Tired of finding your patio furniture gnawed to bits by squirrels? We’ve all been there; enjoying our morning coffee on the patio, only to discover yet another chewed-up mess, courtesy of the little bushy-tailed rascals.
But don’t worry about it, because I’m here to show you how to keep squirrels from chewing on your patio furniture using proven methods such as repellent sprays and simple DIY tricks such as aluminum foil strips.
Let’s jump right into it!
Why Squirrels Are So Harmful
If you have yet to have squirrels damage your patio furniture, you might not understand what all the fuss is about. So let me break it down for you.
Yes, squirrels are tiny and some might even find them to be cute, but that doesn’t mean that you should underestimate the damage that they can cause!
The reason why squirrels will mess with patio furniture has to do with their need for materials to build nests. If they can’t find the materials that they need in the wild, they’ll simply turn to ripping up your cushions and taking other bits off of your patio furniture.
Squirrels can also carry many different types of diseases. They’ve been known to be carriers of salmonella, rabies, leptospirosis, tularemia, and more.
The bottom line here is that you wouldn’t want squirrels to get near your house. You don’t need to fear squirrels, but you shouldn’t encourage them to get close either.
Protecting your patio furniture will help you to keep from wasting your hard-earned money. It’ll also ensure that they won’t get too close to the areas of the yard that you’re going to be using regularly.
How to Keep Squirrels Away From Your Patio Furniture
Now that you know how squirrels can be so harmful, let’s talk about how you can protect your patio furniture from them and keep them away from your house.
1 – Get Rid of Stuff That Attracts Squirrels
Doing the most practical stuff first is always a good idea. So, start by removing the things from your yard that make it attractive to squirrels.
For example, you should try to make it so that your garden doesn’t have a lot of things that squirrels will want to eat. Otherwise, you should install cages that can protect your garden from squirrels.
I’ve found that planting mint can help to keep squirrels away as well. Squirrels don’t like the scent, and they might steer clear of your patio if you plant mint around the area.
Ensure that you clean up all of your trash so that squirrels won’t have things to forage through. Securing your trash cans will make it so that they can’t get in, and that’ll help to make your yard less attractive to squirrels and other pests such as raccoons.
You’ll also want to think about eliminating any bird feeders in your yard. At the very least, you should build bird feeders that squirrels can’t access so that it won’t become a huge problem.You might need to pick up after the birds as well because birds will drop seeds on the ground when using feeders. Squirrels could come into the yard wanting to pick up the dropped seed if you aren’t mindful of this.
2 – Repellent Sprays
Squirrel-repellent sprays will likely come in handy when you’re trying to get rid of squirrels. You can buy sprays that have been specially formulated to keep squirrels at bay.
You should buy a squirrel spray that has good customer reviews so that you can be sure it works well. When you have the spray, you’re just going to want to spray it around your patio.
The spray should keep squirrels away from the patio and your patio furniture for a good amount of time. Rainfall might wash the spray away, and this means that you will need to reapply the squirrel repellent every so often to continue to enjoy the benefits.
3 – Predator Urine
You might want to hold your nose and put on a pair of gloves for this one!
Predator urine is something that can scare squirrels for obvious reasons. Squirrels have evolved to understand the scent of natural predators, so when they smell the urine of predators, it makes them wary.
Urine from coyotes or foxes will work wonders when you’re trying to scare squirrels off. You could spray this in the yard somewhere close to the patio to keep the squirrels from coming around.
Admittedly, it isn’t always pleasant to work with predator urine like this, but it does work well. You can buy products that contain predator urine at online retailers, department stores, garden centers, and some home improvement stores
4 – Apple Cider Vinegar
Making an apple cider vinegar spray is going to be a solid idea, too. This will be substantially more pleasant than working with predator urine products. Take my word for it!
Squirrels and many other small animals will be repulsed by the powerful scent of apple cider vinegar. You could soak rags in apple cider vinegar and then place them at specific points on or near your patio.
Overall, this works a lot better than you might think it would. It’s an inexpensive and simple way to keep squirrels off of your patio.
5 – Ultrasound Repellent Devices
Ultrasound-repellent devices are becoming more and more common these days. You can use devices like this to keep all sorts of animals from getting near certain parts of your yard.
Essentially, these devices will use ultrasonic sounds that cannot be heard by humans. The sounds will be either annoying or frightening to squirrels so they won’t want to get too close to the devices.
You can place the ultrasonic devices near your patio so that squirrels will stay away from your patio furniture. These devices are often solar-powered, and this means that they will remain charged and active so long as they get a few hours of sunlight each day.
6 – Let Your Dog Help
Dogs can do a good job of scaring off squirrels and many other types of animals in the area. If you let your dog hang out on the patio for a good chunk of the day, then squirrels won’t be as likely to come around.
The only downside to doing this is that your dog will likely make a lot of noise barking at squirrels. Dogs do love to chase squirrels and other small animals, though!
It’s also true that most people won’t want to leave their dogs outdoors at all times. Even so, this could be one thing that you could do to help keep squirrels from ruining your patio furniture.
7 – Predator Decoys
Predator decoys can scare the squirrels just as well as your dog sometimes. You can buy things that look just like hawks, owls, and other types of predators that are known to hunt squirrels.
When squirrels see the outline of these creatures, they’re going to run in the other direction. Their natural instincts tell them to keep away from such potential threats.
The only big issue here is that squirrels will likely figure out that it’s just a decoy after several weeks have passed. This is why some people rotate several different decoys to keep the squirrels guessing.
8 – Motion-Activated Sprinklers
Motion-activated sprinklers (like this one) can do a very good job of getting rid of squirrels if you’re willing to set things up. These sprinklers will start spraying water whenever anything runs by the sensors, and this should scare the squirrels nicely.
If they try to run to your patio, then they’re going to get a blast of water in their faces. It’ll make them run away in all likelihood, and your sprinklers can stand vigil for you while you’re away.
I should also point out that setting up motion-activated sprinklers helps with other threats as well. Some people even use things like this to try to keep thieves at bay, and it works great!
9. Hang Aluminum Foil Strips
Another way you can keep squirrels away from your patio, along with other unwanted visitors, is by hanging aluminum foil strips.
You’re probably wondering, “How’s that going to help, exactly?”
Aluminum foil strips can create visual and auditory deterrents that will make squirrels think twice before approaching your patio.
The shiny and reflective surface of the foil strips will catch sunlight and create bright flashes of light that will discourage squirrels from getting close. At the same time, the strips will produce rustling and crinkling sounds as the wind passes around them.
Just make sure to change the position of the foil strips periodically so that squirrels don’t get accustomed to their presence.
10. Trim Overhanging Branches
This one is too obvious, but we all seem to neglect it for some odd reason.
As you know, squirrels love hanging out on tree branches and using them as access points. By trimming the overhanging branches in your backyard, you’ll be eliminating the squirrels’ access points.
You don’t need to trim every single hanging branch in your yard or garden. Just trim the ones that hang over the area you’re trying to protect, which, in this case, is your patio.
11 – Patio Furniture Covers
Finally, you could consider buying patio furniture covers that will protect your investment. You can place these patio furniture covers on your furniture whenever you’re not going to be using everything.
It’s simple to do, and it’ll do a great job of keeping your furniture protected from all sorts of things. Aside from protecting it from squirrels, it’ll also keep the furniture from fading in the sunlight so fast by covering it up.
Patio furniture covers aren’t all that expensive, and squirrels shouldn’t be able to bust through the covers. Many people combine the idea of using patio furniture covers with the other deterrent methods mentioned above.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what’s best to do. You know that you have options now, and there are plenty of things to try even if you don’t have much of a budget to work with.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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