03 December 2023 , 12:57
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Fans of cleaning wizard Mrs Hinch have revealed their cheap hack to deter squirrels from destroying plants in their gardens easily.
The nifty hack will only set you back £1 and is supposed to keep the pesky but crucial animals from ransacking your garden- especially in large numbers. Squirrels are known to chew through garden furniture and invade lofts so for a lot of people can be a pain.
The tips came from a Facebook group for Mrs Hinch gardening tips - which has more than 100,000 members - as one user recently asked how to keep squirrels away from their garden.
Mrs Hinch, whose real name is Sophie Hinchcliffe is a cleaning enthusiast who became popular for her cleaning hacks, tips and tricks and fans of Mrs Hinch will share their handy tips with each other too.
The user asked other cleaning fans their advice for keeping the squirrels away and took to the page and wrote: "How can I get rid of squirrels from my garden? My neighbour is feeding them."
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Cleaning lovers flooded the post with hundreds of comments including creative suggestions, with many turning to their spice draws to deter squirrels. One person suggested: "Cayenne pepper… hot chilli powder, that works for me… they are destructive! As much as I think they are cute, I don't like my plants getting destroyed."
Another added: "Not sure if this helps, but I read the other day to put some chilli flakes in your feeders, it deters the squirrels, but birds are okay." While some opted for cayenne pepper others had another spice up their sleeves, the recommendation of cinnamon emerged elsewhere in the thread.
One person wrote: "They're lovely and I also love having them but last year they destroyed all my husband's plants. So we had to cover his pots and spread some cinnamon in it. It kept them away from the pots but still came into our garden for nuts."
Crushed chillies and cinnamon can be purchased from Asda for £1. Other ideas shared in the group involved placing large ornaments in the garden shaped like birds and cats to scare off the squirrels and feeders.
Other suggestions for deterring squirrels:
Squirrel-proof bird feeders: If you have bird feeders, it's good to make sure they are squirrel-proof, such as ones that close access when they detect a squirrel's weight on it.
Distract them by placing food elsewhere: Another way is to place a separate feeder with squirrel-friendly food away from your main bird feeders to deter them.
Squirrel repellent sprays: You can use various squirrel repellent sprays which can be used on plants, bird feeders and other areas you wish to protect.