Updated on October 18, 2022
Squirrels can become a major problem when you have a large garden or bird feeders. Sometimes, these critters can gang up on you, ruining your yard. Having good defenses should be a priority.
Here are some of the best squirrel traps and repellents on the market today.
#1 – Rugged Ranch Squirrelinator Trap
Designed for larger homes or businesses where the squirrels have arrived in force, the Squirrelinator is a humane trap built to help capture and get rid of squirrels up to 25 at a time.
At nearly two foot square and four inches high, there’s plenty of room inside and squirrels have more trouble figuring out how the locking system works. The larger size also means you can relocate entire groups at once instead of hauling a number of smaller traps.
An important detail to keep in mind is that not all squirrels are equal. Some can be very territorial, making a huge commotion once trapped to scare others away from the newly-discovered food cache.
In such cases, you may have to relocate the squirrels one at a time. Food will also be an issue, as you need to ensure there’s enough to prevent the first squirrel from devouring all of the bait.
#2 – Havahart 1077 Small Professional Trap
One of the most popular brands for humane capture, Havahart’s 1077 model is designed to capture squirrels, chipmunks, and other smaller critters using a sturdy galvanized steel construction to withstand the elements. The outside includes a sensitive trigger rod to prevent critter damage.
Meanwhile the single spring-loaded door, handle guard, and smoothed internal edges ensure both you and the critter will remain safe during capture and transport. An overall safe and effective trap, there are a few important considerations to make this trap more effective.
The primary concern is trigger sensitivity. While the lower sensitivity helps reduce accidental tripping, it can also allow some lighter critters to stand on top without closing the door and will benefit from tweaking.
Additionally, building a small platform inside for bait will make it tougher for a crafty squirrel to get at the food from outside the cage.
#3 – Forestry Supplies Tube Squirrel Trap
While we’re not fans of kill traps, we understand they can be necessary at times, and this model is fairly humane. Designed to be used either with or without bait, the natural tunnel appearance makes it ideal for squirrels on the run, as well as those that are hungry.
The squirrel enters one end and, when they reach the middle, a double torsion spring triggers, killing the critter quickly.
As this is a kill trap, we urge extreme caution when setting up the unit. Not only can this kill other squirrel-sized critters, it could potentially cause serious injury to kids and pets. That said, this can be a very efficient trap.
Be sure to add a protective coating to the outside if you plan to use it outdoors, and the trigger sensitivity may need to be adjusted. Once you get it going, however, it makes kills easy and allows for easy, no-contact corpse disposal.
#4 – Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion Activated Sprinkler
Don’t let the crazy design fool you, this non-chemical repellent works against a wide range of critters. When the 120-degree motion sensor is triggered (from up to 40 feet away), it causes the device to shoot out a short burst of water up to 35 feet away.
If the noise of the water coming out doesn’t scare them, the water itself will. The device is safe for use around kids, as it contains no harmful chemicals.
The Yard Enforcer is a lot more configurable than other motion activated sprinklers (like the ScareCrow). It has “night only”, “day only”, and “always on” modes so it’s only active when you need it. The detection angle is adjustable to better detect the type of critter (small, large, or flying) that you want to repel.
You can even “daisy chain” multiple Yard Enforcers if you need coverage over an especially large area. Best of all, the entire device can run off of 4 regular AA batteries for over 7,500 activation cycles before you need to replace the batteries.
There are many variations and knock-offs of this product. While the Orbit is a bit spendier than some of these, it’s more durable, configurable, and simply does a better job of repelling squirrels than others.
Getting the Yard Enforcer configured takes a bit of trial and error but once set, you don’t have to worry about it any more. Squirrel hunters will want to verify their model is not the Scotts variant, which is less effective on smaller animals.
#5 – Loraffe Ultrasonic Squirrel Repellent
When you need a simple, easy to use method to keep squirrels and other rodents away from your attic, garage, shop, or shed, a good ultrasonic repellent is as easy as it gets.
The Loraffe ultrasonic pest repellent simply plugs into any household outlet and uses sounds through 3 speakers (audible and inaudible) and lights to keep critters away. It’s completely customizable so you can set it to for instance only use the ultrasonic frequency which is not audible to humans.
While many ultrasonic repellents get a bad rap (deservedly so), the Loraffe unit is one that actually works and is one of the best methods to keep squirrels away from your indoor areas.
#6 – Exterminators Choice Rodent Defense
This all-natural repellent spray has been developed for use by professional exterminators. It gives off a gentle smell that’s pleasing to humans but nasty to most rodent species.
It can also be effective against many other common pests, such as roaches and raccoons. As the spray is non-toxic, it can be used just about anywhere, indoors or out.
The good news is this product smells a lot better than using predator urine or chemical deterrents. The bad news is that it’s not always effective. Many users have reported great results, while others report one or more species ignoring the repellent.
See Also: Best Lizard Repellents
In these latter cases, the promise of plentiful food overrode the repulsion, so it’s best to use this in conjunction with other preventative measures for a garden or bird feeder.
#7 – Shake-Away 2852228 Fox Urine Granules
One of the oldest natural repellents, predator urine can be a very effective means to deter animals such as rabbits or squirrels. This 28.5 oz. container of dehydrated granules contains the pheromones foxes use to mark territory and leave messages for other foxes.
As such, it can scare away common fox prey such as squirrels and rabbits who will think there’s a hungry hunter nearby.
Repellents can be a mixed bag, as they rely upon a critter’s natural prey instincts. As such, some users will have better results than others. Sprinkling these around can be most effective when used with other deterrent or preventative measures. It’s at it’s most effective when there are no potential food sources nearby.
Morgan is a certified entomologist and pest control consultant and a member of the National Pest Management Association.
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