How to stop squirrels from chewing on your house or plants

There are a few home remedies you can try when you want to stop squirrels from gnawing and chewing your plants and around your home. It would be impossible to try and eradicate these creatures entirely from your yard. You'd need a prison-worth electrical-style fence for that. But you can make things a little less appealing in your garden, and this is what will prevent the pesky squirrels from coming back and causing any more destruction, even superficial. Hot sauce and cayenne pepper, for example, has been wiped on wood to stop squirrels and other rodents from chewing. They don't seem to like spicy / hot things very much, and it can work to discourage that behavior. You could also try using something like eviction fluid - a squirrel repellent that has been shown to have positive results in some cases. Not all, but in some. Made up of the urine and other secretions from predatory animals such as foxes, it can deter a female squirrel who thinks her youngsters are in danger. If she thinks a fox is hanging around, she won't want to leave them unattended. She can't find them food if she can't leave them. In short, she may up and leave, taking her family with her.



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Squirrels are constantly chewing and eating away at things all around your home. They will chew away at your homes siding roof line and trim boards in an effort to get inside to nests. The chew plants and trees for food and to gather materials to build nests. They chew electrical wires, piping and other parts of your home because they must constantly chew. A squirrel's front teeth, like most rodents, never stop growing so they must constantly chew in an effort to keep them worn down. What can you do about this nonstop destruction? How can you protect your home? The most sure fire means is to exclude squirrels from your home and property. This solution is by far the most practical means of protection against an infestation. Complete eradication of squirrels is probably not possible, so here are just a few of the easy to follow tips that should help.

Keep any tree limbs near your house, especially those at your roof line cut back at least 6 feet from the edge of your home. Squirrels are known for jumping up to 9 feet across expanses like that from a tree to your rooftop. Once on the roof, they can chew the siding and enter your attic.

Use hardware cloth to block their entry. Block the insides of all vents like those to your attic, dryer, or heat exhaust. Put a screen on your chimney if you have one. Look for other holes like those around pipes and shafts. Seal any cracks or gaps in your siding and around all of your doors and windows. Squirrels can fit in small places. Hardware cloth will keep out squirrels and can protect your home. By blocking their entryways, you make your home less desirable, most times squirrels will move on and find another spot to nests. MAKE SURE NO SQUIRRELS ARE ALREADY IN YOUR HOME BEFORE SEALING IT UP!

You can try some natural DIY repellents like hot peppers, pepper sauce, or powder. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, a taste that is repulsive and irritating to many animals including squirrels. You can also buy the capsaicin repellent as a spray, liquid or granular form in many feed/ hardware stores. Cinnamon and moth balls spread around where you see signs of squirrels chewing your home have also been said to work. Hanging aluminum pie pans or using loud noises is another suggested method. You can try trapping your pesky guests. Purchase a live trap at most any feed/ hardware store. You want to make sure it is large enough. Place your cage traps around your house at areas where you have squirrel activity. Bait your trap with nut butters or fresh fruit like a slice of apple.

To make the most effective, prop the trap doors open for a day or two and use it as a feeder for them. Once you see the squirrels used to feeding in the traps, then you set them. Please make sure to check the traps at least twice a day. Even if you are going to kill the squirrels, there is no need to handle them inhumanely. Once you trap the squirrels you must either kill or relocate them. To relocate squirrels you must take them at least 15 miles away. Try to pick an area with few other squirrels as they are territorial and don't like newcomers. If you don't want to deal with either solution, call a wildlife control specialist. They have all the training and answers to solve your squirrel problems!


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