Fence Protection 101: How to Keep Squirrels Off A Fence and Your Garden Safe

Paul West/ Pet And Wildlife Care

If you have a beautiful yard or garden, the last thing you want is a mischievous squirrel wreaking havoc on your fence. Squirrels climbing and chewing fences can cause costly damage over time. The good news is there are effective ways to deter these furry critters and keep them from treating your fence like their own personal jungle gym. With a bit of effort and consistency, you can safeguard your fence.

In this article, we’ll first understand squirrel behavior and habits to get insight into why they climb fences. We’ll then explore useful techniques to keep them at bay through physical barriers, natural repellents, and strategic feeding. Follow these practical tips to protect your fence from squirrel damage.

Key Takeaways

  • Understanding Squirrels: Getting insight into squirrel behavior and diet helps determine effective prevention methods.
  • Physical Barriers: Installing physical barriers like spikes, Slinky toys, or PVC pipes on the fence can obstruct squirrels.
  • Natural and Chemical Repellents: Using natural substances like garlic, vinegar, or cayenne pepper and chemical deterrents can discourage squirrels.
  • Alternative Solutions: Providing separate feeding stations, trimming trees near the fence, and using scare tactics can also help.
  • Consistency is Key: Regularly monitoring and maintaining prevention methods is crucial for long-term success in keeping squirrels off the fence.

Understanding Squirrels

To prevent fence-climbing, it helps to know what attracts squirrels to fences in the first place. Their behavior and appetite provide clues.

Behavior

Squirrels are highly energetic and agile, naturally inclined to climb. They seek elevated spaces to avoid predators and gain vantage points. Fences, poles, wires, and trees offer convenient paths to scale and explore their surroundings. If a fence borders a tempting food source like a vegetable garden, squirrels are even more motivated to breach it.

Squirrels are also territorial and use scent marking along their travel routes. Your fence likely contains traces of squirrel scent, signaling it’s already part of their domain. They’ll continue to climb and patrol the perimeter unless you interrupt the pattern.

Diet

A squirrel’s eating habits also explain their interest in fences. They mostly consume nuts, seeds, fruit, fungi, and sometimes birds’ eggs and insects. Squirrels bury some food to dig up later. If your yard has walnut or fruit trees, flowers with seeds, vegetable plots, or bird feeders, that’s an irresistible buffet.

To store food reserves for winter, squirrels also gnaw wood to access nutrient-rich sap. This is bad news for your fence! They’ll chew wood to sharpen teeth too. Your fence offers convenient chewing and climbing all in one.

How to Keep Squirrels Off the Fence

Now let’s dive into smart techniques to evict squirrels from your fence, or better yet, prevent them from scaling it in the first place! We’ll start with physical barriers, then cover natural and chemical deterrents. Feeding strategies and other useful tips round out the guidance.

Physical Barriers

Installing physical obstacles on or around your fence is an effective first line of defense against marauding squirrels. Here are some of the best options:

  • Fence spikes or spinners: Installing plastic spike strips, rotating spinners, or coil spikes along the top of your fence deters squirrels from gaining grip and footing. The motion of spinners adds visual stimuli too. Just ensure spikes aren’t so sharp as to harm birds or pets.
  • Slinky or PVC pipe: Affix a Slinky toy or PVC piping along the fence ledge. The movement and instability throw squirrels off balance if they climb. Low cost and simple execution make this a winning deterrent.
  • Chicken wire or mesh netting: Attach galvanized steel chicken wire or plastic mesh netting to your fence exterior with zip ties or staples. The grid pattern blocks squirrel paws and claws from scaling. Use 1⁄2-1” steel mesh or 1⁄4” plastic. Bury a portion underground to prevent burrowing too.
  • Electric wire: Install electric fencing wire at 3” and 6” spacing heights on fence posts. The non-lethal but startling shock gets the point across. Check local regulations first and use warning signs. Bury the wire 1” into soil.
  • Offset barriers: Install a secondary fence or line of bird spikes 1-2” from the existing fence. The offset gap leaves nowhere for squirrels to land. Or bury sticks at an outward angle along the perimeter.
  • Predator urine: Soak cotton balls in coyote, fox or bobcat urine and place in mesh bags. Hang the bags 4’ apart on the fence. The scent mimics predators, frightening squirrels away. Reapply weekly. Make sure pets like dogs won’t tamper with the bags.

Chemical Deterrents

Squirrels have an acute sense of smell, so strong scents from sprays and powders can overpower their urge to climb your fence. Give these a shot:

  • Hot pepper spray: Apply a natural pepper spray concentrate on fence posts and wires. The burning irritation repels squirrels while the smell also masks their scent cues. Reapply after rain. Exercise caution not to accidentally rub your eyes or skin after using.
  • Vinegar spray: Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and sprinkle in crushed peppers, garlic, and citrus rinds for added potency. Drench fence wires, posts, and climbing areas. Reapply weekly or after rain. Vinegar’s acidity also removes residual squirrel odors.
  • Garlic oil or powder: Make a garlic oil spray by blending minced garlic in vegetable oil. Or spread granules of garlic powder on fence ledges. Garlic’s pungent aroma wards off squirrels. Its anti-fungal properties also prevent mold on wood fences.
  • Ammonia solution: Mix 1 part household ammonia with 3 parts water and apply to fences with a spray bottle or paintbrush weekly. The harsh ammonia smell repulses squirrels. Rinse edible plants if accidental overspray occurs.

Natural Repellents

When using the fence itself isn’t an option, placing natural scent deterrents around the perimeter can curb squirrels from approaching at all. Here are some smart ideas:

  • Coffee grounds and orange peels: Spread used coffee grounds and orange peels around fence posts and base. The aroma masks squirrel scent signals while also making them cautiously sniff out unknown food competitors.
  • Moth balls: Place moth balls on trays lined with plastic wrap to prevent direct soil contact. Keep trays around the outer fence perimeter, 5’ apart. The pungent naphthalene smell distracts and deters squirrels. Replace moth balls monthly.
  • Cayenne pepper: Sprinkle the ground along your fence line with a mixture of cayenne pepper and water. Squirrels avoid the irritating capsaicin in hot peppers. Reapply after rain or every 2 weeks. Exercise the same caution as with pepper spray about avoiding skin and eye contact.
  • Predator feces: Collect coyote, wolf, fox or bobcat scat and place it in pantyhose pieces. Hang the bags around your fence to instill fear that predators are nearby. Always wear gloves when handling feces.

Other Useful Tips

Round out your squirrel eviction plan with these extra pointers:

  • Set up squirrel feeders and houses away from the fence perimeter to divert them from fence areas. Stock the feeders with corn, nuts or seeds to appeal to their palate.
  • Prune overhanging tree branches to eliminate squirrel highways onto your fence. Keep shrubs near the fence neatly trimmed.
  • Scarecrows, decoy owls, and shiny pinwheels placed around your yard makes squirrels less comfortable. They don’t like moving objects looming suddenly.
  • Install outdoor lighting to illuminate fence areas at night when squirrels are most active. Motion sensor lights work nicely.
  • Use harmless tactics like water hoses, noisemakers, and clapping to startle squirrels and make them keep away from your fence. Be consistent.
  • Walk your fence line often with your pet dog so squirrels detect constant human and predator activity. Your scent and movements discourage their fence adventures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the squirrel has already damaged my fence?

Assess the damage and make repairs right away before it escalates. Look for teeth marks, holes, or missing pieces. Replace compromised wood planks, patch holes in wire fencing, and secure detached sections. Shore up any weak posts too. Addressing current damage swiftly also removes existing squirrel entry points.

Are poison or lethal traps humane?

Poisons and lethal traps are not recommended for deterring squirrels. The goal is to make your fence unappealing, not harm the animals. Squirrels play an important role as prey and in distributing plant seeds. Avoid any poison baits which can also endanger pets, birds, deer or children.

How can I stop squirrels chewing on my fence?

Apply taste deterrents like hot sauce, black pepper, or garlic powder to vulnerable wood areas. Install metal sheathing on the lower fence boards that squirrels chew most. Place natural chewing options like ropes or sticks elsewhere to distract them. Frightening sensors, lights or sounds when nibbling starts also helps.

Why does my fence attract so many squirrels?

Abundant food sources like gardens, bird feeders and nut trees naturally draw in squirrels. Your fence likely borders tempting squirrel buffets. Reduce the appeal by moving feeders away from fences and keeping vines, shrubs and branches well-trimmed. Removing hiding spots forces squirrels to stay more vulnerable to predators too.

What if they keep coming back to my fence?

Persistence is key. Squirrels are creatures of habit. Keep applying repellents and maintaining deterrents to break their established patterns. Vary the type of tactics to disorient them – smells one week, stakes the next. Try new locations too. Ensure there are no gaps where squirrels enter. Patience and consistency will pay off.

How do I know which deterrents work best?

Keep notes on which repellents or barriers seem most effective for your yard. Monitor squirrel activity at different times of day. Certain smells may work better than barriers, or vice versa. Having a mix of several deterrent types is best. Avoid letting any single tactic get stale. Ramp up efforts during peak squirrel seasons like late summer and fall when food reserves are vital.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your fence free of marauding squirrels takes some effort, but is definitely achievable. Stick with a combination of safe physical barriers, natural repellents and scent deterrents. Remember that consistency is key in disrupting squirrel habits and convictions that your fence belongs to them. Stay vigilant in looking for potential entry points or damage too. Get a little creative and persistent, and you’ll have the upper hand on those pesky fence-scaling squirrels in no time!

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Paul West
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About Paul West

Longstanding and passionate about really having family fun in the backyard. I'm no expert but I've picked up a thing or two along the way!