Easy, No-Kill Ways to Rid Your Yard of Chipmunks

Sure, they're super cute and it's fun to see them running around someone else's backyard, but squirrels can wreak havoc in gardens and backyards. These little striped rodents love to feast on spring flower bulbs like tulip and crocus bulbs, as anyone who has lost an entire patch of them can see.

And they are a danger to the patios. Squirrels hide under sidewalks and porches and, like moles, can leave a hole-filled yard, which is unsightly and a danger to pets.

If you are looking for ways to get rid of squirrels, but are not very keen on hurting them, we have tracked down the best humane ways to drive squirrels off any property. The following tips should help you send out any unwanted rodents, whether you're just hosting an Alvin or have a large family of squirrels that you want to move out of.

1. Make bird food inedible

The easiest way to get these little members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) to move you is by removing the things that brought them to your garden. Start by placing your bird feeder high up and about 15 feet from fences and other structures.

Make sure to clean up spilled seeds regularly and consider using black pepper kibble, which birds eat but squirrels can't stand.

2. Pepper your plants

Speaking of pepper, try sprinkling hot sauce or even pepper spray - carefully! - around the base of your plants to keep squirrels out. Be aware that this can affect pollinators because the capsaicin in cayenne is toxic to bees. If this worries you, you can spray blood meal or even commercial deer repellent.

Bulbs and stems coated with tiram (a fungicide and animal repellent found in many garden sprays) work to keep critters away, or you can always plant bouquets that squirrels don't find tasty, like daffodils and garlic.

3. Find natural repellants

Want to avoid using artificial synthetic squirrel repellent on your property? Mothballs act as a natural repellent. Throw them next to your home foundation, in your garden, and even around squirrel holes. Or ask your hairdresser for clippings and spread them across flower beds in your garden.

The human scents in your hair will scare off squirrels and other animals, while the nitrogen in your hair will fertilize your plants.

4. Order

After treating bird food and protecting your yard, eliminate any other potential sources of food, transportation, and cover they are looking for.

Remove piles of rocks and wood, as well as brush and tree debris, from your property. Remove crops around the foundation of your home and avoid using low stone walls nearby. And be sure to throw out the branches of berry bushes and windblown fruit trees.

5. Put up a barricade

Sometimes the best defense is a good defense. You can prevent squirrels from digging, and make your yard much less attractive to them, by installing L-shaped mesh barriers or woven hardware fences around the base of your home's foundation, fences, sidewalks, porches, and much more.

Plus: Use this hardware cloth around garden beds and on top of bulbs, which will sprout through it. Or buy lamp cages to prevent squirrels from nibbling on them. Experts say it also helps to surround your home with a gravel border rather than one created with plants like shrubs.

6. Trapping humanely

If you've tried everything and your lawns and gardens are still full of unruly rodents, you may want to purchase a human trap so that you can catch them and release them into a suitable habitat a few miles away. Small traps, 25 to 50 centimeters long and with one or two doors, are generally the way to go.

Place them around burrows and places where you normally see squirrels, baiting the traps with treats like peanut butter or sunflower seeds. Be sure to check the trap frequently and relocate the animals immediately.

(Note that local wildlife capture and relocation laws vary. Check the ordinances in your area before attempting to capture squirrels.)