My Pet World: Humane ways to discourage squirrels from your yard
Dear Cathy,
How do you humanely stop squirrels from digging up your grass? My yard has holes all over it.
— Debra, Oceanside, New York
Dear Debra,
I am glad you asked for humane ways to keep squirrels from your yard. I have some suggestions but can make no promises. Squirrels are wild animals who will do as they please and do not understand property boundaries.
Squirrels dig holes in the ground to look for seeds or to bury food for later. They love bird seeds, flowers, ripe tomatoes, berries, apples, and so on. Nature lovers' yards are often filled with these delicacies, but even if they are not, squirrels have learned to live in suburbia and rural areas and can feast on a whole host of things. (I happen to love squirrels because they aerate my yard and plant acorns for future trees. And they are wonderful acrobats to watch.)
I plant sage in my flower beds to keep deer from eating other plants. So far, this has kept them from several flower beds. For squirrels, you can consider planting mint or chili peppers since they don't like the taste or smell. There is also a product called Tomcat® Animal Repellent that comes in granules and ready-to-use form that you can scatter in the yard. It uses essential oils that squirrels, rabbits, and groundhogs hate. It's rain-resistant and safe to use around other animals and children.
You also can install motion-activated noisemakers or motion-activated sprinklers to scare them away. Cover your plants with netting or chicken wire to keep squirrels from eating them, and place bird feeders far from jump-off points, like trees. Nix the sunflower seeds, which squirrels love, and replace them with safflower seeds since birds love them, but squirrels don't. Use weight-sensitive bars that allow birds, but not squirrels, access to the feeders. Attach plastic bottles around the feeder pole to make it harder for squirrels to climb.
These tips discourage squirrels from coming into your yard for food. If your neighbor has these food sources, however, they may still come into your yard to bury things. The only sure way to keep them out of the yard might be the repellent and motion-activated sprinklers.
Dear Cathy,
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