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)

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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? ›

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 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 home remedy keeps squirrels away? ›

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.

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 smell squirrels hate? ›

There are several smells that have been effective in warding off squirrels. They don't like the scent of coffee, peppermint, or pepper. Gardeners can leave a border of coffee grounds around their garden to repel squirrels.

How do farmers keep squirrels away? ›

Mint and other aromatic plants

A lot of animals are repelled by the scent of mint and squirrels are one of them. You could try planting some mint under your fruit trees or make a spray similar to the hot pepper spray using peppermint or spearmint essential oils and water.

What do squirrels hate 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.

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.

How do I keep squirrels from coming back? ›

Deter them.

Put a two-foot-wide metal collar around trees, at least six to eight feet off the ground. You can also use squirrel baffles on poles that support your bird feeders. Put fences or netting around your plants.

Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away? ›

The taste and smell of coffee is pleasing for many, but squirrels disagree. Coffee grounds are a natural repellent for squirrels, and they're easy to mix in with your soil.

Do 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.

How do you make homemade squirrel repellent spray? ›

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.

Do dryer sheets keep squirrels away? ›

Dryer sheets have a fantastic aroma, which is why we love them. However, for this exact reason, squirrels dislike them too. For decades, farmers of orchards have tied dryer sheets along their deer fences to keep deer and squirrels away. Hence they can be effective against squirrels.

Does sprinkling cinnamon keep squirrels away? ›

A little more research found that squirrels, raccoons, opossum and deer do not like the smell of cinnamon and avoid it. Viola! To avoid aspiration of the powder irritating the nasal passages of the birds, I apply a thin coat of organic vegetable oil to the sunflower seeds before sprinkling on the powders.

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.

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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