how to stop squirrels from eating trees

Some squirrels learn to outsmart this trick, though. Once on your roof, they'll often look for ways to get in, and soon enough, you'll have an infestation. … While it seems like a kind gesture to help an animal out, you might actually not be doing it any good- they may become sick, weakened, or fatigued as a result of the human food you give them. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 116,070 times. Take down any bird feeders that are on the tree as well as any nearby bird feeders that squirrels can access by jumping from the tree. Get a trap or Ro-Pel, capsaicin or hot pepper oil with sticky topical applications for trunks and limbs. If squirrels are bothering your bird feeders, rub shortening or petroleum jelly on the pole so they can't climb it. There are 26 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Another option is to place black plastic netting over the bulbs in the same way to protect them. If your tree stands outside of jumping distance from other trees, your home or fences, here's a good solution: Purchase sheet metal or very slippery plastic 12-18 inches wide. This will not work if the squirrels can jump from another tree or structure to a tree. Place traps near the squirrels' burrow entrance or the tree where you see the most squirrel activity. A relatively easy way to keep squirrels out of your potted plants is to make them as unappealing as possible. Sprinkle a small amount of cayenne pepper over area. Spray freely on your rose, rhododendron and camellia buds. A simple metal collar 2 feet (0.6 m.) wide around the trunk of a tree prevents entry to the canopy of the fruit tree too. A common reason squirrels will jump onto your house in the first place is to escape from predators. How do I keep squirrels from eating holes in my trash cans? This article discusses how to feed the squirrels while implementing this strategy… How do I keep squirrels from chewing on the wires in my car? Trim Surrounding Trees. Keeping Squirrels out of the House Fill in any holes in the attic to keep squirrels from getting inside. Call a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer before trapping squirrels. Also, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on your plants so they taste bad if squirrels try to eat them. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Place several moth balls in nylon stockings and hang about a foot down off the branches throughout the tree. Squirrels’ love for pecans can leave you with no nuts for yourself. Trim the branches of your peach tree away from fences, garages or other areas that give squirrels access to your tree. If there is a lot of competition for food, squirrels will strip tree bark to eat the inner tree bark. The fastest way to get rid of squirrels is to stop providing for their needs. You can follow the instructions that are listed in the article above. This DIY bird feeder is squirrel proof thanks to copper and glass! Sadly, younger trees and saplings won’t develop if stripped of their bark. How can I stop squirrels from chewing my patio furniture seats? An indoor/outdoor cat will also have squirrels thinking twice about visiting your yard. Wrap the wire around the metal collar on the tree and thread the end of the wire through the other side of the spring, pulling it taut against the collar. They can jump 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) horizontally. To keep squirrels away, try planting marigolds, nasturtiums, mint, or mustard in your yard, which squirrels don't like the smell of. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. How do I keep a squirrel from eating the wiring on my car? Mix the ingredients in a small bowl. I have an apple tree in my yard that is being decimated by deer at the bottom and squirrels at the top. To learn how to keep squirrels out of your house, scroll down! However, part of the cap is made from a wire cage, so the smoke will still be able to get out. Substitute cayenne pepper repellent with predator urine, such as fox or coyote urine, to keep squirrels away. Answered. Squirrels are considered a protected species, and some counties do not allow residents to trap squirrels. This is why I started doing some research on “why do squirrels eat bark,” so I can take some steps to stop them. "Using tree collars. If you have outside pets, beaware that they will get a surprise if they start nosing around yourplants. You can also lay chicken wire over the soil that you weight down with rocks. How do I keep squirrels out of flower pots? She has produced thousands of articles for online publications such as Demand Studios, GoBankingRates and WiseGeek. How to Install a Plant Hanger Hook in a Tree, How to Prune English Laurel to Make a Tree, How to Transplant a Young Black Walnut Tree in the Fall, How to Grow a Japanese Umbrella Conifer Pine, University of Minnesota Extension: Squirrels, Professional Wildlife Removal: Squirrel Control and Removal, Evergreen Animal Protection League: Wildlife Problems, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver County: Animal Pests in the Garden. Rocks should be the size of an egg, or larger. Deter squirrels from eating your vegetables by sprinkling the ground with cayenne pepper. You'll likely need to replace this hair once a year or so. Cover the plant with the netting and weigh it down with rocks around the edges. nail it on about i metre or so from the ground so they can't jump above the plastic Squirrels can be really adorable, except when they are decimating your fruit trees. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. As a bonus, you can also use your leftover hot pepper sauce to spray garden plants to deter squirrels and other animals. When tin foil is wrapped around the tree, squirrels will be unable to climb it. Squirrels (and other wild animals) will eat basically anything that comes their way because they’re so used to having to scavenge for food. Place the flashing at least 4 feet off the ground so they can’t jump over it. Make your yard as uninviting as you can and protect the plants you want to hide form squirrels. That means to spoil their taste, and change their smell. Cayenne pepper can be painful on thenose, and that’s not just squirrels. Squirrel control for a few rather isolated trees is as simple as placing metal flashing (available at any building supply or hardware store) 18 inches wide around the trunk about 5 … Twist the wire back on itself to hold it in place on the spring. You can even mulch around individual bulbs you've just planted as long as you leave a small area for the bulb to grow. Put a dab of peanut butter inside the cage - that will attract plenty of squirrels. Grey squirrels are usually easily spotted. Homeowners, however, often consider them pests. By using our site, you agree to our. Another cool way to use the hot sauce is to mix it with birdseed to keep squirrels away from your bird feeder. If your trees are relatively isolated from neighboring trees that you don’t own, consider wrapping the trunks with aluminum flashing at least 18 inches high. Squirrels aren’t easily deterred like that and will continue to harvest their little glass nuts anyway. Squirrels sometimes get into pots to take a "dust bath", which is their cure for itchy skin. Overall, you don’t want a ton of squirrels hanging around your property. Seedlings and young trees can have an expandable protective wrap around their trunks. Mint is also an odor squirrels don't like. Finally you can see your plant bloom in all its glory. After the spray dries, hang your lights. Joshua is licensed by the NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) for termite control. Trimming tree branches allow the squirrels to stay safe without causing you a bother in the first place. Standard Pest Control also specializes in ant, bed bug, cockroach, fly, and rodent control. How do I entice a squirrel to go into the cage? You can find these at most garden stores, as well as online. Some succeed, some fail and a lot of money is spent on purpose made squirrel busting products. % of people told us that this article helped them. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. You can wrap pieces of flashing at least 2 feet wide around the trunks of the trees with the top at least 5 feet above the ground. The Best Ways To Prevent Squirrels From Climbing Your Trees The Tin Foil Method This method involves wrapping a strong sheet of tin or aluminum around the tree. Sprinkle the natural repellent around the perimeter of your yard and throughout your garden. You can also use safflower seeds for the birds instead of regular bird feed, as squirrels don't like these seeds. To attach the ring, use wire. This is a guide about keeping squirrels out if fruit trees. Well, we called the customer back, explained our theory, and he instantly knew that that was the problem. You can also use this recipe to keep squirrels and other pests from devouring your garden. Trees are for squirrels, it is nature, I am sorry, they do not live in apartments and go to McDonals to eat! Tie the sock to a tree with a piece of string or twine. Squirrels can reach feeders 8 feet away from a tree branch. You can use homemade sprays with garlic or strong citrus oils, or sprinkle hot cayenne pepper on the leaves as well as the surrounding soil. Fasten the band in the back by attaching the wire on one end to springs on the other end. If you leave the squirrels in the attic when you close up the holes, you could end up with an awful smell. One of the methods I frequently recommend for deterring squirrels from bird feeders, gardens and fruit trees is to feed them elsewhere in the yard. To prevent squirrels from eating your hibiscus plants, create a galvanized poultry wire cage over the plants, use blood meal for newly planted bulbs, and create an easier food source for them. If you don't want to do this yourself, hire a contractor or repair person to do it. Repel squirrels by hanging a sock soaked in ammonia from a tree limb. Don’t Feed Them. Cut a piece of sheet metal to fit around the trunk of your pecans tree, about 2 to 3 feet wide, using sheet-metal cutting shears. Copper and Glass. It is just their nature We have chipmunks and can not do anything about THEM, we have tried everything, so now we just plan around them, if we want to plant something, etc. You can pull it up again once you've had a few hard rains. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Loop the wire into a metal spring on one side and twist it around itself to keep it in place on the spring. You'll need to sprinkle it on again after it rains. Live trapping squirrels is the only way to remove unwanted squirrels. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Stop squirrels from eating your garden plants by giving them something else to eat. The springs allow the tree to grow while keeping the metal band in place. Looks like I … Here we give you our ten tips on how to stop squirrels getting in your yard and home. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Another option is to place a dome-shaped squirrel buffer on the bottom. 1. In addition to munching on a tree's nuts and bark, squirrels also carry diseases, including the bubonic plague, notes the Evergreen Animal Protection League. Spray the tree with a squirrel repellent that contains cayenne pepper. Squirrels will also eat the leaves of plants. I'll report back when I have tried this tip on my fruit and hazelnut trees. Tree twigs and bark are other foods favored by squirrels. While they're cute, they can also be destructive to your property, and they can run birds off from your bird feeder. https://morningchores.com/how-to-get-rid-of-squirrels/, https://newengland.com/today/living/pests/squirrels-bird-feeders/, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20707164/keep-squirrels-away-from-birdfeeder/, https://newengland.com/today/seasons/fall/keep-squirrels-away-from-fall-bulbs/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Squirrels eat several plants, but hibiscus plants have tender stems and plenty of green material that squirrels … Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. He has over 20 years of experience in the pest control industry and specializes in commercial and large facility pest control management. If you're just trying to keep the squirrels away from one area of your yard, try feeding them birdseed or nuts in another area of your yard. If squirrels in your yard have been chewing the bark off your trees, there are some steps you can take to save your trees. Put a layer of river rock on top of the pot soil. How can I keep squirrels off my hummingbird feeders? Wrap sheet metal that is at least 2 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet away from the ground around the trunk of your tree. Squirrels are known for their persistence and craftiness. Use a garden hose and fertilizer attachment to mix and disperse the mixture; Use predator urine (coyote) available from commercial vendors around and on your trees How do you deter rodents like squirrels from getting into buildings? Most methods work in some way but which are the most effective and which method will keep squirrels from eating your bird food? With this method, squirrels can’t get a grip on the trunk to climb. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? What are some some repellents for squirrels to keep them off of my peach trees? Place a metal band around the tree 6 feet off the ground to stop squirrels from being able to climb it, according to Colorado State University. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. How to stop deer and squirrels from eating apples from my tree. She has received awards for being a top content producer. The only drawback is that it needs to be repeated whenever it rains or sprinklers are used. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f2\/Keep-Squirrels-Away-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Keep-Squirrels-Away-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f2\/Keep-Squirrels-Away-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid3729365-v4-728px-Keep-Squirrels-Away-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"