# Repelling Squirrels, Chipmunks, Deer, and Ground Hogs/Moles



## NoPaint (Apr 28, 2009)

So I have squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and groundhogs/moles all over my yard. They eat the roots of my hostas and the deer eat the leaves! They destroy the whole garden really. What is the best thing to get rid of them? Is there a trap that works for squirrels? I have set those steel mesh ones and never caught one. I have spread the dried blood fertilizer and its been working it seems but I have to spread it after it rains. I had a cat and that was perfect but I don't have one anymore and I can't get one again (family allergies). So what can be done? What do you do for each of those rodents?


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## EatenByLimestone (Apr 28, 2009)

A fence is probably the best option.  It'll have to be strong for deer protection.  They can be mighty motivated critters.   

Matt


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## labrador (Apr 28, 2009)

Try spreading used cat litter around. The smell of another animal should keep them away, especially woodchucks fi you can find their den. Good luck


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## eba1225 (Apr 28, 2009)

With regard to deer I have had very good results using Milorganite.  I use a hand held spreader and walk though the flower beds spreading it around over all the plants.   

Regarding the other small ones I do not have a suggestion.


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## d.n.f. (Apr 28, 2009)

Deer don't like blood meal.

Your trees like blood meal as well as your lawn.

Eight foot fence minimum for deer.


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## begreen (Apr 28, 2009)

Every thing we've tried in the past 16 years has worked for about 1 year. This includes most all of the major brands. Hinder worked for exactly one season. Currently we're on Deer Out. http://www.deerout.com/?gclid=CLy1k6eRlJoCFRwDagodUgxCNA .  A couple things I like about it is that is smells good and that it doesn't clog up a hand sprayer.  So far it is working ok, but I don't trust any 30 day guarantee. I usually spray highly vulnerable plants weekly until the dry season. 

Deer are browsers and seem to try a nibble of almost anything and can get used to almost any repellent if they are hungry or dumb enough. We have deer eating plants they've never touched for a decade and suddenly the new generation wipes out most of an entire large bush. They come right up to cleaning out flower boxes and plants right against the house. The best defense is a tall fence. Second is a good dog.


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## karri0n (Apr 28, 2009)

cats for the rodents, Dog for the deer. Tiger, wolf, cougar, human urine all work on deer for a little while, but they are smart and get used to it.


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## fossil (Apr 28, 2009)

For the burrowing rodents, my grandfather used to craft these elegant little whirlygigs...a windmill that would pivot atop a stake, and as the windmill spun, a couple of little wooden clappers rythmically tapped the sides of the stake.  He swore that the sound the things generated, transmitted down the stake and into the ground, kept the moles, etc. at bay.  In any case, they were pretty and I found the sounds they made to be pleasant.  Rick

Edit to add:  I've found a nice .30-06 to be quite effective on deer.   :coolsmirk:


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## BrotherBart (Apr 28, 2009)

I have had good luck with Smith & Wesson Exterminating Company for several pests.

But the deer on my place are my pets. I hate vegetables so no problem with a garden. And they mow my back yard for me while I sit on the deck with a beer in the afternoon. I should have four more spotted fawn wobbling around here in a month or so.


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## johnn (Apr 29, 2009)

used a live trap for squirells, caught em all day log baited with peanut butter.About 7"x7"x24" wire cage. Spring loaded doors on both ends,bait trip in the middle. Took em about 5 miles to work across busy 4 lane , over levee containment for Mississippi, released into woods. Bet they found their way back to their tree!!


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## Wet1 (Apr 29, 2009)

ml said:
			
		

> used a live trap for squirells, caught em all day log baited with peanut butter.About 7"x7"x24" wire cage. Spring loaded doors on both ends,bait trip in the middle. Took em about 5 miles to work across busy 4 lane , over levee containment for Mississippi, released into woods. *Bet they found their way back to their tree!*!



I do the same and found they do seem to have a way of finding their way back 'home'.  I later found taking them for a swim to be the best method for seeing to it that they wont be coming back...


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## johnn (Apr 30, 2009)

The first one caught, I managed,,Finally to get into a pillow case,,,from there into a ammo can for transport,,,theres a reason they call them, there ammo cans "air-tight".


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## rphurley (Apr 30, 2009)

For chipmunks, I'd have to recommend the "chipmunk swimming pool."  Take a 5 gallon painter's bucket, half fill it with water. Pour blackoil sunflower seeds liberally into bucket until they completely cover the water.  Place where they are most active and get a piece of 1x or something to use as a ramp. Place a few seeds on bottom of ramp, a few on top, overhanging the water, and wa-la, they will jump in there in bunches and quietly drown while you are at work.  Do this for a couple of days and your chipmunk population will be decreased.  I had tons of them, so I set up two buckes at a time.  Caught 8 in the first 48 hours and 5 in the late summer also.  They breed in the spring and late summer so you want to get them before they breed again.
I don't really know what they do that is harmful, but they were running into my garage and burrowing next to my foundation.  After an incident with flying squirrels I didn't want more rodents taking up residence in my house.


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## NoPaint (Apr 30, 2009)

I forgot to mention that the dried blood meal I have been using for a month and no deer and most other stuff are scared away for the most part. I would rather catch them or something rather than leave them around though.


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## dvellone (Apr 30, 2009)

A dog and invisible fencing containment to keep him in your yard. We've got a big veg. garden, small apple and plum trees, flowers and berry bushes and free range chickens, and with a full-time outdoor dog we haven't lost a thing to deer, rabbits raccoons or predators (as far as the chickens go).  No bears or raccoons in the compost heap either.


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## begreen (Apr 30, 2009)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> I have had good luck with Smith & Wesson Exterminating Company for several pests.
> 
> But the deer on my place are my pets. I hate vegetables so no problem with a garden. And they mow my back yard for me while I sit on the deck with a beer in the afternoon. I should have four more spotted fawn wobbling around here in a month or so.



I wish the deer would mow our grass. They are not grass grazers out here unless they're desperate. I'd need a few sheep or goats to handle our yard.


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## Wet1 (Apr 30, 2009)

CTburns said:
			
		

> For chipmunks, I'd have to recommend the "chipmunk swimming pool."  Take a 5 gallon painter's bucket, half fill it with water. Pour blackoil sunflower seeds liberally into bucket until they completely cover the water.  Place where they are most active and get a piece of 1x or something to use as a ramp. Place a few seeds on bottom of ramp, a few on top, overhanging the water, and wa-la, they will jump in there in bunches and quietly drown while you are at work.  Do this for a couple of days and your chipmunk population will be decreased.  I had tons of them, so I set up two buckes at a time.  Caught 8 in the first 48 hours and 5 in the late summer also.  They breed in the spring and late summer so you want to get them before they breed again.
> I don't really know what they do that is harmful, but they were running into my garage and burrowing next to my foundation.  After an incident with flying squirrels I didn't want more rodents taking up residence in my house.


I like that!  Too bad I don't have a larger 'bucket' so I can do the same with squirrels...


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## VTJake (Jun 13, 2009)

I've had good luck so far with "Critter Ridder" for the squirrels. Your local hardware stores should have it. It's basically has a boatload of black pepper in it.

  The " 5 gallon" swimming pool ( w/o lifegaurd) might be an option here too!


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## Wood Heat Stoves (Jun 13, 2009)

squirrles and chips wond eat roots as far as i know...
moles voles gophers however will.
castor  been oil extract will repel them, works in my lawn!

http://www.groworganic.com/pdf/pestsolutionschart.pdf

this is a killer pdf of solutions for any yard pest and plant sickness...

gophers,
the best answer is to put plants rooballs down into wire mess before hand...
deer,
if you like venison, Mossberg em. but a fence is more practical 

oh, that and just pump your plants so they overgrow the pests


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## jebatty (Jun 13, 2009)

Why not use your wildlife attractive yard for what it really is worth? ... a productive source of healthy food! Ground squirrel on a spit, slow roasted on the grill, tastes really great. Woodchucks weren't meant to chuck wood, they were meant to provide a few chuckles around the dinner table as the sweet leg meat with gravy graced the dinner plate. And deer weren't given that name without reason -- they are very dear and will quickly fill the larder for a long cold winter, fueling the woodcutter bucking up wood for the next year.

I say, eat up nature's bounty which an attractive yard produces.


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## Reggie Dunlap (Jun 13, 2009)

I recommend a .17 HMR for the little critters and 30-06 for the deer. And the chipmunk bucket trap will put a hurt on those little rodents.


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## NoPaint (Jun 14, 2009)

Seriously though I found a bunch of stuff at the local garden shops (the Home Depot variety didn't work) which repel them all. I supplement this with dried blood meal spread out after it rains. So far so good.


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## Wood Heat Stoves (Jun 15, 2009)

^^^^^^^^^^^^
good fertilizer too! BUT< can attract coyotes ansd scavengers, just different pests...


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## flewism (Jun 15, 2009)

dvellone said:
			
		

> A dog and invisible fencing containment to keep him in your yard. We've got a big veg. garden, small apple and plum trees, flowers and berry bushes and free range chickens, and with a full-time outdoor dog we haven't lost a thing to deer, rabbits raccoons or predators (as far as the chickens go).  No bears or raccoons in the compost heap either.



Yep, sounds like our place except, no bears , coyotes .
 dogs and invisible fencing work well for us.


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## Jags (Jun 15, 2009)

NoPaint said:
			
		

> So I have squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and groundhogs/moles all over my yard.



In order listed - 
.177,.177,30-06, .223 for groundhogs, .177 or .22 for moles (.22, you can actually shoot through a little dirt if need be).  2 out of 4 of them make for good food.  You get to pick which two.


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## ihookem (Aug 7, 2009)

Na, the best method is a 12 year old boy with a .410.


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## Delta-T (Aug 7, 2009)

FWIW, I worked as a hairstylist for some years and many people would come in and ask for bags of hair. they all swore that spreading it around the garden was a great deterant for all kinds of invaders.


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## imacman (Aug 31, 2009)

My former tenants in the area (squirrels, woodchucks) decided that they didn't like their first (and last) meeting with Mr. Mossberg w/ a scope and .22 High Speed hollow points.

However, the turkey vultures, bobcat, and the coyote have suddenly gotten much fatter from finding "presents" left way out in the back yard.

And I'll have to give the water bucket, 2 x 4, and sunflower seeds a try for the numerous chipmunks I have......although they ARE kinda cute.   :cheese:


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