How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In Fruit Trees [Complete Guide]

Squirrels are fruit-loving animals and will do anything to reach fruit trees. They can climb the highest heights and even dig down fruits from their roots. You have come to the right place for people looking for a way to get rid of squirrels.

In this article, we will read through how squirrels can be kept away from fruiting trees. As a result, your yield will not be affected by squirrel attacks, and you will be able to preserve your food.

[11] Tips To Get Rid Of Squirrels In Fruit Trees

Cutting A Pie Plate

Cut a pie plate, make it fit around your tree, and hook it on with duct tape. It should be at least 3 to 4 feet high. This way, you will prevent the squirrel from climbing up the tree tops as it will act as a hindrance and the squirrels will not be able to overcome it.

The pie plate can be of silver color or white. It should be adjusted tightly, so it does not slip downwards from the tree. However, this technique is proper only if the squirrel does not jump from branch to branch and only climbs from the bottom.

Application Of Repellent

You can protect your fruit-bearing trees from critters like squirrels by taking a few precautions. This includes the application of repellants. Squirrel repellents are available in the market, and you can purchase them. They are mostly made up of chili peppers or capsaicin in liquid peppers.

This is effective when it comes to fending off squirrels from your fruit trees. You can also make this repellent at home and apply it near the trees. This way, you can keep the squirrels far away and protect your trees. The repellents should be re-sprayed after rainfall as the previous one gets washed away.

Using Nets To Protect Your Trees From Squirrels

Bird netting is also called wild-life netting and is made up of mesh. You can drape it over tree tops, so they are wrapped around to protect your trees from animals like squirrels.

Moreover, the squirrels can be prevented from being injured, especially when you purchase soft nets.

These meshes are usually made of plastic. Care should be taken that the plastic is not too rigid so that even if the animal gets stuck in it, it is not choked to death.

Netting helps in discouraging squirrels. However, squirrels are masters of chewing, and if you see them doing so, you should resort to other methods of keeping squirrels away.

Use Of Protective Barriers

Protective barriers are baffles or cone shaped-collars that can be wrapped around the base of trees. They will prevent the squirrels from climbing up the tree tops and not accessing the fruits. These baffles are available in nurseries. They can also be purchased from garden centers located in your vicinity.

You can also buy thin metal pieces or plastic that is flexible. They can be purchased from hardware stores and attached to the bottom of trees. You can cut the material to your required size to be wrapped around trees. These baffles can be secured with wires and strings, so they do not fall.

Use Of Decoy Predators

The decoy predators can be made of plastic or metal. The trick is to have real feathers on them. This will trick the squirrels into thinking that they are real. Moreover, predators like snakes, hawks, owls, and scarecrows can be placed around the garden to scare the critters away.

If you buy automated decoy predators, you are at an advantage as they will show movement and cause the squirrels to be frightened. This way, the squirrels will try to maintain their distance. The automated decoy predators can also be activated through the movement of squirrels.

Consultation With An Expert

If you are not succeeding in finding the right solution for keeping the squirrels away, you may consider consulting an expert. The experts include pest control programs or rodent control programs. You can visit their office and have some pro-person come by to look at the problem.

This will give you the right direction in keeping the squirrels away. Furthermore, the experts know more ways of keeping squirrels out than ordinary people. That is because they talk from experience and are a master of what they have been hired for. You can contact them and seek their help at any time.

Use Of Reflective Objects

The squirrels dislike reflective objects and tend not to go near them. You can hang reflective things like mirrors or CDs on fruiting trees so that the squirrels stay out of them. In this method, turning one is insufficient; instead, you need many.

Gather as many small mirrors and CDs as possible, then start hanging them by strings on tree tops and lower branches. This will cover more area, and the squirrels will steer clear from climbing the tree tops. Also, the already residing squirrels will leave their spots to move to a new one.

Planting Squirrel Resistant Trees

It is the best natural way of getting rid of squirrels. In this method, you must go to the market and buy the seeds of trees like Daffodils, Hyacinths, Alliums, Geraniums, etc. You need squirrel-repelling trees if you do not want your apple trees to be ruined.

They will help protect your trees, and you will be able to eat the fruit of your trees without squirrels getting in the way. This will also reduce the nesting areas for the squirrels as they will not settle near such deterring trees.

Use Of Pepper And Soap

To get rid of squirrels, you can make use of powdered pepper that is present inside your cupboard. You can make your repellent at home by adding two pepper spoons to warm water. Next, you have to add drops of liquid soap. The stronger the pepper is, the better.

You need to keep the mixture overnight and spray it the following day. During dusk, you should apply a second coat for guaranteed results. This will make all the squirrels go away in no time at all. This has proven to be an effective remedy for many people. You can also keep the mixture in the fridge for later use.

Installing Water Jets

Water jets or sprinklers can be installed in the yard so that you can turn the water sprinklers on when the squirrels get near the fruiting trees. These are water outlets, and the water will be sprayed throughout the yard. As a result, the squirrels will know to keep away from your fruiting trees.

Rodents fear water and will not get near your fruiting trees once they realize a nearby water source. You can have ten to fifteen water jets installed in your garden to ensure the squirrels do not return.

Motion Sensor Installation

The motion sensors are even better than the water jets mentioned above as they can get activated through slight movement. So if squirrels come treading on your yard, they will get started and will make the squirrels go away.

However, the drawback of this method is that it is more effective on the ground, but if you install them at a height, they can be effective against squirrels that jump from branch to branch.

Which Fruit Trees Are Liked By Squirrels?

Squirrels like fruits much more and are attracted to them. The squirrels love juicy fruits and sweet ones. These include peaches, figs, oranges, nectarines, plums, and apples. The squirrels live near such trees so that they can get the most out of their fruits.

The fruiting trees not only provide good shelter but also provide nesting sites for the squirrels to come to settle. The squirrels love climbing to the fruity smell of fruits and building their homes in it so that they have access to fruit and their seeds.

However, the squirrels should be kept away from trees as they can cause harm to your fruits by eating them away only partially. This way, you will not be able to sell fruits in the market and get the right price.

What Is The Best Way To Repel Squirrels?

The best way to repel squirrels is by considering some aspects of the yard. One cannot simply get rid of all the squirrels, but you can make your yard less attractive for the squirrels. This can reduce the number of squirrels that come by to visit and nest.

You should remove any cover on the ground that saves the squirrels from coyotes and hawks. Exposing squirrels to predators will reduce their population considerably. The leafy body in the yard includes tall grasses, vines, and shrubs.

One should also make sure that the tree branches are not intertwined and that they are far apart. This will discourage the squirrels from jumping from one branch to another. The ideal distance from one tree to another is about 12 feet. This prevents squirrel contact from one tree to another.

What Is A Natural Deterrent For Squirrels?

It has been noticed that squirrels do not like the smell of peppermint and coffee. The ideal solution is to plant coffee beans and peppermint bushes as the base of your fruit trees. This will help in deterring squirrels away naturally.

You can also resort to other measures like peppermint oil, garlic, onions, or vinegar. These can be sprayed at the base of the trees so that the squirrels do not even come near the fruiting trees. Other natural remedies include the use of pepper and chili flakes.

All these remedies can get washed away with rainwater. So, it would be best if you spray them once the rain has passed. This will prevent the squirrels from returning to your fruit trees.

Wrapping It Up

Squirrels are timid creatures but nasty when destroying fruits hanging on the trees. They will chew fruits and then them behind as it is. They can be stopped from doing so. In this article, a list of measures has been stated so that you can follow any one of them.

It will help keep care of your fruit trees against squirrel attacks and keep your yield to an optimum level. Moreover, if you keep implementing these measures, squirrels will fear returning to your yard and know better than to keep away from it.  

Reference

Bahari, Noraini & Said, Ismail & Rusli, Noradila. (2018). TREE SPECIES COMPOSITION FOR SQUIRREL-OBSERVATION RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY IN BOTANICAL GARDEN, PUTRAJAYA. Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment