Want to keep squirrels away from something? A house? Feeders? Plants?

Find the best method for your unique situation, in order of the most likely effective:

1. Eradication

Humanely killing squirrels or hiring an exterminator to do so is the most effective method. However, like many of us who love wildlife, you may find the idea abhorrent.

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You may even be prohibited from this method via local regulations against BB guns or trapping. Also, trapping a mother squirrel means the death of the baby squirrels.

And squirrels re-populate quickly.

2. Remove Access

Perhaps the second-best method to deterring squirrels: remove access.

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For attics, this may mean metal mesh over squirrel entrances (read more).

For plants, perhaps wire mesh or gravel used in the container (read more).

For a feeder, you can use a well-positioned baffle, a weight-mechanism block on a feeder, the right kind of caged feeder, or other solutions.

3. Deterrence

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Deterring squirrels from anything requires the right product for the circumstance. One product might work in one environment but not in another.

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For attics, the right kind of ultrasonic or light-emitting devices deter squirrels.

For plants, you can try capsicum powder, but your squirrels may like it. One of the better deterring spays like Havahart Deer Off may be a better choice.

Squirrel-deterring feeders exist, but many more feeders with the label but not the design are on the market.

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For active deterrence, rather than just removing access, you want a feeder with a motorized spin to spin that squirrel right off.

4. Habitat Modification

Modifying the habitat of your small outdoor space means trimming tree limbs at least 6-8' away from your problem area (attic, deck, etc.). For feeders, you can try an alternative food source for the squirrels, like a corn cob feeder.

5. Relocation and Translocation

Trap and relocate a squirrel only a few miles away, and you'll see the squirrel back shortly.

Relocate the squirrel farther away (also known as translocation), and the squirrel will have to face several problems.

Some reasons why relocation is considered inhumane from the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management:

1. Relocated animals must find new food sources in an unfamiliar environment
2. Relocated animals must find new shelter in an unfamiliar environment. In the winter time, relocated wildlife have precious little time to find shelter
3. Relocated animals must do number 1 and 2 above while avoiding predators. It must also do those tasks before weather, food and water conditions take their toll
4. Your relocation may result in the deaths of young through starvation that have now lost their mother from your relocating her away from her young
5. Relocating animals raises the risk of relocating a disease like rabies to new and uninfected locales. Like what happened with the Mid Atlantic Rabies Outbreak
6. It may also be illegal in your state. Presently, Massachusetts, Connecticut and possibly others have some sort of ban on the translocation of wildlife.