicin is very effective against squirrels. You can actually mix crushed red pepper flakes in your birdseed to repel them from bird feeders (birds can't taste the heat).

What do squirrels absolutely hate? ›

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.

What home remedy gets rid of squirrels? ›

Smells that are pungent or hot and spicy typically repel squirrels. This includes cider vinegar white or cayenne pepper and mothballs. The smell of other animals' urine is also a deterrent, which is why many sprays used to keep squirrels away will smell a bit like animal urine.

How do farmers keep squirrels away? ›

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, or pepper flakes around your plants when they are ready to bloom. Peppers have “capsaicin” which squirrels hate, so it's a natural squirrel deterrent. Or, make a pepper spray; you can mix dried pepper with apple cider vinegar.

How do you get rid of squirrels once and for all? ›

Some gardeners swear by sprinkling a concoction of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika or other combinations of spicy seasonings around the base of the plants. Trick squirrels into thinking your produce isn't a tasty treat after all by dusting a few of the fruits in the hot mixture, too.

What are squirrels afraid of the most? ›

Squirrels are primarily scared of predators such as hawks, foxes, and snakes. They also have a natural fear of loud noises, sudden movements, and unfamiliar objects. Understanding what scares squirrels can help prevent them from becoming distressed and ensure their safety in their environment.

What do squirrels not like to walk on? ›

Adhesive Materials: Polybutenes. Polybutenes create a sticky lubricant that can deter squirrels from scaling railings and buildings. As they walk across the material, their feet may become stuck, which could cause so much irritation that they don't return.

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. You can also try spraying your plants with a hot pepper spray for the same effect.

Do squirrels hate Irish Spring soap? ›

Yes, Irish Spring soap can help to keep squirrels away. The scent of the soap is unpleasant for the animals and will prevent them from entering your home or yard. You can use either a liquid soap solution or shave bars of Irish Spring and sprinkle it around areas that squirrels are known to frequent.

How to make 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 is the most effective squirrel repellent? ›

A simple but SEEMINGLY effective squirrel deterrent has proven to be Tanglefoot.

What plants are poisonous to squirrels? ›

Plant What They Don't Like

Squirrels and chipmunks avoid daffodils—which are poisonous—as well as alliums, scilla, hyacinth, grape hyacinth (muscari), fritillaria, camassia, chionodoxa, snowdrop (galanthus), and summer snowflake (leucojum).

What is the best thing to keep squirrels out of your yard? ›

Rodent-chasing dogs and motion-activated noisemakers, such as garden spinners, pinwheels, and aluminum pie tins, all make good squirrel deterrents. In addition, if you're watering your lawn anyway, consider using a motion-detecting sprinkler to increase the scare factor.

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.

How does aluminum foil repel squirrels? ›

Squirrels hate both the feeling and sight of aluminum foil. The shiny glare from the foil is usually enough to scare off any squirrels, but if any brave squirrels do approach your plants, don't worry! When the squirrel steps on the aluminum foil, it feels slippery and makes some sound.

What is the best homemade poison for ground squirrels? ›

Castor oil is an affordable, accessible way to get rid of critters. For best results, mix ¼ cup of castor oil with two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. Mix two tablespoons of this mix into a gallon of water and spray it anywhere in your yard you have noticed ground squirrel activity.

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