What Are Some Smells That Squirrels Hate?

Kurt Bauschardt/CC-BY-SA 2.0

According to RedBeacon, squirrels hate the smell of peppermint and spicy peppers. Peppermint gives off a strong aroma that discourages squirrels from venturing into an area. Spicy aromas, such as that from cayenne peppers, serve as a natural squirrel repellent. Jalapeño peppers mixed with vinegar and water serve a similar purpose in keeping squirrels at bay.

Squirrels are commonly known to enter and destroy home gardens. Other than using a natural repellent, another option for repelling them from the garden is to strategically place a feeder for the squirrels in a different location. Placing foods that the squirrels like in the feeder might keep them away from home gardens.

A squirrel is known to have a living organism growing in their digestive tract known as microriza. This organism is an important ingredient that assists with plant growth after squirrels relieve themselves outdoors. For this reason, hurting squirrels is not a good idea, since they can play an important part in the environment. Most urban squirrels do not survive for more than a year, due to being run over by automobiles. In most rural areas, squirrels are unable to survive due to the lack of food. Though squirrels mainly eat seeds and nuts, they also feed on small insects. Squirrels inherently have a great sense of vision that can aid in finding food.

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