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Re: Squirrels and cayenne pepper

I found Squirrel Away, the British capsicum product sold for mixing with bird food to deter squirrels, utterly useless. The squirrels ate the treated seed just as voraciously as untreated seed, until the feeder was empty, with no apparent ill effect to their digestion or their eyes.

In my piece for London's Evening Standard last year about squirrels, I suggest a few other options:

http://grahamrice.com/currently/standard/columns/311001.html

Does anyone have experience of ultrasonic squirrel scarers? Do they work? Do they deter other creatures as well?

Graham Rice
Northamptonshire UK, and Pennsylvania USA


If anyone has anything to share on this, it would be appreciated...received
it from one of my friends and I don't have any information...

..Hi Donna,

A few years ago there was a story on the above where someone said squirrels
were scratching their eyes out because of cayenne pepper deterrents in the
garden.  I then found scientific info that there were no documented cases of
that happening and in fact I know many mammals have the same endorphin rush
from hot pepper as humans and grow to prefer it (it's in one of the hot
pepper books).

Have you seen anything about the urban myth info as every August on we get
public responses that are a bit irrational.  Animal Control here, and we
have a lot of squirrels, has never seen any case yet.

Kate..

Donna Dawson
Member Garden Writers Association
Proud Media Sponsor of Communities in Bloom
http://www.ICanGarden.com
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