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Do ultrasonic pest repellers work on squirrels?

The best time to use your ultrasonic pest repellent is during the day when squirrels are most active. However, you have to be careful when handling anything that has to do with squirrels.

December 12, 2021

15 min read time

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Do ultrasonic pest repellers work on squirrels

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Squirrels can pose a whole lot of problems to your home. They might look harmless, but these rodents are nothing short of destructive.

Not only would they litter your home and lawn with their feces, but they would also chew on anything they find: wood, wiring, garden plants, you name it.

They could make their home anywhere they feel comfortable: in your attic or your garden.

To make matters worse, they don’t have a problem eating anything that can find. So as far as there is something for them to chew on and eat, they’re pretty good.

Did you know that squirrels could transmit diseases too?

Yes. Those cute fuzzy creatures causing havoc in your home carry dangerous diseases like leptospirosis, salmonella, rabies, and the bubonic plague.

These diseases are more serious than just the common cold.

For example, salmonella makes you have a running tummy, which could be accompanied by vomiting for days.

These diseases, usually spread by squirrel feces, can affect either you or your pets.

Squirrels can also cause damage to your car, by eating visible wires. These could be expensive to repair.

So, how can you get rid of squirrels?

Both on the internet and in today’s world, there are a lot of suggested methods to get rid of these rodents. One of such methods is ultrasonic repellers.

Ultrasonic repellers have become more popular over the years due to the unique benefits they offer.

But do they really work?

We’re going to answer that question in this guide.

Before you think of using an ultrasonic repellent or any form of pest control at all, you have to be sure you are dealing with squirrels first.

If you don’t, you could just be shadowboxing and it’s very unlikely you’d get results.

Do ultrasonic pest repellers work on squirrels

It’s easy to know if there are squirrels around you.

First of all, they make a lot of noise when they move about. Squirrels hardly stay in one place and are more active in the day than at night.

The second way you can know you are dealing with a squirrel infestation is footprints.

Now, you might not see footprints on your lawn, but indoors, you can see tiny squirrel prints in places they have passed.

How to identify squirrel poop

Feces are also a useful indicator of squirrel activity around your home.

If you see reddish or brownish curved droppings, you can be almost sure they belong to a squirrel.

This feces come with an awful smell too, a confirmation that you have company.

Does high frequency sound repel squirrels?

Now that you are sure you have a squirrel problem, the next thing you want to do is to take care of it ASAP, right?

Well, ultrasonic repellers can help you with this.

But how do they scare squirrels away or keep them off your property?

Ultrasonic repellers emit a kind of sound known as high frequency sound.

This kind of sound, also known as ultrasonic sound, is above the limit of human hearing.

We humans cannot hear sound above 20khz. Most of the ultrasonic drives emit a sound of about 25khz.

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Can other animals hear ultrasound waves?

This high frequency sound can be heard by pets, pests, and insects alike.

Squirrels around your home will hear ultrasonic sound waves clearly and keep off your home because it scares them.

So yes, ultrasonic sounds repel squirrels as it is irritating to their hearing.

It can cause confusion, disorientation, or even prevent their communication with one another.

High frequency sounds frighten squirrels and since they get scared easily, they won’t stay where they hear these sounds.

Do ultrasonic squirrel devices work?

As explained earlier, ultrasonic repellents work by emitting high frequency sound waves.

These squirrel repellents are emitted in non-repetitive pitches so that the rodent pest doesn’t get used to it and decide to stay.

You have to understand that squirrels are resilient when it comes to their nests.

If they find a conducive environment and they like it enough to build a nest, it’s going to take some hard work to chase them away from such places.

Instead of the high frequency sound waves coming as continuous stream, they come in a beat and tempo way.

Squirrels get confused as they can’t predict the rhythm of the sound and as such can not get comfortable.

An ultrasonic pest repeller get the job done since they hear ultrasonic sounds.

Squirrel repellents do not use chemicals or harmful radiation.

Research from the University of Toledo shows that squirrels can hear ultrasonic sounds around 49kHz.

That’s much more than we can hear, but it will do the job of repelling squirrels.

Do plug in repellents work on squirrels?

Plug in repellents are a kind of ultrasonic pest repeller that has to be connected to a power outlet before they can begin to work.

These devices run solely on electricity, although a few come with a battery option.

Plug in repellents are effective in chasing and eliminating squirrels because they make use of ultrasound technology.

Are plug in repellents better than chemical repellents?

Despite the seeming shortcomings of plug in repellents, they are a better and much safer alternative to chemical repellents.

Chemical repellents don’t last long, especially when they are being used outdoors.

When used indoors, they may last longer but still pose a risk to you and your pets as we would look at later.

For example, when there is a heavy short or thunderstorm, the liquid repellent becomes very ineffective.

You would have to buy another one or reapply the one you have left. But with plug in repellents, it’s not like that.

Plug in repellents are not affected by weather conditions.

In fact, some are even waterproof so that raindrops or humidity do not affect their functionality.

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What are the advantages of using ultrasonic pest repellers?

Ultrasonic pest repellers are the go-to devices that fit homeowners looking to keep their homes pest-free.

You might wonder what makes squirrel repellents so popular?

Why are they more preferred to other pest control methods like poisons or traps?

Here are a couple of reasons why:

Easy to use

Ultrasonic pest repellers are very easy to use, even a child can comfortably operate one.

You just need to plug it into a socket or power outlet or put it under the sun in case it’s solar-powered.

If it uses batteries, just slot in the batteries (some manufacturers provide a free set of batteries with their repellents).

After you do this, switch it on and your pest repellent starts work immediately.

There are no special instructions, no particular set of rules you should follow, and definitely be no long manual for you to read through.

It’s super easy!

Can work on a wide variety of pests

When you buy an ultrasonic pest repeller to combat a squirrel, you’re giving yourself an added advantage.

The device won’t work on squirrels alone, but it would also repel other pests in your home.

One ultrasonic pest repeller can repel squirrels and other rodents without any extra effort!

The reason is that all these other pests are sensitive to high frequency sounds too, so they would also run away from your home due to the irritating effects it has on them.

Completely safe

Ultrasonic pest repellents are one of the safest methods to repel squirrels. It’s like every home owner’s dream.

Why?

Firstly, it does not make use of any harmful chemical.

Chemical repellents, which are mainly composed of harmful chemicals, can pose a danger to your kids and pets indoors.

They might not know what they are looking at is poison, and end up ingesting it.

This could lead to serious internal injuries or death in serious cases.

With ultrasonic pest repellent, you don’t have to worry about things like that.

Even the high frequency sound waves given off by these ultrasonic devices are not harmful to humans.

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No messy cleanup required

When you use ultrasonic pest repellent, you don’t have to do all the dirty work of looking for dead animals or think of how to dispose of them.

Since ultrasonic pest repellents hardly kill animals, you will have no animal corpses turning up at your house and lawn unannounced.

If we were talking about cockroaches and mosquitoes here, this wouldn’t be an issue.

But now, we are talking about squirrels. 

Think of how your child would feel seeing a dead squirrel in the middle of your lawn.

Not to mention the fact that dead squirrels can spread diseases, even more than when they were alive.

Pest repellents simply chase the pest in question away, so the only thing you have to clean up is squirrel feces and any other carnage that has been left behind.

Much easier, right?

Lasts for years

What other pest control method lasts for years?
Most pest control methods require you renew them regularly unless they will stop being effective.

Ultrasonic pest repellers last anywhere from 3 to 5 years.

You can be sure you are going to be protected from squirrels for a long time.

It’s pretty cheap if you think about it: spend say $50-$100 on a device that keeps squirrels from your house for about 3 years.

It’s like a HUGE discount.

These electronic devices don’t take much of your electricity too, as some models consume about 10W of electricity.

How to choose the best squirrel repellent

You cannot afford to use just any kind of ultrasonic repellent when it comes to squirrels.

Ultrasonic squirrel repellents work in different ways, each pest repeller different from the next.

For squirrels, there are certain features your ultrasonic repellents must have.

A strong casing

Squirrels love to chew and gnaw at anything in sight.

If they come across your repellent device, there is every chance they might want to chew on it too.

You have to select a device that can withstand their teeth, one with a strong, durable casing.

Also, do not buy a repellent that comes with a cable as they would definitely ruin the cable for you.

Very high frequency

Going by the research conducted by the University of Toledo, it is advisable to use an ultrasonic repellent that has a frequency of 50khz or higher when dealing with squirrels.

Sometimes, homeowners purchase a repellent with a low frequency and expect it to chase away squirrels the same way it chased away bed bugs.

Squirrels need a repellent with a very high frequency.

Of course, you do not need to worry as the frequencies will not bother you or others living in your home.

As for power, a powerful repellent will be able to emit these high frequencies.

The more powerful a repellent is, the more it can release frequencies that can cover a wider area.

Since squirrels move about a lot, you need a device that can affect them even as they move about your property.

360 degrees coverage

Ensure that any ultrasonic repellent you want to purchase has 360-degree coverage.

This will allow sound to reach the squirrel in any direction.

If it does not come with a 360-degree reach, there may be some areas in which the squirrel will is not able to hear the device.

And when it cannot hear the repellent, likely, it won’t go anywhere.

Bright or flashing lights

Any of these lights on your repellent is an added advantage because they will easily scare squirrels away, even from afar.

If your repellent doesn’t have them, not to worry, it will still do its job efficiently.

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How many ultrasonic devices should I use in a room?

This will depend on how big the room in question is, and what it contains.

You cannot use one ultrasonic device per house, as these devices cannot penetrate walls or ceilings, so each room needs its own repellent.

If you’re concerned about having too many repellents in your house, then you can only put them in areas where you have noticed a lot of squirrel activity.

Generally, if your room measures about 1000 sq. feet, you need just one repeller for it.

How about a big room?

For bigger places like a big garage or garden, you’re going to need either a repellent that can cover 5000 sq. feet at once or 2 to 3 regular pest repellers.

Some devices can cover up to 6000 sq. feet at once, do ensure you check its package before you buy.

Do electronic devices keep squirrels away?

Electronic devices keep squirrels away when they are used correctly.

One way you can help your device to work effectively is to make sure it is not obstructed by anything.

In an attic or garage, it’s easy for the device to be blocked by other things.

Preferably, you should set the pest repellers high above most objects in the room, so sound waves can reach the squirrel in whichever part it is.

If there is a lot of furniture or clutter in the room affected squirrels, tidy the room up so it contains fewer things.

This will help your electronic device to work better and chase those squirrels away in no time.

How to get rid of squirrels without killing them

When using an ultrasonic pest repeller, it’s always advisable to combine them with another pest control method for more efficiency.

You don’t have to physically harm or shoot a squirrel to chase it off your lawn.

In fact, we have other humane methods you can use.

Motion-sensitive sprinklers

Motion-sensitive water sprinklers are a nice way to ward off squirrels without killing them.

The sprinklers use infrared technology to detect squirrel movement from some meters.

When the squirrels are running away from the ultrasonic repellents, they would meet the water sprinklers which would further scare them away.

Plus, water is good to keep your garden fresh!

So, in either case, it’s a win-win for you.

Include certain plants in your garden

While It is true that squirrels can eat almost anything, there are certain plants that they will not come close to.

An example is some of these plants are mint, hyacinth, and daffodils.

Onions and garlic also smell horrible to squirrels, so they would rather avoid places these plants are.

Plant these squirrel repellent crops around your garden or close to trees to prevent squirrels from building their neats.

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Use inorganic mulch

If ground squirrels can’t seem to leave your garden alone, it’s time to use some organic mulch to protect our garden from future damage.

Use pebbles or gravel to cover your garden. Squirrels would find it very hard to dig through a countless number of stones, and will eventually give up and leave your garden alone.

Mulch is also good for your plants as it helps the soil retain moisture for them, reducing dehydration.

Use homemade squirrel repellent

DIY squirrel repellents are another way of chasing squirrels without hurting them.

There are a lot of homemade squirrel repellents you can use.

The important thing is that you have to include a smell squirrels hate in your squirrel repellent spray and you are good to go.

For example, you can use a combination of hot sauce, water, and dish soap in your squirrel repellent spray.

Squirrels hate anything spicy, so the 3-4 ounces of hot sauce or cayenne pepper you’re going to add will chase them away instantly.

It makes the whole mixture more effective.

You can also combine essential oils with dish soap and water to get rid of squirrels.

Just ensure that any method you use is safe for your pets as different pets can be allergic to different substances.

Clear clutter and trash around your house

This last method may not be a squirrel control method per se, but it can help prevent squirrels from disturbing you.

The thing is, if squirrels always find food around your house, they would always come back.

When they forage your trash and find something to eat, they would believe that there’s always food.

Empty your trash from using strong trash cans outside with tight lids.

Clear up any clutter in your garage or attic, so there is no place for them to hide in.

By the time your house is clean and clutter-free, it will be hard for them to come back after being eliminated the first time.

Conclusion

The best time to use your ultrasonic pest repellent is during the day when squirrels are most active.

However, you have to be careful when handling anything that has to do with squirrels. Their mere presence can infect you with diseases.

We advise that you wear a breathing mask when you are going to check for squirrels or install a squirrel repellent, especially in an enclosed space like a basement or garage.

If they are usually outside but do not come into your house, then you don’t necessarily need a breathing mask.

After you have repelled squirrels away from home, there’s one more thing you have to do: disinfect.

You have to disinfect your house as much as you can to prevent you and your pets from getting any disease even when they are no squirrels.

You might notice something unusual when you start using even the best squirrel repellent. Squirrels would start moving around more than they did before.

Why?

Because the sound disturbs them, so they looking for how to escape it.

However, after 3 weeks, you would notice that the devices repel squirrels well and they would gone after a while.

Just be patient, keep your home clean, and soon, you won’t have to see those pesky squirrels!

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