You work hard to tend to your fruit trees, and it can be frustrating to have squirrels stealing the fruits of your labor.
You want to keep off the squirrels to your fruit trees, so that you may enjoy your fruit.
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How to Keep Squirrels Away From Fruit Trees
To keep squirrels away from your fruit trees scare them with decoys, and use noisemakers, flags, or streamers. Deterrents that work to keep squirrels away include hot pepper, coffee, mint, and predator urine. Physical barriers that work to keep squirrels away are metal collars, sticky gel, bird netting, and fruit bags.
How to Keep Squirrels Away From Fruit Trees
Why Keep Squirrels Away From Fruit Trees
The most common reason for wanting to keep squirrels away from fruit trees is that they love to steal the fruit. However, this isn’t the only reason to protect your trees.
They not only eat the fruit but the buds of fruit trees. This can drastically decrease the trees’ production, and even affect their health.
Squirrels also enjoy chewing on the bark. They will happily chew on tree branches, bark, and even the trunk. This can cause further damage to the fruit tree.
Keep Squirrels away from fruit trees because they love to steal the fruit
Methods for Keeping Squirrels From Fruit Trees
When deciding which methods to use to keep squirrels away from fruit trees, it’s important to use more than one method.
Choosing a physical barrier, a deterrent, and a way to scare squirrels will result in the best chances of preventing squirrels from harming your trees or stealing your fruit.
Scaring Away Squirrels
One way to keep squirrels away from your fruit trees is to scare them away. Squirrels are typically easily startled.
However, they can become accustomed to items over time. Changing the items from time to time can help them remain effective.
1. Decoys
Scarecrows are traditionally human-shaped figures made from straw. This will deter squirrels from raiding your fruit plants.
However, many have found that other types of decoys are more effective.
Owl, hawk, and snake decoys are excellent for scaring away squirrels.
The key is to reposition the decoys periodically, so the squirrel doesn’t get accustomed to them.
Owl, hawk, and snake decoys are excellent for scaring away squirrels
2. Noisemakers
The simplest type of noisemaker is a metal pie plate.
When the wind blows, the plate will clang against any object nearby, creating a noise that should startle the squirrel.
An ultrasonic sound machine can also be purchased.
This is said to emit a sound that rodents and squirrels can hear, but humans can’t.
DIY Maker Arduino noisemaker
3. Flags or Streamers
Squirrels might be deterred from your trees by the movement of flags or streamers. As the wind blows, the movement should startle any squirrels.
The movement of flags or streamers can keep squirrels away from your trees
Deterrents
In addition to items to scare squirrels, deterrents can be helpful.
Deterrants are designed to make your trees unappealing to squirrels, discouraging them from eating your fruit.
4. Hot Pepper
Squirrels, like many animals, hate capsicin. Capsacin is the active ingredient in spicy peppers.
Chili peppers and jalapenos, as well as other spicy peppers, contain it.
Chili powder, hot sauce, whole peppers, or chopped peppers can all be effective squirrel deterrents.
Chili powder, hot sauce, whole peppers, or chopped peppers can all be effective squirrel deterrents
5. Coffee
It’s unclear exactly why squirrels hate coffee. Anecdotal evidence states that squirrels are repelled by both the smell and feel of coffee grounds.
Place used coffee grounds around your fruit trees to keep your trees safe.
Place used coffee grounds around your fruit trees to keep your trees safe
6. Mint
Squirrels have a strong sense of smell. It’s thought that they are repelled by mint because of its strong scent, which may be overpowering to squirrels.
Mint has different ways to be used. To begin, plant mint around your fruit plants. Mint is fast growing and requires little care.
You can also use peppermint essential oil. Apply a few drops around each fruit tree.
Use peppermint essential oil to apply a few drops around each fruit tree
7. Predator Urine
Predator urine is a great squirrel deterrent. Squirrels are naturally scared of their predators, just as a human is scared when they meet a bear in the woods.
They have a high ability in sensing the smell partially to help them detect and avoid predators. So, when they smell predator urine, they will vacate the area quickly.
The most common natural predators for squirrels are foxes and coyotes. Thinking of getting a predator`s urine. Getting it from the source is not necessary, which is good news.
Instead, commercially produced predator urine is made synthetically. It smells like predator urine, without being collected from the animal.
Predator urine is a great squirrel deterrent
Physical Barriers
Physical barriers are another way to keep squirrels off your fruit trees.
These are meant to prevent squirrels from accessing fruit trees and stealing the fruit.
8. Metal Collars
There are a few different types of metal collars that can be used to keep squirrels away from fruit trees.
The first is a cone two feet in diameter. You secure it to the tree below the lower branches. The cone slopes downward.
This prevents the squirrels from climbing the tree trunk and accessing the fruit.
A metal tube that runs around the tree’s trunk is the second type.
It begins about six inches from the ground and stops directly below the lower branches, making it about two feet tall.
Just like the other type, the smooth metal surface prevents the squirrel from climbing up the tree.
Metal collars that can be used to keep squirrels away from fruit trees
9. Banding
Banding is another option for repelling squirrels. If you are concerned about the trunk of your fruit trees, this is a great solution.
It is similar to an ace bandage or tape. You simply wrap it around the trunk of the tree.
This protects it from harm from squirrels and helps prevent their access to fruit.
You can also apply sticky gel to further repel squirrels and insects.
Banding is another option for repelling squirrels
10. Bird netting
Bird netting is a simple option for keeping your trees safe from squirrels.
If you have smaller fruit trees, you should be able to apply the netting from the ground.
If you have a larger tree, you may need to stand on a ladder to get the net around the tree.
The net will sit on the tree, preventing the squirrel from climbing the tree and getting the fruit.
Be sure to close the edges of the net with clothespins to prevent squirrels from working their way under the net.
Consider using fruit nets instead of netting to cover the entire tree. These are applied to each piece of fruit.
The net will prevent the squirrel from getting the fruit while allowing the fruit to mature.
Bird netting is a simple option for keeping your trees safe from squirrels
Final Thoughts on Keeping Squirrels From Fruit Trees
There are many ways to keep squirrels away from your fruit trees.
These include physical barriers, squirrel repellents, and sights and sounds that can scare squirrels away.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.