People are often fascinated by the chitters and hops of innocent-faced little squirrels. These tiny creatures can be attracted by the bulbs and fresh buds in your garden. They can dig out the bulbs and also feed on the emerging buds and flowers. It is very much disheartening to see half-eaten vegetables, bulbs and buds in your garden.

There are many commercial products meant for repelling squirrels, but they may contain harsh chemicals. These chemicals may be fatal for the critters and most are not environment-friendly either. Because of this, it is always better to use natural products or some homemade squirrel repellents.

Cayenne Pepper, Onion Solution

Ingredients for the Cayenne Pepper, Onion squirrel repellent: onions, jalapeno, cayenne powder, paprika, and a saucepan
All you need for the Cayenne Pepper, Onion recipe: yellow onions, jalapeno, paprika, and cayenne pepper powder.

This squirrel repellent can be made with onions, jalapeno pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and water. Fill three-fourths of a two-quart saucepan with water and bring it to boil. Add two chopped yellow onions and one chopped jalapeno pepper, and let the water boil again. Mix one tablespoon each of paprika and cayenne pepper powder, then cover the pan with the lid. Let the mixture cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, then turn off the burner.

Once the solution is cool, strain it with a strainer or cheesecloth and fill it into a spray bottle. Spray it over the plants so the scent will deter squirrels from entering the garden. For added efficiency, sprinkle some paprika and cayenne pepper powder over the soil too. Make sure to spray the solution every seven days, and more often during rains.

Murphy's Oil Soap Repellent

Squirrel in a garden
Squirrels are clever foragers, strong scents like cayenne and oil soap confuse their sense of smell.

To prepare this squirrel repellent, all you need is water, Murphy's oil soap and cayenne pepper powder. Take a gallon of water in a container and stir it well, along with six caps of Murphy's oil soap. Then take two tablespoons of cayenne pepper powder and mix it into the solution. Stir well and fill it in a spray bottle. This mixture has to be sprayed on the plants in your garden to repel squirrels. It is said that this mixture does not cause harm to plants and at the same time repels tiny squirrels.

Hot Pepper Sauce Solution

This recipe requires hot pepper sauce, water and liquid detergent. Empty the contents of a small bottle of hot pepper sauce into a container and mix it with one gallon of water, stirring well. Then add a teaspoon of mild liquid detergent to the solution. Your squirrel repellent with hot pepper sauce is ready to be applied on plants.

Test Your Squirrel Repellent Know-How!

5 quick questions about the recipes and tips in this article.

Tips for Repelling Squirrels

Spraying homemade squirrel repellent on garden plants while a squirrel watches from the fence
Spray homemade repellent directly on leaves and soil. Reapply after every rain for best results.
  • Make a solution of epsom salt with a gallon of water for spraying over the plants in the garden.
  • Use some naphthalene (moth) balls to deter squirrels from entering your garden. All you have to do is scatter some moth balls in your garden and other places frequented by these critters. But make sure to keep small kids and pets away from them.
Squirrel munching on seeds near a bird feeder
Squirrels are attracted to bird feeders, switching to squirrel-proof feeders is a simple fix.
  • Squirrel evictor strobe lights can be used to get rid of these critters. You may also try electronic squirrel repellent devices.
  • Bird feeders also attract these critters. Because of this, it is very much important to use squirrel-proof bird feeders that are available in different models.
  • Another method is to mix some red pepper powder with the bird food. Try to feed the birds with food that squirrels do not like. Safflower seeds is a good option.
  • You can also repel them from your garden in a more friendly way. This can be done by feeding squirrels with sufficient food like sunflower seeds, peanuts, fresh or dried fruits and corn.

The above are some of the commonly used methods for repelling squirrels. It is always better to resort to homemade squirrel repellents and other natural products, rather than using the commercial ones, which may cause harm to these critters as well as the environment.

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