Although they can help create a picturesque atmosphere, it is not a good idea to have numerous squirrels on your property and even one in your home can lead to trouble. Squirrels within your attic or walls can make a great deal of noise and on your property, they can knock over bird feeders, raid gardens, or get into other trouble. The good news is that there are several options for keeping squirrels away from your home or property, depending on your situation. Here are just a few options to consider.

Fences
It may be tempting to simply add a fence to your yard to keep squirrels away, but unless you build a specific type of fence, this will be ineffective. Squirrels are excellent climbers and jumpers, which means that a standard fence typically won't work. In addition, squirrels can dig underneath the fence, meaning you would have to bury it several inches within the ground as well. For a fence to successfully keep squirrels out of your yard, it would have to be electric, giving them a small shock when they come into contact with it. If you go this route, you must make absolutely certain that the shock is not too strong to harm the squirrel.

Home Repairs
In cases where your concern is squirrels in your home, you will want to make repairs to prevent their entry. Squirrels are very small, which means you will need to carefully examine the exterior of your home, looking for any entry point that is at least 1.5 inches across. Seal every one of these completely after making sure that there aren't any squirrels in your home at the moment. Don't forget to seal your chimney as well, which you can do with a simple steel chimney cap which still lets you use the fireplace safely, but prevents squirrels and other animals from getting inside. The most important thing to keep in mind when doing home repairs is that you don't want to accidentally trap a squirrel inside your home so only seal all entry points if you are positive all animals are gone.

Clean Your Property
Perhaps the most important prevention tip for keeping squirrels away is to clean up your property. Squirrels, like other wildlife, are attracted to any area where they can find food with minimal effort. This means that if nuts, berries, or other appetizing items are readily available on your property, you are more likely to have a squirrel problem. Regularly rake up fallen berries and nuts and avoid feeding your pets outside.

You will also want to be careful with birdseed if you have some set out. There are several styles of birdfeeders that squirrels cannot get into, but unless it is specifically labeled as such, squirrels will most likely find a way to get the seed inside a bird feeder and return to your property for a snack. When cleaning up your property, take a close look at the trees on it. Any tree that is six or eight feet or less away from your home is within jumping distance for a squirrel and will need to be trimmed back or squirrel-proofed. Make sure that no limbs are within this jumping distance and stop squirrels from climbing your trees with sheet metal attached around the tree's trunk a distance of six or eight feet from the ground.

Natural Remedies
A quick online search will tell you that squirrels hate spicy things and you can use this knowledge to make a homemade remedy for preventing them. The idea would be to sprinkle cayenne pepper in areas the squirrels are occupying or create a solution of cayenne pepper, garlic, or peppermint. These methods may briefly give you results, but they will not work in the long term. Squirrels won't always leave when they notice these natural remedies and the smell will fade quickly, meaning you constantly have to reapply them.

Commercial Repellents
There are also numerous commercial repellents available that are designed to deter squirrels from going on your property or repel them if they are already present. These repellents are unlikely to be effective and some may even contain harmful chemicals. If you choose to try a commercial product to prevent squirrels, always read the ingredient list first to ensure you aren't exposing your family to any dangerous chemicals and try not to make your expectations too high.

Get A Pet
If in the past you have considered getting a dog or cat, then doing so can actually help you prevent squirrels on your property. These pets will chase small animals such as squirrels and the wild animals will see them as natural predators, and scare them away. You can also try to attract barn owls to your property as they will eat some of the squirrels, scaring the rest away. To do so, you will need barn owl houses and only need to supply the owls with food until they create a nest in the box you make.

Read the How to get rid of squirrels page for helpful information and to learn more about Squirrel Prevention Tips: How To Keep Squirrels Away