Deterring Squirrels with Hot Pepper Spray?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by ghp, Jun 1, 2011.

  1. ghp

    ghp Active Member

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    Location:
    Santa Clara, USA
    Hi all,

    I have some very active squirrels in my backyard and they are bothering my tomato and pumpkin plants. I've heard that a hot pepper spray may help. Does anyone have a recipe for how to make this? Will the spray damage my plants?

    Also, if anyone has any other tips for keeping these annoying critters away, I'd appreciate it.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    Location:
    Fraser Valley, BC.
    I have previously referred people to the movie "Caddyshack" for gopher & squirrel control. Hot sauce? Squirrels probably love hot sauce.

    If your municipality frowns on discharging firearms & using explosives in in your backyard, you can buy a "live" trap for around $25-30. A tall garbage can costs about $15. A large bag of peanuts in the shell is about $4 (a large bag is a good idea, since then you can eat most of them & still have some left for bait). Water to fill the garbage can is inexpensive & can be used to water your garden after the squirrel has drowned. The squirrel carcass can be buried close to small fruit bushes, rhubarb or some other plant that needs a shot of nitrogen, which saves on fertilizer costs.

    The hot sauce? That's about $3-5 a bottle & best reserved for my eggs & soup.

    Note: If I sound a little bitter, it's because I spent several hours up a tall ladder this spring repairing damage to my eaves & siding where squirrels had tried to chew their way in to my house. The offenders were the invasive aggressive black squirrel, NOT our charming, inoffensive, smaller, native-to-BC Douglas Squirrel.
     
  3. ghp

    ghp Active Member

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    Location:
    Santa Clara, USA
    Thanks for the tips! I like the garbage can idea. Sorry to hear about the problems with those black squirrels!
     

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