How to keep squirrels away from your home

Present in large numbers in many Quebec cities, squirrels are a distinct component of urban wildlife. Although they have a cute reputation, they are nevertheless a risk to you and your home and are considered to be pests.

Their abundant presence is sometimes difficult to manage and it is not always easy to know how to keep squirrels away from your home. Thankfully, many natural methods exist to help you keep them away.

To help you deal with these pesky animals, the professional exterminators at E.Exterminateur explain how to keep squirrels out of your home.

Are squirrels dangerous?

The reason it’s important to know how to keep squirrels away is because they are a danger to both you and your home.

First and foremost, squirrels can cause damage to your house and your possessions.

• They chew through electrical wires, which is a fire hazard
• They can cause damage to trees and plants in your garden. They also enjoy nibbling on buds and digging up flowers and bulbs
• They like to sneak into your home in search of food and wreak havoc
• They are also known to rummage through garbage cans

Lastly, squirrels also pose health risks to you and your pets. Like many other pests in Quebec, squirrels may carry many diseases. They often carry ticks and fleas and can also transmit scabies.

Keeping squirrels away from your house is therefore essential for keeping your health and home intact.

How to keep squirrels away naturally

There are various natural ways to keep squirrels out of your home and garden. As with many other animals, squirrels are sensitive to odors so use this to your advantage.

Sprinkle coffee grounds

Coffee grounds are a really good pest control agent, being particularly effective in getting rid of ants. They also happen to work well for repelling squirrels.

To use them in this way, scatter some around your garden. You’ll soon notice that the smell of the coffee grounds will discourage squirrels from venturing into your garden.

Lay out animal and human hair

Like many other animals, squirrels are also sensitive to the smell of potential predators. Scattering your dog’s hair or even your hair will naturally scare away any squirrels that dare to invade your home.

Note that this technique is also very effective in getting rid of skunks. Using animal hair is more effective than scattering your hair, as human hair loses its scent after a few weeks.

Use a hot pepper

Something else with a strong stench, that is very effective at repelling squirrels, is a hot chili pepper. It works extremely well and is, in fact, the most common ingredient used in squirrel repellents.

To use it effectively, crush a hot pepper and lather it onto the plants and trees within reach of the squirrels. This should stop them from venturing within these trees.

Spray garlic

Garlic sprays are also widely used to keep squirrels out of your home. Their strong odor helps keep them away from your yard.

To make a garlic spray particularly effective against squirrels, you can mix the garlic with salt and sugar. Let the mixture soak and spray it on areas where squirrels tend to come and go.

Use cider vinegar

The final product you can use to keep squirrels away is cider vinegar. Cider vinegar is known to be very effective in repelling squirrels. The smell and taste of cider vinegar will undoubtedly scare squirrels away.

To use it, you can spray it, or soak clothes in it and leave them hanging in your garden so that the smell spreads throughout your garden.

Keep food out of squirrels’ reach

To keep squirrels away from your garden, it is essential not to leave food hanging around that might attract them. For instance, don’t leave your garbage cans roaming around outside, or at least store your trash in closed metal cans that are odor-proof and inaccessible to squirrels.

Also, if you have bird feeders in your garden, it’s important to remove them. Squirrels tend to steal the food from these feeders so it’s best to get rid of them.

Did you know? Leaving food in your garden can attract many other animals into your garden, such as groundhogs.

Seal off your home and limit access to your property

Knowing how to keep squirrels out of your home is one thing. Making it impossible for squirrels to enter your garden is another challenge to take on. To eliminate their presence all together, there are two things to do.

Firstly, you should prune your trees and maintain your garden. Trimming the branches that could lead to your roof or backyard is essential. You should also cover the bottom of your trees with aluminium. This will prevent squirrels from being able to climb up.

Finally, caulking your home and any potential access points is also a must. It’s quite common for squirrels to find refuge in certain areas of your home such as the attic. It is therefore important to block all possible access points. Lastly, putting a fence around your garden is another essential step in limiting access to your property.

How to trap a squirrel

Many homeowners are also considering capturing squirrels to get rid of them. This is a one way to deal with them. You can use animal traps to do this. These can be purchased in hardware or DIY stores.

For this to work well, we recommend that you use the right bait to attract the squirrel into the trap. Nuts are the perfect bait for squirrels. To get the best results, place the nuts inside the trap.

Putting the trap in the right place is also important to make it effective. You must position it in a place where the squirrels often come and go. For instance, you could place the trap near your bird feeder if you have one.

Warning: In Quebec, it is strictly forbidden to kill a squirrel! Therefore, there is no mention of exterminating them. Only their capture is authorized.

Call E.Exterminateur to help you keep squirrels away from your home

They may look all cute and cuddly, but squirrels are nevertheless a threat to your health and home. You need to know how to keep them away to protect yourself and property.

Many natural methods exist to scare squirrels away. Capturing them is also a solution to consider if the situation becomes unmanageable. However, hiring an expert is always the best way to get rid of these small animals for good, especially if you want to effectively seal off your home.

Contact E.Exterminateur now . Our team will quickly intervene to help tackle your squirrel infestation and regain your peace of mind. Nothing beats the help of an expert to fight against these critters.

Don’t wait any longer! Get a free quote from our exterminators in Montreal today!