Watching the antics of a squirrel with your kids or while you drink your morning coffee may be an entertaining and enjoyable activity. However, this critter can be a problematic pest when it infiltrates your home, garage or garden and homeowners commonly look for the best strategies to deter squirrels from their land. To help, local pest control companies, such as Eliminate ‘Em offer preventative solutions, wildlife removal, along with other services. Additionally, many homeowners have a lot of questions about squirrels and how to deter them from your garden, yard and home.
What attracts squirrels?
Attractive locations for squirrels offer plentiful food and abundant options for shelter and nesting. Squirrels often enjoy plant-based meals of nuts, seeds and leafy greens like the lettuces in your garden, but they will also eat insects, bird eggs or uneaten parts of your own meals that end up in the trash. Areas close to their food sources, especially warm ones that provide protection from predators and the elements, are where squirrels prefer to make their nests. While they are happy to construct these living areas in trees or amidst their stronger branches depending on the season and the purpose of the nest, any location to which they have access is fair game to them! To reduce the risk of squirrels settling down in your property, then look around your yard every few months and remove food sources to help deter them.
Why can squirrels be dangerous?
Though cute and clever while chasing each other across fences and from tree to tree, squirrels can be a threat inside and out of the home. In their discussion of the health risks of common pests, WebMD notes that squirrels don’t usually attack people, but they can carry fleas and ticks, which can threaten both human and pet health. Other dangers of squirrels are due to their bodily fluids. These substances not only have a strong and unpleasant odor but also may result in exposure to salmonella and other diseases or damage to insulation.
In addition to the health concerns associated with squirrels, their actions also jeopardize the safety of your home and yard. Squirrels will chew on anything including vinyl and wood, insulation, pipes, and electric cords and wiring. Consequently, if they create their own entrance or otherwise gain access to your garden, garage or attic, they may build nests there and use whatever they can find to do so, often destroying it in the process! In addition to the damage that these rodents can do in chewing and gnawing a variety of materials, these actions may create fire hazards, leaks and other problems.
How do I deter squirrels from my house, garage and garden?
Although squirrels may enter homes and garages anytime they have access to them, rodent infestations often happen in winter months, because they are looking for a warmer place to reside. During any growing season, your garden may become a popular place for squirrels to hang out and wreak havoc. Throughout the year, you might also find them digging around in your yard and burying nuts and other food there, even if they forget about these storage spots or just don’t return to them, as shared by Encyclopedia Britannica. At a high level, homeowners deter squirrels from their land by reducing access to homes or garages, along with implementing some proactive steps to reduce access to gardens with scents, nets and other similar steps. For more on essential squirrel deterrence, the following FAQs will help you learn how to keep them out of your house and garden!
How do I keep squirrels out of my house?
Routine inspections and exclusion and sealing services by a professional pest control provider near you, like Eliminate ‘Em, are the best ways to ensure that there are currently no squirrels in places like your attic or garage and that there are no entry points for them to use in the future. If you are already hearing unusual noises from your attic or elsewhere, squirrels or other problematic bugs or animal intruders may be the cause, so contact a removal specialist immediately. Follow-up procedures like an attic cleanout, as well as sanitation and deodorizing, can help prevent future infestations and reduce exposure to health dangers caused by squirrels.
How can I deter squirrels from the vegetable or flower garden?
While it may not be possible to keep squirrels out of your gardens entirely, some strategies can help you deter them from making a huge (and negative) impact. First, make sure that any garbage and compost containers close securely, as your plants and flowers are already appealing enough without any additional enticement. Fencing provides a physical barrier, though squirrels may be able to overcome that obstacle. Consider also leveraging your plant selection and even using some household items as deterrents. Squirrels find the odor of cayenne pepper or garlic spray unpleasant, so sprinkling these spices around your garden will help deter squirrels. They also prefer to avoid plants like daffodils, geraniums, onions and mint for similar reasons. Finally, shiny wind chimes and other motion-operated sprinklers or lights may be able to startle squirrels away from a particular area.
Keep squirrels from damaging your property by limiting the features that attract them and their access to those locations and food sources. For help deterring squirrels, or other wildlife prevention needs, reach out to the Eliminate ‘Em experts today.
