Low maintenance solutions are always the best when it comes to keeping wild animals out of your yards and gardens. Baits and traps need to be reset and checked daily, and strong smells can get washed away quickly.
Powders and strong scents used to repel squirrels can also be blown away by a strong wind. Spicy food like cayenne pepper may work once or twice, but eventually, squirrels figure it out and will know to avoid it. The best way to scare squirrels away could be with sound.
Can Wind Chimes Keep Squirrels Out of My Garden?
A low-cost way to continuously make a sound in your yard is with wind chimes. With a mild gust, most of the wind chimes will chime and, if strategically placed, can scare squirrels away. Wind chimes are one way to scare off squirrels without spending much time or energy.
For wind chimes to be effective, they should be placed where squirrels are likely to go. If bird seed attracts pests and a squirrel-proof bird feeder isn’t an option, wind chimes near a gray squirrel’s favorite bird feeders can scare off rodents for some time. Until they begin to get used to the sounds.
Should I Scare Away Squirrels?
Using sound and deterrents to scare away squirrels is a humane and effective way to keep rodents away from your yard. Scaring squirrels to protect bird baths and keep your garden intact is a great animal control solution that can be sustained for a long time.
There are several ways to startle squirrels and keep them out of your backyard garden. Sound, sight, and smell are three main ways to spook garden pests. A blending or combination of different sense-based animal control methods is the best long-term solution.
Sight
Squirrels keep a constant eye out for danger, so certain objects can invoke fear in foraging squirrels. Just like fresh plants and bright flowers can attract squirrels, sudden shadows or flashes can startle garden squirrels and birds. Scarecrows, pinwheels, and ribbons are methods to repel squirrels.
Smell
Certain plants can mask food sources and repel squirrels with strong scents. Predators spraying urine and gardeners placing animal urine around gardens and sensitive areas can repel squirrels effectively. Strong scents on the ground can also deter adaptable animals that have gotten used to other deterrents and need a stronger hand.
Sound
The element of sound can be used to lure squirrels away from plants and scare them out of gardens. Loud sounds from domestic animals and other noise makers from garden stores can be used to scare squirrels away. Using sound near poles and trees where squirrels hang out is a good start, but the locations will need to be changed to keep these animals guessing.
What Sounds Do Squirrels Hate?
There are several sounds that will make a squirrel leave your yard. Wind chimes of different sizes and varying materials can make a wide range of sounds and keep squirrels confused and wary. If squirrels get used to the sounds coming from your yard, they will stop fearing them. Always change locations and use a variety of sound makers in your garden.
| Sound | Why They Hate it | How to Make It |
| Annoying Sounds | Hard to hear predators | Metal Wind Chimes |
| Clattering Sounds | Confusing for communication | Wooden Wind Chimes |
| Loud Noises | Potential danger | Speakers/ Giant Wind Chimes |
| Sonic Deterrence | Painful Frequency | High-Frequency Sound Emitters |
Annoying Sounds
Sounds that are unexpected, spontaneous, and that vary in note and range can deter squirrels for a long time. Sounds that repeat frequently and are made by something easy to move around are also effective and scare squirrels for longer than stationary sound makers.
Spiral metal wind chimes with thin reeds and pipes can make shrill sounds that carry far, and the versatility of the design allows for more sounds than a simpler wind chime. This high-frequency sound can be heard from further away than the lower-frequency ones made by bigger or wooden wind chimes.
Clattering Sounds
Wooden chimes make a clunking sound that resembles the chattering of squirrels and other woodland critters. A loud cacophony of chimes and sounds hanging around a garden can repel squirrels and keep plants safe. Covering the sounds of their friends and mates can cause confusion and make your yard unattractive to pests.
Other sounds like wind whistles and clacking or clicking can make similar deterrents. Placing things that smack fences or other wooden structures during a slight breeze can rattle and bang, keeping squirrels away. If the noises are coming from too close to a house, then the squirrels will assume it is human activity and not be spooked.
Loud Noises
The quickest way to scare squirrels away is with a loud noise. Dog barks, the clattering of metal, or a shrill whistle can all be used to scare squirrels. Having natural predators make noises when squirrels enter your lawn is the best method for this, as you don’t have to be there to activate it.
If you don’t have natural predators in your yard, then another option is to rig outdoor speakers up to activate when a squirrel enters the sensor zone. A motion sensor can be rigged to speakers to scare squirrels that enter your garden. This can also work for other pests like skunks.
Sonic Deterrence
For extreme rodent infestations, there are more heavy-duty options. Squirrels and other rodents have a heightened sense of hearing, and high-frequency pitches can cause irritation. Placing sonic frequency emitters around the garden and throughout your yard can keep squirrels out.
Sonic deterrents can be placed near structures and on hills to maximize the effectiveness of the vibrations. Ground squirrels can be discouraged from nesting or burrowing anywhere where these emitters are making noise. The frequency of these devices shouldn’t affect humans or pets.
Why Are Squirrels Coming Back to My Garden?
Even though wind chimes can make keeping squirrels out of your garden much easier, they might not be a permanent solution. Even with good positioning and the appropriate volume of noise, wind chimes can become familiar to squirrels. Once squirrels know that the sounds aren’t a threat, they will ignore the chimes and come back for food.
Move Wind Chimes Around
One of the easiest ways to keep squirrels scared and out of your garden is to move your wind chimes around. Simply moving the chimes from one side of the garden to the other can trick wild animals into thinking it is a new threat.
Another way to make this even more effective is to add more wind chimes or swap chimes out for different reeds or poles that make new sounds. The larger variety of sounds and noises you can make around your yard the fewer pests will feel confident enough to raid your garden.
Mix Different Sense Deterrents
A combination of sight deterrents, repelling scents, and unexpected sounds can keep pests at bay. Mixing these elements can convince squirrels that the garden is occupied and that entering now is dangerous.
Sight
A few simple ways to scare squirrels by sight are to find objects that cast shadows. Moving shadows can look like birds or other predators that attack from above and keep squirrels moving through your lawn. A fleeing squirrel is less likely to damage your plants than an actively foraging one.
Ribbons tied to trees and fences can also work for a time. Squirrels will see the flashing colors; red and yellow are best, and avoid those areas of the yard. Pinwheels and reflective items can make startling flashes and scare off pests.
Scarecrows are the best way to keep birds and pests out of your garden and can work for rodents and other animals. Adding loose-fitting clothing and moving a scarecrow around can keep pests guessing and your plant safer for longer.
Scents
Strong oils and powders can be used to keep squirrels out of your yard. Smells that bother squirrels like peppermint and vinegar can work for a short time but usually break down quickly. Cinnamon and other powders can last longer and be worked into the soil around plants for deeper protection.
Predator urine placed around the yard is one the surest ways to scare off pests. The sight deterrents mixed with the smells convince any intruding rodents to think predators are around. Adding sound can be all it takes to make squirrel infestations a thing of the past.
Sounds
Alternating sounds from various directions away from living structures and human noises can work well to deter squirrels. If the sounds become regular, the squirrels will ignore them. Using a few different sounds to keep them away is a smart choice.
Wind chimes that clink, rattle, and jingle are good to place in windy areas around gardens and fences. You can also make sounds with thin strings and other wind whistle materials. The combination of movement sounds from the chimes and raptor sounds from the whistle is enough to keep most pests away.
Set Up Wild Life Zone
One really easy way to work with deterrents is to provide an area of the yard where wild animals are allowed. Wild bird feeders and squirrel feeders can be set up at the edge of the property. At first, this will attract more pests, but over time it will balance out.
Some animals will assert dominance over the wildlife area, and access will be restricted. Over time more and more natural predators will show up and begin culling the numbers of birds and rodents.
Using sight, smell, and sounds like wind chimes to keep pests out of your garden is a great idea. Combining it with a zone where animals are allowed is the best way to maximize the effort you put into installing all of your rodent-scaring gizmos.
