Many people like to see squirrels play and frolic in their backyards. Leaping and hopping from one branch to another in a feat of great acrobatic ability, squirrels can certainly be entertaining to watch.
However, for many homeowners, squirrels are nothing more than pests that cause damage to their properties and ruin their yards.
If you have recently been overrun with ground squirrels, you’re probably looking for ways to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are a few methods to try and get these pests to move on humanely and safely.
Today, I am going to guide you through some important steps to inhibit the chances of ground squirrels taking over your yard. If you’re already dealing with menacing ground squirrels, then you’re in the right place to find out how to get rid of them.
Read on for my top tips for dealing with ground squirrels and helping them move on somewhere else. By the end of today’s article, I hope you’ll be in a better position to reclaim your land from this tyranny of rodents!
Manage Your Yard
The best way to stop ground squirrels from taking over your yard is to keep them away in the first place. This can be achieved by keeping your yard tidy and clean, playing noises to scare them away, or planting squirrel-repelling plants.
One simple method is to manage your trash. Just like you don't want to attract rats with your trash, you should think the same about squirrels.
Trash is a leading cause of squirrel infestations at properties as they are attracted to your garbage, such as leftover food. So, the first thing you should do is manage your trash carefully when it is outside your property and in the yard.
Here are some tips on managing trash correctly:
- Close the tops of your trash cans tightly. Self-locking trash can lids are best as squirrels can not get in when looking for food.
- Collect all garbage in bags and fasten them tightly before placing them into the garbage can.
- If berries and nuts fall from trees or shrubs in your yard, pick them as soon as possible so squirrels don’t come back every day for more.
- Clean up everything after eating outside in your yard. If you leave any food scraps or food items out, hungry animals will be on the prowl and will return looking for more.
Squirrel Repelling Plants
Ground squirrels are notorious for liking to eat almost anything. However, there are some types of food and plants that they abhor. So, to keep them away, include these plants in your yard.
Narcissus plants are loathed by ground squirrels, as well as the imperial crown plant, and castor beans. Grow these in your yard and there’s a good chance the squirrels will stay away.
Best of all, these plants are safe around pets and kids, too. Another plant you can grow is mint and it will give off a pleasant odor.
Bird Feeders That Are Not Squirrel Friendly
Got a bird feeder in your yard? Well, these don’t only attract birds, they also attract hungry squirrels.
But, you can combat this by using a new feeder that excludes squirrels from using it, as well as other rodents. Best of all, you can still attract birds to your yard without the nuisance of squirrels.
Birds, however, tend to leave a mess around the bird feeder. Therefore, you should try to clear this up as quickly as possible or the ground squirrels will be ready to pounce.
Humane Live Traps
Don't worry, these traps will not harm squirrels in any way! Setting up live traps is a safe way of ridding your yard of ground squirrels. You simply trap the animal without harming it, and then let it go somewhere else.
First, you’ll need to purchase a good quality live trap. These can be found online or at your local hardware store with many designs available to suit your taste and budget.
You can also buy bait to lure squirrels, such as acorns, hazelnuts, or pretzels.
You will need to place the trap in the right place, too. Inspect your yard for any ground squirrel holes or traces of where the animals have been. Then, install the trap in that area.
Once the trap is set, you just need to wait. Once a squirrel has been caught, simply send it on its way around 20 minutes from your property. This should be far enough so they don’t return.
If you don’t like the idea of leaving a squirrel in a random spot, you can call the wildlife authorities and hand the captive squirrel over to them.
It is important to note, however, that it is against the law to capture wild animals using live traps in some regions, so make sure your area allows this method. If not, avoid live traps altogether.
Scare Away With Noise
Got a bad singing voice? Whilst this may scare squirrels away, it may also scare everyone in your neighborhood!
Instead, you can use noises with very low frequencies so you do not disturb your neighbors. Squirrels hear noises at much lower frequencies than humans.
Therefore, you can install ultrasonic repellers in your yard which will send them away. Bear in mind that some pets may also hear this frequency and become irritated by it.
You can even record loud noises to play in your yard regularly, such as fireworks, or the calls of other animals, such as squirrel predators (cats, foxes, etc.) This will irritate your neighbors, though.
Wind chimes are another effective method for getting rid of ground squirrels. Hang them in trees where you often see squirrels and this should scare them away.
In Summary
If you are overrun with ground squirrels, try one of my methods above to get rid of them. You can also use decoys to scare them away, such as owls or hawks, and even use your own pets to chase the squirrels away.
Good luck reclaiming your yard!