Vinegar Prevents Squirrels from Eating Jack-O-Lanterns (2024)

FAQs

Vinegar Prevents Squirrels from Eating Jack-O-Lanterns? ›

Pour a little white distilled vinegar around your pumpkin. The potent smell of vinegar can be over-powering to squirrels since these critters have more sensitive noses than humans. Vinegar is also effective at repelling ants and other insects.

Vinegar: Spray your edible fall decorations with vinegar, as the strong scent is believed to be a deterrent for squirrels and other critters. But keep in mind that this may make your front porch smell unpleasant, too. Pet hair: Sprinkle pet hair on and around your pumpkins.

But by far the most popular natural deterrent of squirrels is capsaicin, which is the component found in chili peppers that make them hot and spicy. You can sprinkle red pepper flakes inside a carved pumpkin, rub bottled hot sauce on the outside, or create your own repellent spray.

Petroleum jelly: Cover your pumpkin in a heavy coat of petroleum jelly or a vapor rub. Squirrels don't like sticky substances. And a thick coat of the jelly can last for weeks. Lacquer spray: Coat all sides of your pumpkin with lacquer spray and let dry until hard.

White vinegar has a strong smell and is a powerful squirrel deterrent. The easiest way to treat a squirrel-infested area is to simply pour it on active squirrel hang-outs or spray it around your property with a mix of water.

To keep your pumpkins looking brand-new throughout October, just fill a large tub with 10 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Let the gourds soak for 20-30 minutes in the bath, then pull them out and let them air-dry. Voila! You've got some pretty pumpkins that definitely won't show their age.

Use Strong Odors

Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.

Just like with textures, some animals will avoid strong, off-putting scents. Cayenne pepper is quite spicy and can deter some critters from snacking. You can sprinkle some cayenne around the pumpkin, or even on the pumpkin itself! You can also try brushing on some hot sauce.

Pumpkins are not a squirrel's favorite food. They eat them because instinct tells them they need to fatten up for the winter. If you give them tastier fare—say, peanuts, sunflower seeds, stale bread, crackers—they'll have their fill without spilling pumpkin guts all over the yard.

Try sprinkling cayenne pepper, ground chili peppers, or pepper flakes around your plants when they are ready to bloom. Peppers have “capsaicin” which squirrels hate, so it's a natural squirrel deterrent. Or, make a pepper spray; you can mix dried pepper with apple cider vinegar.

How do you preserve a jack o lantern naturally? ›

Dip, wash or spray your finished carving with a 10 percent bleach solution. This will kill any microorganisms on your pumpkin. Rub the cut areas with petroleum jelly, which helps lock in the moisture and slow the drying process. Consider using an electric light or glow stick instead of a candle.

Peppermint is a natural anti-fungal and will slow the decaying processing. (Use either spray method #1 or #2, not both). Apply petroleum jelly or olive oil to the cut surfaces to prevent dehydration over time. Spraying the cut surfaces with hairspray can also slow down the decaying process.

When you're done carving a spine-chilling design, clean the inside and carved parts with a bleach and water solution that will sterilize it and kill any existing bacteria. Just add one teaspoon of bleach per one quart of water, put it in a spray bottle and spray your pumpkin once a day.

Squirrels dislike the smell of cider vinegar so it's very useful to keep them away. You can soak old clothes and shoes in cider vinegar and hang them in an area of your home where squirrels like to enter, such as your attic.

Squirrels distance themselves from hot pepper smells, like jalapeño, cayenne, and black pepper. Because of the spicy nature of cinnamon, you can also use this to repel squirrels from your home! To use pepper as a deterrent, mix three spoonfuls with a half-gallon of water.

According to Precision Pest & Wildlife Removal, squirrels dislike strong scents, including natural and synthetic fragrances. Because dryer sheets have a high amount of strong fragrance, they could be effective for keeping squirrels away from your yard.

Cayenne Pepper/Hot Sauce

Just like with textures, some animals will avoid strong, off-putting scents. Cayenne pepper is quite spicy and can deter some critters from snacking. You can sprinkle some cayenne around the pumpkin, or even on the pumpkin itself! You can also try brushing on some hot sauce.

To make the squirrel repellent you combine a half a cup of water, with two cups of apple cider vinegar, and one and a half cups of hot sauce, I used the Hannaford brand.