What is the best squirrel repellent? There are three types of squirrel repellents: plant-based repellents, predator urine, and electronic frightening devices. The first ones are made with plant extracts and work by odor or taste aversion. The most common plant-based products are those containing essential oils and pepper. Predator urine concentrates take advantage of squirrels’ natural fear of predators, such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. The third type of repellents are electronic devices that detect moving animals and produce either startling sounds, or ultrasound, or light flashes, or can chase the intruder away with a sudden burst of water. Unlike liquid repellents, frightening devices are effective under any weather conditions. The only downside is that squirrels might get accustomed to them or learn how to outwit them.
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1. Shake Away 2852228 Fox Urine | 
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2. Ortho Animal B Gon Repellent | 
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3. Victor Heavy-Duty Sonic PestChaser Pro | 
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Tired of fighting annoying squirrels in your garden and attic, but don’t want to resort to killing? This guide is for you. We’ve covered all types of repellents that would help you eliminate rodents faster but gently and humanely. Here you’ll learn different types of repellents, including natural, chemical, and electronic. You’ll find home-made recipes, in case you like to cook or save a couple of dollars. We’ve also covered TOP 7 Best Squirrel Repellents on the market right now to help you identify options that would work best in your case.
Squirrels are naturally lovely creatures, at least until they damage your crops, invade your attic and destroy your beautiful garden. But don’t worry, you don’t have to kill them: there are many humane ways available to deal with the pests. In this article, we are going to talk about various types of repellents and how they all work.
What You Will Learn from This Guide:
Effectiveness Chart
Effectiveness scale: 1 being the least, 10 being the greatest.
All of them work practically the same with the same rate of effectiveness: use it short-term and/or as a preventative measure; most of them require multiple re-application (esp. after rain); and all of them are ignored if squirrels are hungry. However, some of them are more reliable and effective than others:
| Type of repellent | Notes / Effectiveness |
Natural
 | Contains plant-origin ingredients (garlic, peppermint, rosemary oils, white pepper) with questionable effectiveness / Effectiveness: 5 |
| Home-made Look for recipes hereinabove | Requires additional effort of cooking, diluting, etc / Effectiveness: 5 |
| Chemical
| Based on prey-predator relationship, and thus considered more effective than natural / Effectiveness: 7 |
Fear Inducement
 | Squirrels get used to a deterrent or might ignore the scarecrow/water altogether / Effectiveness: 5 |
| Electronic
| Based on ultrasound high-frequency waves unbearable to rodents For low to medium population of squirrels Can be used long-term / Effectiveness: 7 |
Now let’s cover some of the most effective squirrel repellents (also included in the above table) along with their differentiating features.
TOP 7 Best Squirrel Repellents
Exterminators Choice Small Animal Protection Rodent Repellent
This product from Exterminators Choice works as a deterrent for many small critters.
The main ingredients are garlic, peppermint, and rosemary oils, and white pepper. The combined ingredients irritate affected rodents and prevent them from destroying plants, trees, or any other objects.
It’s advised that you do not apply the spray directly onto plants. Build or mount a barrier inside or outside the perimeter of an area that you want to preserve, and apply the spray generously there. Be careful when applying it on painted surfaces as the spray might stain.
It’s easier to use in the attic: apply the spray wherever you see rodent activity or otherwise spray the whole inside perimeter of the attic. The buying options include either a gallon or 32 ounces.
Price: Check current price
Shake-Away Fox Urine Granules – repels by smell
Shake-Away is not an unknown name in the world of rodent repellers. While we’ve put the product under the chemical-based deterrents, it’s not entirely so.
Shake-Away doesn’t contain any harmful chemical pesticides that can harm other animals or the environment. In fact, all Shake-Away consists of is fox urine granules.
The product takes advantage of the important predator-prey relationship that exists in the wildlife and uses animal primary instinct of fear.
Smelling the enemy urine from afar, squirrels (and many other rodents for that matter) will be driven away from your property.
The manufacturer claims that the granules are impervious to weather, thus may be left after rainfall. However, for better results, we still recommend you change the granules or add fresh ones after a heavy rain.
Price: Check current price
Ortho Granules with Putrescent Whole Egg Solid – repels by smell
Another similar option is Animal B Gon by Ortho. There are two options available for purchase: either a gallon or two pounds.
Active ingredients include putrescent whole egg solid among more natural ingredients, such as rosemary, cinnamon, and peppermint oils.
Spread the granules at the base of your plants to limit their attractiveness to rodents. Try not to apply the product directly on the plants grown for human consumption, but rather put the granules somewhere nearby. Re-apply after 30 days, after heavy rain, or whenever necessary.
Price: Check current price
Scarecrow: Owl with Flashing Eyes – repels by sight
Unfortunately, squirrels, or any other animals for that matter, are smart creatures, and as soon as they figure out that the eagle doesn’t really harm them in any way, they start to completely ignore the fake animal. However, who knows, maybe it’s going to work for you.
The Housse Garden Scarecrow Owl is a model of a realistically looking predator that’s supposed to deter other birds and some rodents. The manufacturer claims the Owl looks intimidating and actively hunting, which frightens pests and other birds away.
The device is solar powered. The Owl emits loud scary sound and flashes light whenever pests enter an area within the 5 ft. distance from the device.
The device is quite large and thus looks more realistic. It’s made of high-quality plastic and hand-painted for an effective appearance.
Price: Check current price
Motion Activated Sprinkler – repels by water
This Motion Activated Sprinkler from Hoont monitors an area approximately within 650 sq ft and detects unusual activity within 30 ft. The sensitivity and detection range can be easily adjusted.
The device detection angle is 120 degrees. The sprinkler emits water for 5 seconds scaring away rodents and ensuring low water consumption. The device runs on batteries.
Price: Check current price
Victor Heavy-Duty Sonic PestChaser – for indoors
Victor is another well-known and respected name in the world of animal control products.
Victor PestChaser works just like any other ultrasonic device, by emitting high-frequency ultrasound waves inaudible to humans and non-rodents animals, but intolerable to rodents, squirrels not excluded.
The device has to be plugged in and comes with a 6-foot cord. LED light indicates if the unit is working properly. PestChaser works well for huge spaces, so might be worth a purchase for your attic.
Unfortunately, though, the manufacturer doesn’t say if the device can be used outdoors. So, let’s say that’s for indoors only.
Aspectek Upgraded Powerful Yard Sentinel – for outdoors
The device from Aspectek covers an area of 5,000 sq ft and can be used outdoors.
Aspectek Yard Sentinel has three working modes. The gadget emits a forward direction sound with a range of 170 degrees horizontal and 60 degrees vertical.
The real advantage of Aspectek is that the sound can be adjusted (particularly useful if your hearing is sensitive). You can also adjust it for a specific animal that you want to repel.
Comes with AC adapter and 33 ft extension cord but can be run on 4C batteries as well (not included). The manufacturer says that it provides 4 multi-charging options.
FAQ
Should I reapply natural repellents after rain?
Yes, you should. Even if the manufacturer claims that there is no need to replace/change or add new portions of a repellent, we still recommend you do. Especially after a heavy rain.
May I eat fruits and vegetables treated by such natural spray?
It is not advisable you consume fruits or veggies treated with a repellent, especially if you are allergic to any of its components. That is why we recommend using repellents either by placing them directly underneath the plants or by mounting a barrier around the plants and applying the repellent on there.
Can you recommend squirrel deterrents for bird feeders?
Yes, you can, in fact, use any deterrent that contains pepper. Spray it directly on the feeder to repel annoying squirrels, while pepper is unpleasant for rodents, birds don’t mind it.
Otherwise, buy special squirrel-resistant bird feeders that either rotate when the squirrel tries to climb on the feeder or has a plastic dome attached to it underneath which makes it difficult for squirrels to climb over.
Can you recommend squirrel deterrents for gardens?
You can use all repellents discussed earlier in this article (natural repellents, homemade sprays, fox urine or putrescent egg solids, and electronic devices) except for PestChaser from Victor which is suitable for indoors only.
Pros & Cons of using squirrel repellents
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Tips and life hacks
- The trick of using the repellents is to start applying them as soon as you notice squirrels on your property.
- Then, use different types of repellents, either interchangeably or one after another, so the squirrels don’t get accustomed to it.
- Follow preventative measures, like getting rid of garbage, sealing trash can and other possible food sources, using special bird feeders, installing protective plastic or metallic structures around trees or elsewhere to make it harder for squirrels to climb on. You might want to read the full list of preventative measures in detail in our article: How to Get Rid of Squirrels {insert link to the article}
Comparative chart of Best Squirrel Repellents
Exterminators Choice  | Natural repellent Active ingredients: garlic, peppermint, and rosemary oils, and white pepper. | |
Shake-Away  | Contains fox urine granules Impervious to weather | |
Ortho  | Contains Putrescent Whole Egg Solid Other ingredients: rosemary, cinnamon, and peppermint oils | |
Hausse Scarecrow  | Model of a realistically looking predator Solar powered 5 ft. radius | |
Hoont Motion Activated Sprinkler  | Monitors an area within 650 sq ft Detects unusual activity within 30 ft Device detection angle is 120 degrees Emits water for 5 seconds | |
Victor  | Comes with a 6-foot cord LED light Indoors | |
Aspectek  | Covers an area of 5,000 sq ft Sound spreads 170 degrees horizontal and 60 degrees vertical Can be adjusted for a specific animal Comes with AC adapter and 33 ft extension cord Can be run on 4C batteries Outdoors | |
Conclusion
While the effectiveness of squirrel repellents might be questionable, you can still try to use them as a preventative or short-term measure, or for low population of squirrels.
You can also try to boost up the repelling results by changing repellents over time, using different types of repellents at once, or using them in combination with other measures.
1 thought on “7 Best Squirrel Repellents Worth Buying | Proven Methods to Repel Squirrels Away From Your House for Good | Complete and Updated Guide 2022”
These are great suggestions. I don’t know what’s chewing up my wallas and leaving a nasty sticky substance on it ,so i dont really know what product i can use to deter whatever it is climbing up my walls and roof. We have lots of squirrels, but also possums and skunks around my neighborhood. I have pics of the damage if you can help me find out what that os. Thanks!