You’re probably familiar with the sight of squirrels scurrying about, collecting food, and carrying it back to their nests in the trees and shrubs around your home.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, squirrels were introduced to North America by European settlers via ship ships in the 1600s, making them one of the first species introduced by man into North America.
Squirrels, with their cute and fuzzy appearance, are loved by many people. However, there are many others who dislike these animals and would prefer to get rid of them at any cost.
There are different methods on how to get rid of squirrels and this article will focus on all the most effective ones that guarantee you complete squirrel removal in your home or in your yard once and for all! Be with me to know How to Get Rid of Squirrels
What Are Squirrels?
Squirrels are small rodents that typically live in trees and eat nuts, seeds, acorns, grains, fruits, and other plants. They are active during the day, but become more active at dusk.
There are two types of squirrels: tree squirrels (which live in trees) and ground squirrels (which live on the ground). Ground squirrels will burrow holes into hillsides or use existing holes in rocks or logs. They like to stay in areas with a lot of vegetation for food.
Tree squirrels typically stay up high on trees where they can find food and avoid predators. They have strong claws which help them cling onto branches.
They can cause damage to your home and garden, as well as carry diseases like Lyme disease. They can also become aggressive during mating season. However, there are ways to get rid of them!
The Eastern gray squirrel is an example of a tree squirrel and it is found from southern Canada to Florida and westward to Texas. It’s gray-brown fur helps it blend into the bark of trees which make it harder for predators to spot them.
Ground squirrels generally have brownish fur, making them easier targets because their markings stand out against the green grasses and earth around them.
They can cause damage to your home and garden, as well as carry diseases like Lyme disease. They can also become aggressive during mating season. However, there are ways to get rid of them!
Also Read:- https://plantworksnyc.com/how-do-squirrels-get-water/
The Problems With Squirrels what will they do
Squirrels can be a huge problem if they have been living in your house for a while. They will eat anything, destroy insulation in your attic and can also cause an infestation in your home.
These furry critters are hard enough to get rid of with all the tricks you might know about.
But when you have them living in the walls it gets even harder. There is no way that you can use any food or other tactics on these sneaky rodents without letting them know what’s coming.
If squirrels are living inside your walls there are two ways that you may want to try to get rid of these pests.
The first is by using rat poison and the second is by getting help from professionals who specialize in this type of work (exterminators).
So What Damage Can Squirrels Do?
Squirrels are not very big animals and they don’t do a lot of damage by themselves. But, a squirrel will often come into your home when it is looking for food and it can cause a lot of damage in the process.
Here are some things that squirrels will typically do:
- Eat your garden vegetables
- Take food from your birdfeeders or eat what’s left on the ground beneath them
- Knock over garbage cans with their tails, spilling trash everywhere
- Make nests in the attic or chimney (leaving droppings on the roof)
- Get into attics through open vents or chewed holes in soffits or gutters (leaves droppings inside)
- Chew electrical wires and chew on wires in air conditioning units
For these reasons, it is important to take care of any problem you have with squirrels as soon as possible.
How To Get Rid Of Squirrels
There are many ways to get rid of squirrels, including trapping and repelling.
The most common way is by using traps. You can buy a trap from a store or make your own homemade one.
Repelling squirrels is another option, which includes things like noise makers, motion detectors, and other deterrent objects that will keep them away from the area you don’t want them in.
However, these may not work as well if they’ve already set up a nest in your house and just moved outside. To prevent this, seal off any areas they could enter into with wire mesh before they do any damage.
It’s also important to note that it may be illegal for you to kill or trap a squirrel without getting permission first.
Contact an animal control officer for more information about whether killing them would be allowed in your state and what type of permit would be needed if so.
If there is no permit available, then you may need to talk with a pest control professional about how to safely remove them from your home. Many people use poision to kill squirrels but it only recommanded to use only if the squirrel is in your home not in your garden.
To successfully protect your garden against future infestations, put out fresh fruit trees every few years. They should not be near water sources (to avoid contamination) and should have fruit varieties different than those that attracted the original invaders.
Preventing Squirrels From Your Garden
Don’t Feed Them
Feeding them will make them come back, and they will continue to feed on your garden or trash. The easiest way to get rid of squirrels is not by feeding them. When you feed them, it becomes a habit for them and they will continue coming back for more.
If you’re going away on vacation and want to make sure they don’t come back while you’re gone, put out a squirrel-proof bird feeder instead. You can also set up a live trap with some peanuts in the entrance and place it near the area where the squirrel is coming in.
Once you catch the squirrel, release it at least five miles away so it doesn’t come back. If all else fails, then call an animal control professional who will take care of the situation professionally
Add Tree Guards
Adding a tree guard is an excellent way to keep squirrels from chewing on your trees. Tree guards can be bought at most hardware stores and are very easy to install.
They are typically made from metal or plastic and have a cone shaped top that goes over the tree and then bends back, coming down just past the ground level.
Tree guards help protect plants from deer, rabbits, rodents, and other animals that can do extensive damage to your garden./h
Use Motion Activated Sprinklers
Use motion-activated sprinklers. You can find these at most hardware stores and they will keep the squirrels at bay.
Motion-activated sprinklers work by detecting any sudden movement in the area, which would happen if a squirrel is present and causes an alarm, that activates a spray of water. These are humane, as they don’t harm the squirrels but just scare them off.
Plant Daffodils
Daffodils are a type of bulb that come in many colors, and they are popular because they are easy to grow. They can be planted in the fall and will bloom in the early spring.
Daffodils have a bright yellow flower that is often associated with sunshine and happiness. Daffodils are a natural way to deter squirrels from your garden.
These plants produce a scent that is very unappealing to squirrels and will stop them from entering your garden or eating the vegetables you grow in it.
Daffodils produce their scent in the fall, so it’s best to plant them in late summer or early fall so they can be in your garden all season long. Daffodils also work well for deterring deer, rabbits, and other types of critters too!
Create a Squirrel Repellent
Create a Squirrel Repellent to deter them: If you are in a situation where you have one or more squirrels that are bothering your family, there is a way to get rid of them. Sprinkle some cayenne pepper on the food and water dishes for about four days.
The pepper will not hurt the animal but it will cause discomfort. This will discourage the creature from coming back because they do not want to go through that pain again or you can use a variety of substances to deter squirrels from making your property their home.
Some items you can use are coyote urine, fox urine, moth balls and rags soaked in ammonia. You’ll want to put them out on the affected area for about three days before moving them to a different location.
The idea is that the scent will deter them from returning. Use caution when using any type of repellent since it may be dangerous to humans or animals if ingested or touched.
Thorny Bushes
This is a common and effective way to keep squirrels out. The thorns on the bushes can provide an uncomfortable environment for the squirrel, they will not be able to do as much damage as they would in a garden bed with softer plants.
It can be helpful to put them close enough together so that the squirrel cannot jump from one bush to another.
If you have ground cover or other plants near your thorny bushes, it might be best not to use them for this purpose. The prickly branches could become dangerous if disturbed by humans or animals and cause injury.
Bottom Line
Squirrels are a common nuisance in many parts of the country, and can be a particular problem for those who have fruit trees. Though they may seem harmless at first, squirrels can cause significant damage if left unchecked.
Fortunately, there are many humane ways to remove squirrels from your property or protect your fruit trees from them.
For starters, it is important to get rid of any nearby food sources such as bird feeders. You can also try using frightening devices like scarecrows or inflatable snakes (or even a human dressed up in a scary costume) which will scare the animals away without hurting them.
Finally, you can use hardware cloth around tree branches so that climbing becomes too difficult for squirrels; this technique is an especially good one for more natural gardens that don’t use wire fencing.
Meet Tomas Clayton, a seasoned plant gardener who has been passionate about horticulture since he was a child. Tomas John developed a love for the natural world and a strong appreciation for the beauty of plants while growing up on a farm.
