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Using safflower seeds in your feeders may help, as squirrels don’t favor them or mix cayenne pepper with your birdseed – apparently it doesn’t bother the birds. If you simply must feed the birds, then you may want to invest in a squirrel-proof feeder, but squirrels have been known to outsmart some of the cleverest designs. Remove bird feeders if squirrels are able to access them or if the birds tend to drop seeds on the ground. I know how much we all want to see those wonderful winged beauties in our yards but if you have a serious squirrel problem, removing the bird feeders is a must. The next issue to discuss is bird feeders.
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Metal bins will be more secure than plastic if squirrel chewing is a problem in your yard. You’ll also want to make sure your garbage cans are securely closed to avoid attracting squirrels and other animals.
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In order to prevent squirrels from making their home in your house or shed you’ll need to make sure they cannot access your buildings, even from the roof or chimney. But, keep in mind that squirrels can leap distances of up to 10 feet and some species will nest in trees. If you are concerned they may get inside your house, cutting back the branches they use to get to your roof might ease your worries. If you have large trees around your yard, you might need to prune back a few branches to reduce squirrel’s access to your home and garden. There are several strategies one can use. One thing you can do is modify the habitat. Okay, but how do you keep squirrels out of the garden… If you see squirrels digging in your yard they are most likely either burying food for the winter or digging up food they previously buried – or perhaps just trying to remember where they hid their stash. The tree provides food and in turn, the squirrel plants trees for the future because there is no way those little guys will remember to dig up every single nut they planted each year. During pecan harvest season a single squirrel can bury over a hundred nuts every single day! It’s a rather clever reciprocal relationship between the squirrel and the nut tree. Squirrels are driven by instinct to store nuts for the winter.
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Squirrels have also been known to chew through plastic garbage bins and will chew the bark off an unsuspecting tree. Particularly when squirrels do not have access to nuts or other hard food sources to keep their growing teeth in check, they will resort to chewing whatever they can get their little mouths on. Unfortunately for the homeowner, squirrels sometimes decide that a wooden deck, garden structure or house makes a nice chew toy. Rodents are constantly driven to chew things in order to keep their incisors chiseled and to prevent them from growing to unwieldy lengths. Squirrels are rodents and rodents are defined by their continuously growing teeth. Even if you haven’t yet caught them in the act, there are a number of clues you can look for to tip you off to a squirrel’s presence in your yard. Therefore, if you have a squirrel problem it is very likely you have seen active squirrels in your yard. Unlike some other garden pests, squirrels are diurnal, like humans, meaning they are wakeful and feeding during the day and sleep at night. Although you may enjoy watching the antics of these little aerial acrobats, you probably don’t want squirrels snacking in your backyard.