Wild Squirrels Ripping My Screens And Coming In My Porchplease Advise
Hello..can anyone please help on what I can do about my current situation. I started throwing food out to the tree in my backyard for the wild squirrels a month or so ago. They were cute to watch and the same two or three come by daily. Lately the one comes by chasing the others and she gets closer and closer as she watches me put food down..then i go in my porch and just watch them.Well, I went away last week for work and my husband was home but he doesnt bother with them and he noticed a whole bunch of rips/holes chewed on my screen and it was the wild ones wanting food cuz i wasnt home to feed them. Today i went on my porch and the wild squirrel was in a bucket inside my porch. Now another HUGE hole in the screen where she came in. How can I get them to stop??? Also I have a pet squirrel who stays on my porch who usually runs free in the porch but I had to leave to go to the store and locked him in the cage in porch cuz something made me worry that these wild squirrels are going to come on the screen again or come in! Do i have to stop feeding them? She was eating the nuts my pet squirrel hid in the bucket. Any advise would be appreciated. This is my parents house and i have to replace the screens asap!
- Join Date
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Tip 3 Remove The Possibility Of Making A Home
Like many mammals, squirrels like to nest. Where is the best nest? A cozy, warm place, like a pile of leaves, debris or untrimmed shrubbery and bushes, chimneys, and other hidey-holes can be the perfect places for these critters to nest and start causing problems.
If your yard is a mess, thats a golden opportunity for squirrels to create nests, and that it makes getting rid of the little critters even more difficult. Yard cleaning is tedious but necessary for pest prevention. If you have a lot of yard cleaning to do, check out our outdoor trash cans to help haul away debris and potential homes for squirrels.
Make sure that even if your chimney isnt seeing regular use, its cleaned out frequently and, if need be, is sealed so they cant get all nested up in there. Close garages, sheds, greenhouses, and remove dog houses or birdhouses to make sure theyre not a motel for unwelcome guests.
Use A Scarecrow Or Your Pet
Squirrels will be unwilling to approach a place with an owl or hawk. These are vicious predators that are likely to kill them on sight.
With this knowledge in mind, you can create a statue of one or more of these killers. Place the owl or hawk mannequin on your patio or yard to keep squirrels too scared to visit your outdoor seats for shelter.
You may have to alternate your methods or shift the statue from time to time because squirrels are no fools. In a few days or weeks of seeing the object at the same spot, theyll figure out it is not a real threat.
Your pets should mount a more effective scare. Keep a dog or cat in the location of your furniture. With the pet on patrol, the intruder rodents will prefer to find some other place to hang out.
Chasing squirrels can be an entertaining pastime for a dog or cat. Meanwhile, this activity will keep your sofas safe even if it does not entirely rid your home of the squirrels.
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Simple Tricks On How To Keep Cats Off Furniture
If you are wondering how to keep cats off furniture naturally, you are not alone. That has been a problem for countless cat owners and is one of the more challenging aspects of owning cats.
How to keep cats off furniture
Cats do not just use the furniture to rest, but may also scratch and tear them. After having spent a large amount of money on home furniture, it is heart-breaking to see your furniture being damaged by your adorable cat.
It can also be bothersome finding the fur of your cat on your couch, sofa, door mats, carpets and bed and could be even unhealthy.How to keep cats away from furniture? Well, this needs considerable effort on your part.
Training the cat or your kitten at an early stage can help them keep away from your furniture. Once the cat is familiar with using the furniture of the house, it becomes difficult to train it to keep away from it.
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Tip 1 Dont Feed The Squirrels
Like all animals, squirrels go where the food is. When it comes to your deck, that means eliminating the possibility of food for them to eat. If youve got a bird feeder, lose it! Or, get one of those handy feeders that prevent the squirrels from feasting. Bring the pet food inside too. If theres a ready supply of kibble sitting outside, you can be sure that this is prime rodent real estate.
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Simple Ways To Keep Squirrels Off Your Deck
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Squirrels are pretty cute little animals, right? They have fluffy tails, theyre tiny in size, and they can add a touch of nature with any appearance.
As with most small rodents, they can make for pretty cute sights from far away, but you definitely dont want them on your property.
Squirrels, like other small rodents, can leave their droppings all over the place, make a mess of garage areas, and can even chew on the wood of a deck if it is made of such material.
This isnt even factoring in that they can carry a lot of parasites and diseases that no one wants around their home or pets.
Like raccoons , squirrels can eat just about anything. They can also get into a lot of different areas because they are small and can fit into tight spaces.
When it comes to finding food, animals will do whatever they can to get to it. They prefer the easiest and safest path but will do what they can to eat.
Thankfully, squirrels are much easier to get rid of than raccoons. The latter can be particularly strong-willed when it comes to getting to food sources.
There are plenty of options for getting rid of squirrels and keeping them from living near or doing damage to your deck.
How To Keep Dog From Rubbing On Furniture
As soon as your dog stops the unwanted behavior of rubbing against the furniture, give him tons of happy praise. Lay it on thick, tell him he is a good boy, pet and rub him, and make him feel great that he stopped rubbing against the chair. You may also use treats, or his favorite toy.
Keep your dog off the couch by placing a baby gate or two flat on top of furniture, pulling the cushions up so that theyre vertical, placing empty laundry baskets on the cushions or stacking books near the edge of the couch.
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Natural Ways To Keep Cats Away From Your House With Active Repellents
Passive repellents are fantastic and useful, but they dont work all the time. At some point, youre bound to run across an especially determined cat who doesnt let bad smells or uncomfortable footing prevent them from getting to your garden. When that happens, its time to dig into the active repellents.
This section covers repellents that activate when stray cats or the neighbors cats come near. Youll learn about how to repel feral cats using sprays, mild shocks, and sound devices. We also show you how to set up humane traps to take care of the most stubborn kitties.
Do Dryer Sheets Repel Squirrels
Yes, dryer sheets act as natural repellents for both mice and squirrels. The sheets contain a scented substance that squirrels find unpleasant and will prefer to stay away from. Having these on or someplace around your deck can be an effective way to ensure the critters will not visit and wreak havoc.
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Why Squirrels Are So Harmful
If you have yet to have squirrels damage your patio furniture, then you might not quite understand what all the fuss is about. Squirrels are tiny and some might even find them to be cute, but that doesnt mean that you should underestimate the damage that they can cause.
The reason why squirrels will mess with patio furniture has to do with needing materials to build nests. If they cant find the materials that they need in the wild, then theyll turn to ripping up your cushions and taking other bits off of your patio furniture.
Squirrels have the potential to ruin your patio furniture pretty fast. They can chew up the patio furniture so that it looks nasty and you wont want to use it any longer.
To add to that, squirrels can also carry many different types of diseases. Squirrels have been known to be carriers of salmonella, rabies, leptospirosis, tularemia, and more.
The thing to understand here is that squirrels pose a threat and you dont want them to get near your house. You dont need to fear squirrels, but you shouldnt encourage them to get close either.
Protecting your patio furniture will help you to keep from wasting your hard-earned money. Itll also ensure that they wont get too close to the areas of the yard that youre going to be using regularly.
What Other Damages Squirrels Can Cause
Except for the chewing up your outdoor furniture, there is some other way as well through which they can harm you and your family. Squirrels can carry a lot of deadly diseases like Rabies, Leptospirosis, Tularemia, and Salmonella are the most dangerous ones. These critters can easily transmit diseases to humans and other animals.
If a sick squirrel comes in contact with you or any of your family members, or if they breathe even around you and you take the air, then there is a risk of getting caught by the disease. So this is the main downside of having squirrels around you. Moreover, squirrels will create an irritating mess in your yard, they chew leaves, woods, and everything.
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Provide Squirrel Food At Another Location
Squirrels love to empty bird feeders of their seeds.
While this may be annoying if the birdfeeders are your own, you can also try to ask your buildingâs owners to put squirrels or bird feeders in some of the trees surrounding the property.
When you provide accessible food for the squirrels at a location away from your balcony, it helps deter them and keeps them from being interested in hanging around your place.
You cangive them feeding stations located nearby, coupled with a water supply. This reliable food and water source will help encourage squirrels to stop visiting your balcony.
It is important to consider, however, to do this only if the squirrels in your area are naturally abundant and cannot be totally eradicated.
If you think you can completely eliminate the squirrels, do not choose this option, for it will only invite more squirrels to come to your vicinity due to the abundance of resources.
Use Commercial Cat Repellents
Sometimes, DIY methods arent strong enough. If youve got a local cat population that has you going crazy wondering, How am I going to keep feral cats out of my yard? you can always turn to a commercial cat deterrent to make sure that you repel cats. Commercial products come with a guarantee, so if you use the product correctly, you should get results.
- Long-sleeved shirt and long pants
- Cat repellent such as Flagline or Grannicks bitter apple spray
Bitter apple spray works best as an indoor cat deterrent spray, but you can use a cat repellent spray to keep stray cats off outdoor furniture, as well. If you use Flagline or another scented repellent, mix it into your soil and mulch to create a smell zone that feral cats wont dare enter. Always wear safety gear and long-sleeved garments when working with animal repellents.
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Protect Your Patio Furniture And Planters
How to keep squirrels off my patio furniture. Deer repellents also work pretty effectively in keeping squirrels away from the patioLike the coyote or fox urine put the deer repellents in the sprayer and spray it all over your patioSpray deer repellent in the furniture as well it wont cause any damage to the furniture. Re-soak the rags once a week to keep critters away. You can purchase peppermint oil and rub it on your window sill and window screen to repel the squirrels away or put a peppermint plant in or under the window where they like to gather.
How do I keep animals off my patio furniture. Soak rags in apple cider vinegar and place them around your patio. You can try spraying the furniture or the immediate area with squirrel repellents that use certain aromas to discourage the squirrels.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the base of your patio furniture. Their rootless teeth never stop growing so they chew nonstop. Deer repellents also work pretty effectively in keeping squirrels away from the patio.
Here is a link that might be useful. Repeat weekly or as needed to maintain control. Rub a circle of soap around edges of the patio or along the railing if you have a deck the smell will keep squirrels.
Soak rags in apple cider vinegar and place them around your patio. Beside this how do I keep squirrels from chewing my patio furniture. Rub a circle of soap around edges of the patio or along the railing if you have a deck the smell will keep squirrels away.
How Do I Keep The Squirrels Off My Back Porch Screen
- Lagree Wyndham on Oct 09, 2017Try rubber snakes, I used them on my back porch to keep birds and squirrels. I kept a small on on top of ceiling fan when not in use and a larger on the floor. Be careful you donât scare yourselfâ¦been there done that.
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How To Keep My Dog Off The Outdoor Furniture
Ways to Keep Dogs off of Patio Furniture
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How To Protect Your Patio From Squirrels
After weeks of planning, youve finally bought the perfect patio furniture. Youre ready for days of lounging by the pool and outdoor entertaining. Sadly, pests like squirrels can ruin those perfect plans in a flash. From digging up your vegetable garden to chewing your patio furniture, squirrels can be a pain. They may seem innocent and fuzzy, but squirrels can reap havoc on your yard.
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Of : Changing Your Habits Regarding Cat Care