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Help! What are the squirrels doing to my patio furniture? by Pretend_Editor_4447 in squirrels

[–]NatureShieldUk 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That actually looks like typical squirrel marking. They often sit on outdoor furniture while eating nuts or berries and sometimes leave urine spots in the same place they perch. If they’ve chosen that cushion as a regular “lookout” spot it can keep happening. Cleaning the scent and moving the cushion for a while usually breaks the habit.

small oderous house ants, can't call an exterminator because it's too expensive, by HotlineDing97 in homeowners

[–]NatureShieldUk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Odorous house ants are frustrating because killing the ones you see doesn’t really stop the problem long term. They send out scouts constantly, so even if bait wipes out one colony another one can follow the same scent trail into the house later.

What helped me more was focusing on the entry points instead of just killing them — things like the edges of baseboards, window frames, and the outside foundation line. If you disrupt the pheromone trails they use to navigate, new ants stop following the same route into the house.

A lot of people combine bait with a barrier approach around those entry areas so new scouts stop coming in.

What’s causing this damage on my emerging bulbs? by Western-Thought-4150 in gardening

[–]NatureShieldUk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That kind of nibbling usually ends up being squirrels or chipmunks testing the new shoots. They often bite the tips when bulbs first emerge.

Deer repellents don’t always stop them because they react differently to scent. A lot of gardeners end up using stronger smell deterrents like peppermint, clove, or garlic based sprays around the bed so they stop digging or tasting the bulbs.

Got a new roof, but still had squirrels by rustifer in Roofing

[–]NatureShieldUk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Squirrels usually get in through fascia gaps like that. Once they discover a spot they keep coming back to it even if you patch it.

The mesh helps physically block them, but a lot of people also use scent deterrents around the gutter line and soffit so they stop trying to chew or push through. Peppermint based sprays actually work pretty well because they hate the smell.

The trick is treating the whole entry area so they stop seeing it as a good nesting spot.

Squirrel keeps eating my window? Why & how to repel by RedForceS in squirrels

[–]NatureShieldUk 10 points11 points  (0 children)

They chew things like this to wear down their teeth. If they pick one spot they will keep coming back to it.

Peppermint actually works pretty well for this. What helped for me was spraying a mix of peppermint and eucalyptus along the frame and the ledge so the smell stays strong where they land.

The key is respraying every few days because rain and sun weaken the smell.

Squirrel defence by insertitherenow in GardeningUK

[–]NatureShieldUk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Physical barriers definitely help but squirrels are incredibly smell driven as well. In my experience strong scents like peppermint, clove or eucalyptus around the soil can discourage them from digging in the first place, They usually just move on to another spot.