Get rid of ground squirrels from your garden and house using different methods such as noise, decoys and repellants that actually work. Many people consider these rodents a true menace to their property. While it is true that these animals are difficult to get rid of, it is not something impossible.
In this tell-all guide, we bring you some of the most effective ways to clean your property of ground squirrels.
JUMP TO TOPIC
How To Get Rid of Ground Squirrels?
Keeping a clean yard, planting squirrel-repelling plants, and using noise to scare them away are just some of many effective methods to get rid of ground squirrels from the property.
You can find some more ways to get rid of ground squirrels by reading up on our comprehensive guide given below. We bring you some old, time-tested methods along with some new, innovative ones which will ensure that your property is free and safe from a ground squirrel infestation for a long time to come.
Read below to find out what those methods are.
– Manage Your Trash Wisely
Many people don’t know this, but their trash might be playing a big role in attracting ground squirrels to their property. One of the first things you need to do if you want to control them is to properly manage the trash outside your house and in the yard.
Learn how to manage your trash wisely using these tips:
- The lids of your trash cans should be tightly fastened. It’s better to use a trash can with a proper self-locking mechanism. Otherwise, the squirrels will get inside in search of food and keep coming back for more.
- It is even better to collect your garbage in bags that are then fastened before throwing them into the trash can.
- Make sure you clean up well whenever you eat outside in the yard. Don’t leave food scraps and items out for the night. Also, pick up any leftover plates and utensils you might have left behind.
- If your garden has trees and plants that serve as the food source of ground squirrels such as nuts and berries, then pick these food items off the trees as soon as possible. You don’t want them hanging around for the squirrels to come and nibble.
– Get a Bird Feeder That Excludes Squirrels
Your bird feeder could be attracting the ground squirrels to your yard in search of food. Substitute your old one with a new feeder that eliminates squirrels and other rodents from entering.
The birds that come to feed on the feeder also tend to spread a lot of bird food outside. Make sure you clean this up quickly or else the ground squirrels will come for these as well.
– Plant Squirrel-Repelling Plants
Ground squirrels have been known to munch on just about anything, but did you know that there are some food items that they just can’t stand? One clever way of keeping the ground squirrels out of your kitchen garden is to plant squirrel-repelling plants.
The plants in question are narcissus, castor beans and the imperial crown plant. You will also get the added benefit of growing these beautiful plants in your garden. This method is safe for kids and pets too. Mint is also a great ground squirrel repellent, so you can plant this as well.
– Set Live Traps
Setting a live trap is a cruelty-free way of getting rid of ground squirrels. You don’t have to harm the animal, so just simply trap it and send it off.
-
How To Set a Live Trap
Buy a good quality live trap from your local hardware store. A number of different varieties are available these days, so choose one that suits your budget bracket the best. Also, purchase bait to lure squirrels into these traps. We usually use pretzels, hazelnuts or acorns and it always seems to work.
The placement of the trap in the yard should be ideal. Look for any ground squirrel hole or any other traces left by the animal and place the trap in that place.
Once you catch a squirrel, drop it off at a distance of 15 to 20 minutes away from your house. They will have a hard time returning from such a distance and infesting your lawn again.
You can also call the wildlife department and hand the caught squirrels over to them. Take note that in some areas, it is illegal to catch wild animals using live traps. If you live in such a place, then this method is definitely not for you.
– Make Use of Other Animals
Yes, you can buy a guard dog for solving the problem of squirrels in yard or garden. But even though a dog will chase squirrels off owing to their natural instinct, you will still need to train them.
This is one method you can use to get rid of ground squirrels permanently. You can simply let your dog loose in the yard and it will do all the work for you.
The only problem some people might face with this method is having to take care of and train a dog.
Pet cats also come in handy when you want to rid your yard of these pesky animals as cats love chasing squirrels.
– Scare Ground Squirrels Away With Noise
Getting rid of ground squirrels using noise is a pretty effective method. The only downside to it is the overall noise pollution that it creates. Your neighbors might not be too tolerant of the constant noise emanating from your lawn as well.
Read this to find out how to use noise to deal with the pesky animals:
- Squirrels can hear noises at a much lower frequency than us. Install ultrasonic spikes in your garden to irritate them and send them off.
- You can also record some loud noises and keep playing them on the lawn at regular intervals. These loud noises include cannon sounds, fireworks or the call sounds of animals that are the natural predators of squirrels.
- Even hanging wind chimes near trees where the squirrels often come will scare them off.
– Use Decoys To Scare Them Away
Did you know that you can also scare squirrels away by using decoys?
Squirrels have a number of natural predators such as owls, hawks, coyotes, etc. and you can use their decoys to your advantage.
Fortunately, you can buy these decoys cheaply from any gardening shop. We suggest you buy at least three to four of them and place them strategically on your lawn.
Squirrels are pretty intelligent animals. They will eventually get used to these decoys and stop being scared of them. One trick is to keep alternating between different decoys and also regularly changing their location around your yard.
Get Rid of Ground Squirrels Naturally
Using cator oil, pepper spray or sprinklers are some effective ways to get rid of squirrels using natural methods.
You can use natural household DIY items to get rid of squirrels as well. This is actually our preferred method not only because it’s cost-effective but also because it is cruelty-free. Given below are some of our favorite home remedies to get rid of ground squirrels by yourself.
– Castor Oil Is a Good Rodent Repellent
Castor oil is present in almost every house, or you can simply purchase it from anywhere and use them to get rid of ground squirrels from your property.
-
How To Use Castor Oil
Here is a simple guide to use cator oil for this purpose:
- Mix a quarter cup of premium quality castor oil and two teaspoons of liquid dishwashing soap.
- Add this mixture to about a gallon of water. Attach a spray mechanism to the water source.
- Generously spray your lawn with this mixture. Especially target all the possible locations where you have previously observed ground squirrels being active.
– Use Pepper Sprays on Rodents
Pepper spray is quite an affordable yet non-toxic method to deter ground squirrels from your yard. It is easily available at home and works pretty well too.
-
How To Use Pepper Spray
Here is how you can do it:
- First, take a cup of water and heat it moderately. Then add one cup of hot red pepper flakes and allow the mixture to soak for 12 hours.
- After that, add some dishwashing soap to this mixture and strain the whole thing into a spray bottle.
- Now spray this mixture onto all the possible locations that the squirrels frequent. These could be visible burrows in the ground or trees with nibble marks on them.
- Squirrels have a very keen sense of smell and will find the pepper spray very offensive.
- You will need to reapply the pepper spray solution every few hours in the beginning of this process.
– Use a Motion Sensor Sprinkler
A motion-sensor sprinkler will definitely make your life so much easier, so install one of these on your lawn. Most latest ones have excellent sensors that can sense if someone or something comes into your lawn from anywhere within several feet.
These sprinklers will also shoot a jet of water towards the direction of the incoming signal. This will scare the squirrels off and after a while, they will stop coming back. You will also get to water your lawn as a by-product.
These days, you can buy sprinklers that are great for conserving water. However, motion-detecting sensors are pretty expensive to buy and even more expensive to install and maintain.
– Hire Professional Help
Sometimes, you will simply have to call in more experienced authorities for help. And by that, we mean professionals who deal with these problems on a daily basis.
Look up companies in your area that offer services in this regard. They will come to your house and inspect it. The first step is to identify the location of the burrows and evaluate the structural damage to your property.
These companies will then formulate a management plan that is best suited to your situation. They will, of course, take your wishes into consideration as well.
What Are Ground Squirrels?
Ground squirrels are rodents from the squirrel family that live and burrow underground as opposed to living on top of trees. In the U.S. alone, there are 26 different species of ground squirrels.
These rodents can be of a variety of colors such as brown, rust or tan. They have fur all over their body and are about 6 to 11 inches in length.
Many have black or white lines running across their backs. These are highly intelligent animals and tend to live in colonies of about 20 ground squirrels each.
These are very fecund animals, and each female produces around five to nine ground squirrels in each litter. They are also pretty long-lived compared to other rodent species. Some types of ground squirrels are known to live up to 18 years.
Why Is It Important To Get Rid of Them?
It is important to get rid of ground squirrels in the yard because these animals can cause serious structural damage and carry diseases.
You should never take a ground squirrel infestation lightly. While these tiny rodents look cute and harmless, they pose certain significant risks to both your property and your health.
Find out what these risks are by continuing to read below.
– They Bury All Over the Lawn
This is the foremost reason why you should take a ground squirrel infestation seriously. These animals are relentless burrowers and have a tendency to burrow long and deep tunnels underground.
Their high fertility rate means that they produce about six to nine babies per season. Just imagine all these rapidly producing animals multiplying under your garden and making it unstable! Sometimes their burrowing can produce such large holes in the garden that people can fall in and harm themselves.
– Ground Squirrels Cause Structural Damage
Once they start burrowing, the horde of ground squirrels infesting your house will not remain confined to the lawn. Instead, they will burrow deep enough to damage the very foundation of your house.
In addition to causing significant structural damage to your house, these animals will also destroy the underground pipework and cable networks under your property.
– They Carry Diseases
Yes, ground squirrels are vectors of a multitude of diseases and infections. A ground squirrel infestation means exposing yourself, any kids at home, or your pets to these potential risks.
They are known hosts of fleas, which are pests notorious for a variety of diseases. These include rabies, plague and leptospirosis, to name a few.
Final note:
A well-maintained lawn with regularly trimmed and mowed grass will help get rid of ground squirrels by eliminating the hiding spots of these rodents. It will also make them more visible to their natural predators such as hawks, owls, etc. They won’t visit your property as easily as they would otherwise.