The Grass Doctor - How do I stop a squirrel ruining my lawn?

How do I stop a squirrel ruining my lawn?

There is a naughty squirrel in the neighbourhood who is ripping up my lawn to bury his food. I have tried going out afterwards and removing the food, he comes back and digs up more lawn. I have a cat repellent transmitter that lets of a loud screech to deter cats from destroying the garden, but it doesn't seem to work for the squirrel. I'm in the u.k so i do not have access to guns or explosives before I get tons of killing suggestions. Anyone got any humane ways to rid this naughty creature? I mentioned the guns etc because I knew that I would get randoms coming on suggesting I shoot the squirrel, and I didn't want to be trawling through time wasters who enjoy shooting animals. Like I said humane suggestions welcome and thank you to all of you that have made decent suggestions.

Public Comments

well thats wat squirrels do they save food for the winter but if its that bad either move or shoot it
So what ........how do you think some trees are where they are Stop bullying innocent animals/squirrels they have a right to live their life too
set traps where he was and let the traps do the work for ya. this is the kind that don't have teeth and it will jump at them and not kill them. try this and good luck to.
Whenever you see them, squirt water on them, they dont like it very much.
I have the same problem, its been burying golf balls too! I love seeing them go about their little nature thing, the lawn will grow back ok, leave them be.
I think you should let the cats in for a while. I have cats and I never have squirrels, chipmunks, mice or moles.
Make a house, like a bird house, but a bit bigger, and fill it up with food. Put this house on the tree, and with a sign saying "Mr.Squirrelss Crib". And don't forget to put a tiny cushion for it, also a little bowl of water. So it can just chill out in there. And right on the floor beneath it, make a little tiny fence, with a mini lawn in it, so it can burry it's food in their! So now, it won't bother you anymore, as it has it's own 'crib'. Oh yea, I forget, make it a place for two squirrels, he might be married, or have a girlfriend or something. Need to look after them aswell, and what if it's a she, needs a place to give birth! You can also put images of other squirrels and stuff. But no naked pictures, it might excite the squirrel :P I hope that works, please email me once you've tried it and it works epyon000@hotmail.co.uk. Thank you, hope everything goes great!
you DONT have access to guns and explosives????? How big is this squirrel???
A head shot from reasonable air rifle will do the job. I use a .22 BSA Airsporter with a 4X scope. Although tedious to prepare, a squirrel makes a very tasty stew. Watch out for the claws as these are very sharp and are accidentally operated while skinning the little beast. I normally cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours so that the flesh can be removed from the bones before serving.
I had a similar problem with unwanted cats (fighting) in my back garden. I got a lot of answers like "...throw water over 'em." But by the time you'd filled a bucket and crept close enough to wet them, they'd be long gone, so that one was no good. I did however get a reply stating the use of chilli powder or pepper or something else of the same ilk. Spread it along where the offending animal treads and when they eventually lick their paws/feet they taste chilli powder (or whatever you used) and they don't like it. I put chilli powder around the fence at the back as this is where they enter and leave our garden. To date I've yet to see a cat in our back garden since putting the chilli down. They bypass our garden and use next doors now....I guess they associated our garden with a nasty taste and no longer use that 'route'. My suggestion to you would be to liberally sprinkle chilli powder around the base of your trees, fences and any other place they go (even in the branches?!) and they will soon find another lawn to use.
The problem is not the squirrels. It is your attitude. I'm not trying to be mean. Squirrels have just as much right to your yard as you do. Maybe more. The animals of the world do not see property lines. They are doing what they need to do in order to survive. The fact that you are upset by their behaviour only makes you look self absorbed and petty. Please leave them alone. Take a different approach and laugh at their antics. They are funny once you can let it go. Chili powder might blind them. Do not use it.
Have you thought of the plastic owl idea? By placing what appears to be a predator in a tree facing the yard, the squirrel will be less willing to get into the lawn where there is less cover. This does not always work, some squirrels figure it out.
Put moth balls in your garden.
I have got several trees in my garden including an Oak tree that has a preservation order on it. This is home for several grey squirrels and I love to see them, chasing and "fighting" with each other. I do have the same problem as you, but I find some top soil and grass seed soon repairs any really bad patches. It"s fun to watch them burying acorns, knowing they will be back at a later date to dig them up again. I have several small Oak trees growing in the boarders where they have obviously forgoten where they buried the acorns. It"s nature I"m afraid, I would just enjoy the spectacle.
try hiring a humane trap call in a pest controller they should be able to sort out other than that a air gun you can buy these in fishing shops etc as a last resort.
I keep seeing variations of this question - annoying animals that dig in lawns & gardens - so I'll just plod ahead with my standard suggestion: have you tried blood meal? This is already a soil enricher/fertilizer & can't harm anything. Spread on surface of area to be treated. Blood meal doesn't dissolve, a couple of treatments per growing season should be sufficient. Animals avoid blood meal. It's said they "sense their own kind" and stay away from the location. Other gardeners say bone meal works just as well but I've only tried blood meal. Was especially effective with squirrels. I grow herbs in pots on a 2nd floor balcony, on a little ledge outside the railings so they'll get maximum sunlight. The squirrels would dig in the flower pots and push them off the ledge. Somebody clued me in about blood meal years ago. End of digging squirrels! I think trying to trap them would be useless. Other squirrels will arrive in their place. Good luck. Good luck.
g'day! i have no squirrels in my garden because of the condominium guard dogs. just the smell of a dog around the lawn (or a bit of dog pee or poo if you're hardcore) will scare the bugger away. if the squirrel is exceptionally smart/stupid/obstinate then you might try building an owl house in a nearby tree. try http://www.owlpages.com/links.php?cat=Owls-Nest+Boxes for some nesting platforms to attract an owl to your neighborhood. hope this helps. ta, mate!
It is possible to buy a trap that captures these animals in a cage. You can then take them far away from your garden to release them. Anything else would be unthinkable! You can phone the RSPCA and ask for their advice. Get a dog? The squirrels in my garden are to busy trying to outwit my dog,than to dig the lawn! So far,they have not managed it,and my lawn is safe!! Good luck! Alternatively,just sit in the garden and act.....................like a nut!!!
Shoot it!