Best Squirrel Repellents

It easily becomes relevant from the ten products above that squirrel repellents are not just one category of products. They can be anything from essential oil products to high-tech ultrasonic devices that ten years ago belonged in science fiction. So, let’s take a quick look at each group separately so that we can cover them in detail:

Squirrel repellent sprays

Squirrel repellent sprays are simply concoctions – they are mixtures of usually natural ingredients that have a strong, repelling scent. Alternatively, there are also squirrel repellent sprays that give the rodents a painful sensation upon contact or consumption. Either way, these sprays are not meant to kill the squirrels but merely to force them to flee.

They usually utilize ingredients such as peppermint oil, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, other essential oils, vinegar, white pepper, red hot pepper, garlic, and more. Other industrial sprays may include some chemical ingredients that burn on impact, but even those are intended as repellents and not as “killer sprays”.

Ultrasonic squirrel repellents

These electronic devices have a rather mixed reputation. Especially in the early years of their inception, they were regarded as pointless and ineffective “cash grabs” that just lied to the people. And to a significant extent, that was true for a lot of manufacturers. Today, however, the effectiveness of ultrasonic rodent repellents increases with each next model. They still don’t work 100% of the time because there are a lot of complicating factors that can contribute to their ineffectiveness, but by now they certainly are products that are worth considering.

Ultrasonic squirrel repellents work by emitting an ultrasound that neither humans nor most pets (cats, dogs, etc.) can detect, but that most rodents hear and despise. These high-pitched ultrasounds aim to make your home intolerable for rodents and thus – drive them away. The problem with these devices are several:

• They can only work in a fixed area so you’ll need a different device for each different room/space;
• Their effect can be easily obstructed by walls, furniture and even something as small as a vase that’s placed next to them;
• Squirrels, as well as other rodents, can adapt to these ultrasounds and learn to tolerate them. If the environment outside of your home or property is too harsh (like in the winter, for example), the rodents can force themselves to tolerate the unpleasant sounds. A lot of modern ultrasonic devices counter that by changing their frequencies every once in a while to make certain that the rodents won’t learn to tolerate it;
• Ultrasonic devices can’t really affect the rodents that are nesting and hiding inside walls and in/behind other obstructions. Still, you can place ultrasonic devices in more than just your habitable rooms. You can place them in your attic, in your basement, your garage, or even in your crawl space to make sure that the rodents will be deterred from even entering your home in the first place.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that there also outdoor models that have motion sensors and emit their ultrasound only when they detect a warm-blooded creature in their vicinity. This is a good way to keep all mammals and birds away from your property but it’s not a good choice if you have pets.

Squirrel repellent pouches

Designed mostly for vehicles and other small spaces that squirrels might get into, these rodent repellers are just pouches filled with dried up plants and essential oils. They tend to be more effective against other rodents than squirrels but in a small enough space they can deter a squirrel as well with their scent.

Soil additive rodent repellents

These refer to different bits and granules that you can throw around your property to stay on / in the soil and repel various ground rodents such as rats, mice, chipmunks, rabbits, ground squirrels, and others. They can be made out of anything – essential oils, dried up predator urine, pepper and garlic, and others. They are typically natural and eco-friendly since they are intended for use in plant and vegetable gardens. They are not the most effective repellents out there but they can have their contribution to your struggle if used in conjunction with another repellent.

Squirrel repellent plants

If you are looking for some squirrel repellent plants, there is a lot that you can read about online. However, keep in mind that they won’t so much “repel” squirrels as they simply won’t be attacked by squirrels so feverishly. The little critters will still be likely to go to the other delicious plants and veggies in your garden, but they will just leave these so-called “repellents” alone. Still, it’s worth keeping them in mind as you can simply use them as the main greenery in your garden. Plus, if you use a lot of them they can “mask” the allure of your other plants and thus protect your whole garden. Here are some of these plants:

• Daffodils (and other members of the Narcissi family)
• Hyacinth
• Alliums (relatives to onions)
• Fritillaries
• Lily-of-the-Valley
• Galanthus
• Geraniums

Other tools you might want to use

As you can see, there are a lot of different squirrel repellents you might want to consider. Some are more effective while others are intended more as supplement products that need to work together with other repellents. Whichever you decide to use, however, the sad reality is that sometimes even the strongest repellent might not work – either because the particular types of rodents you’re dealing with are adapted to it or because the weather conditions the rodents are trying to hide from (particularly in the winter) are harsh enough to force them to “power through” the repellent’s effect.

In these unfortunate cases, you might need something a bit more conclusive than a repellent. Squirrel traps are usually the next most popular option, with various types of both “kill traps” and “live traps” existing on the market. The good thing about traps is that they don’t care how many rodents you are dealing with – whether one by one or several at a time, traps will eventually deal with every rodent you’re facing.

And, of course, if you are still facing an insurmountable amount of rodents, you can also call an exterminator.

Getting the right squirrel repellent on your first purchase is very important as it will allow you to deal with the problem as quickly and as easily as possible. Under no circumstances do you want to leave a squirrel infestation untreated for even just a day – these rodents reproduce very quickly and are also capable of delivering great property damage in no time.

But how do you find the best, most suitable squirrel repellent quickly? After all, just browsing around online and buying every other product you see is equally stupid since you’ll just end up wasting your money on subpar repellents that don’t work. Well, hopefully, our quick list above has given you some good examples, but to further help you out, here are some pointers on what you should consider before making a purchase:

• Is the product you’re looking at of high enough quality? Discerning the quality of the product on its description alone is an almost impossible task – all manufacturers proclaim that their products are “the best in the world”. Finding which of them are actually good typically requires either a lot of know-how in this niche or a ton of reading and research. Usually, it takes both.
• Reading consumer reviews is tiring and annoying since most of them lack context, are incomplete, and fail to take into account the mistakes in the application that the consumers usually make themselves. Industry professional reviews, on the other hand, typically fix all these problems but they can sometimes be biased. It’s through reading both types in large quantities that you can start getting an idea of which products are actually worth your time and money, and which – not so much.
• Additionally, you can also use the products’ brands as a reference. Sure, branding is not a sure-fire way to judge a product’s quality but it can still point you in the right direction. Here are some of the brands that we’d recommend above most others: Exterminators Choice, Havahart, Diaotec, Shake Away, Bobbex-R, Anglink, VENSMILE, TMC Pest Repeller LLC, and others.
• Consider what type of squirrel repellent you actually need. If you have an entire nest in your ceiling, a mere hand spray repellent is unlikely to get the job done. An ultrasonic repellent may also not work unless you can place it in such a way that it’s sure to affect the little critters directly. Stronger, more heavy-duty rodent repellent sprays may be required, but it’s important to make sure that they won’t affect (or put at risk) your pets and kids. Generally speaking, ultrasound repellents are good for large, enclosed and unobstructed spaces, spray repellents are good for gardens, yards, attics, and basements, and outdoor ultrasound solar devices are good for households with no pets. Whichever you choose, however, be sure you know how you’re going to use it before finalizing the purchase.
• How much repellent are you going to need, exactly? Make sure you are aware of the extent of the problem before making a purchase. There is no point in being a 128 oz. tube for just one squirrel, but buying a small hand sprayer for an entire nest will be simply futile.
• Make sure there won’t be any unwanted side effects.

  If you are going to use a highly toxic repellent, be certain that it won’t be harmful to your pets and family.

  If you want to get an ultrasonic device, keep in mind that if you have some rodent pets, they won’t be happy about it.
• Consider whether you don’t need two or more different products. In a lot of cases, just one simple repellent is not enough to deal with the problem. A lot of customers view this is negative about the specific repellent, but the reality is that no product works 100% of the time. If you want to be certain that you’ll handle the situation as quickly as possible it may be a smart move to buy two or three different repellents that you can use in conjunction with each other.

If you’ve chosen the right product(s) for your situation and if they are of a high enough quality, you’ll hopefully be able to deal with the problem in a quick, clean and efficient manner.

The most important thing to remember about any squirrel repellent is that it’s not guaranteed to work. This is an unfortunate fact but it’s a fact nonetheless. Every repellent manufacturer will advertise its product as “guaranteed” or “100% effective”, but that’s just not so.

Every squirrel or rodent repellent works on the simple principle of making the life of squirrels on your property unpleasant enough so that they’ll choose to leave. Most customers tend to blame the product in these situations, but that’s just the reality of it – squirrels are tenacious creatures.

All this is why if you want to use squirrel repellents you’d do best if you do two or more products at the same time. A combination of a dry repellent, a wet spray, and an ultrasound device will give you the best chance of driving the pesky rodents away from your property without having to kill or capture them. Such a combination of several stimuli working together can often overwhelm the pests and do a good job. However, even that isn’t 100% certain, so always be ready about the eventuality in which you’ll have to just grab several rodent traps or call an exterminator.

Side note: Using squirrel repellents and squirrel traps at the same time is rather pointless as ones try to bait the squirrels with the others try to drive them away. That is unless your property is big enough and you’re using the repellents to drive them from one end of the property into the other, where the traps are.

Depending on the type of squirrel repellent you are using you might have to take different measures. The shortest and simplest advice we can give is to always follow the instructions on the product you are using to the letter. The last thing you want is to waste your chance of dealing with the rodents in an easy way and letting them grow their population. Still, here are some general pointers to follow:

• Regardless of the type of squirrel repellent, you’re using, remember to remove all squirrel attractants from your home or property. Things such as fallen berries, nuts, acorns, fruits, birdseed, leftover food, pet food, drinks, garbage bins and other trash, and so on – these should all be either removed from your property or adequately secured.

• Limit the accessibility in your home or property. Keep in mind that squirrels are extremely agile and athletic creatures – they can leap across distances of up to 10 feet so trim the trees of any nearby tree. Also, cover all-electric or telephone wires in your property with plastic tubing. You should also remember to seal off or cover any holes and access points inside your home, especially to your attic and basement. Don’t forget to use a chimney guard as well.
• Keep a watchful eye about any squirrel activity. Things like small holes in your lawn, gnaw marks through your wood siding, missing bird food from the bird feeders, stolen fruits, and berries, excavated bulbs and seeds in your garden, foot sounds from the attic or in the walls, and so on, can all be rather strong signs that you have a squirrel invasion on your hands.

Apply these squirrel control and prevention steps together with one, two or more top-quality squirrel repellents and you should be more or less protected against these pesky and ingenious pests.

By this point, it should be evident that there is a great diversity when it comes to squirrel and rodent repellents. You can use hand spray bottles, large garden spray tubes, ultrasonic electronic devices, outdoor solar-powered ultrasound repellents, natural pellets and powders, and more. Which product is better or worse is therefore often based on personal preferences and your own circumstances, but quality matters as well, so hopefully our list has been of some benefit to you. Also, remember that in tough situations it pays to use a couple or more repellents at once for maximum effectiveness.

So, with all this in mind, here are our Top 3 suggestions once again:

1. The Rodent Defense Spray is an all-natural product that includes vinegar, peppermint oil, white pepper, and several essential oil concentrates. This makes it completely safe for people and pets, but also a strong repellent for most rodents such as squirrels, rabbits, mice, rats, and others. It also comes with 100% money-back guarantee from Exterminators Choice if you are not satisfied with its effectiveness.
2. The Havahart Deer Off is an EPA-approved product that can be used on virtually everything in your garden. It is made out of natural ingredients such as putrescent egg solids, garlic, capsaicin, hot peppers, and more. It’s safe for the plants you can use it on and leaves no noticeable residue or film on them. At the same time, however, it is highly effective at repelling deer, as well as most rodents such as squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and others.
3. The T3-R Triple is a great electronic device for keeping squirrels and other rodents at bay. It produces a very strong ultrasound that humans and most other mammals can’t detect, but that is very repelling to rodents such as squirrels, mice, rats, and others. It has 3 speakers and a 6-foot long power cord so it can be deployed in the center of a room instead of on a side wall. What’s more, this device also regularly changes its operating frequencies which prevent the rodent pests from getting used to them.