Keep squirrels out of your garden with ‘most simple and harmless’ kitchen ingredient
Whilst some love squirrels, others loathe them due to damage caused in gardens. Here's how to safely discourage them from your garden.
It is illegal to relocate grey squirrels but if they are causing damage to your garden, there are a number of ways to discourage them.
Laura Bamborough from GardenBuildingsDirect said: “Squirrels are a naturally curious animal and that does mean that they can unfortunately cause some unwanted damage to your gardens and even your shed.
“Squirrels can chew through wood, aluminium and plastic to create holes in weak parts of a building, which can damage the structure of your shed, as well as the damage they can cause to your plants and lawn.
“Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can discourage them and help to keep damage to a minimum.”
The expert has shared five ways how to deter the animals from your garden as well as your shed.
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1. Physical barriers
There are a number of different barriers that can be implemented in your garden to help protect it against squirrels.
These include metal or plastic tree guards around tree trunks, or fine wire mesh to protect vulnerable plants and bulbs from being dug up.
The expert explained: “You can also protect your shed with sealant to ensure there are no holes or gaps.
“Steel wool or wire mesh is best to use to cover up any small openings. If you want to keep the heat in and prevent water leaks, you should completely patch any holes that appear.”
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2. Repellents
According to the pro, one of the “most simple and harmless” ways to keep the animals out of your kitchen is already in your kitchen.
Laura added: “Squirrels have strong noses and find things such as cayenne pepper, ground chilli and pepper flakes unpleasant.
“Pungent smells such as coffee grounds, peppermint and apple cider vinegar are also items squirrels strongly dislike.
“These can be sprinkled around the garden without causing damage to any of your plants or lawn.”
As well as natural repellents there are a number of commercial repellents available from garden centres.
3. Garden maintenance
One of the best ways to keep squirrels out of the garden would be to reduce the amount of food sources available.
The garden expert continued: “Squirrels enjoy a variety of food, so removing nuts, fruits, vegetables and fungi will go a long way towards discouraging them from your garden.
“Squirrel-resistant bird feeders can also be used, rather than putting out loose food.
“As well as removing food sources, try to keep any branches trimmed, and keep them away from your shed or home to prevent squirrels from using them as access points.”
