What food do squirrels hate?

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, pepper flakes, and/or garlic pepper on and around your plants when they are ready to bloom. After getting a taste, squirrels won't dare eat anything with cayenne—which you can often buy in bulk.

What food keeps squirrels away?

Use seed laced with hot peppers.

You can purchase capsaicin-coated bird feed products, suets, and sauces on the market (such as Cole's Hot Meats, available on Amazon) or just mix some cayenne pepper into seed you already have. One whiff or taste is enough to drive out any squirrels in bird feeders.

What do squirrels hate the most?

Squirrels hate the smell of pepper, mint, mothballs, predator urine, skunks, coffee, and cinnamon, among others. Squirrels have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to find food buried up to 1 foot underground and stay away from danger.

Is there a bird food that squirrels don't like?

Seed: While squirrels will readily sample most types of birdseed, they are less attracted to nyjer and safflower seed, both of which have a slightly bitter taste. By using these seeds exclusively, you close the squirrel snack bar without eliminating feeding the birds.

What is a squirrel afraid of?

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.

Bird Food That Squirrels Hate!

What smell do squirrels hate the most?

Strong smells are a great way to repel squirrels – certain odors make squirrels wrinkle their noses. They're said to dislike the scent of coffee grounds and peppermint, or you could make up your own recipe with vinegar, garlic and onions or peppermint oil to spray in the garden.

How do you get rid of GREY squirrels?

Try smearing oil or vaseline on the metal pole to prevent them from gripping it – they'll soon give up. Remember, squirrels can leap surprising distances, so site feeders and tables away from fences and other high points that make it possible for them to reach their goal.

Do red pepper flakes keep squirrels away?

A squirrel's strong sense of taste and smell are irritated by the capsaicin in hot pepper. Placing hot pepper flakes or spray in an area where squirrels frequent will keep them away.

Does aluminum foil deter 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.

What smells discourage squirrels?

Spicy Smells

Tangy and sweet smells can help deter squirrels, as they aren't fond of these. Scents of white pepper and garlic powder are also used to repel squirrels. Rodents are also repulsed by the scent of pepper.

How do I get rid of ground squirrels permanently?

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.

How can I get rid of squirrels in my yard?

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. Build a fence out of one-inch mesh wire.

How do you keep squirrels away naturally?

What will keep squirrels away but not birds?

A wrap-around squirrel baffle is great for keeping squirrels away from bird feeders. By creating a conical, unstable separation between the pole and the bird feeder, wrap-around baffles deter squirrels from stealing bird seed. Torpedo baffles also keep squirrels away from bird feeders.

Does black pepper keep squirrels away?

Spicy Odors

Squirrels simply don't like them. White pepper and cayenne smells frequently discourage squirrels, for example. If you sprinkle your plants with flakes of cayenne pepper, it might keep unwelcome pests out of your garden. Squirrels also dislike garlic and black pepper smells.

Will cinnamon keep squirrels away?

Cinnamon can be used to help repel squirrels from key target areas around your property. Since squirrels have a strong sense of smell, you can use that to your advantage by sprinkling strong cinnamon powder in frequently visited areas to irritate their nose and repel them.

Does chili powder stop squirrels?

Chili powder is one of the most surefire ways to deter squirrels from your garden. Squirrels tend to bury their noses into the ground when digging around in a garden. If they get a snout full of hot chili pepper they will run the other way and think twice before coming back around.

Do squirrels hate hot sauce?

Persistent and difficult to control, squirrels have powerful senses and don't like the taste or smell of capsaicin – the chemical that provides the heat to hot peppers and hot pepper sauces.

What does aspirin do to squirrels?

Squirrel Poison

The squirrels can't resist the smell of peanut butter, and once they take the bite, the aspirin starts to poison them. Make sure to check on the locations you placed the bowls within your house after a couple of days and remove any fallen pests that didn't make it outside.

What do GREY squirrels hate?

Planting things that squirrels don't like in amongst the things you want to protect works well. So as well as the bulbs mentioned above, try nasturtiums, marigolds, geraniums, mint and garlic. Squirrels have a very good sense of smell and all these plants smell unpleasant to them.

Does vinegar deter squirrels?

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 Pine Sol keep squirrels away?

Spray their areas and burrows with 1 cup regular Pinesol per gallon of water. Dilute Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper in water and spray on plants that are being eaten (a few tsp. of each in about 1 litre of water). Human hair or urine is a strong repellent.

What time of day do squirrels come out?

Squirrels are most active early in the day as they scavenge for food, with a lull in activity during the warmest part of the day. You may also find them foraging in the early afternoon right up until dusk. Of course, this can vary depending on the species.

What poison kills squirrels instantly?

Bromadiolone is an anticoagulant used primarily in rodenticides to kill rats, mice, and other rodents (such as squirrels). It was first registered for use in America in 1980 and is an odorless powder, usually white to yellow in color.