Now that you know the best time to carve your pumpkins so they won’t rot before Halloween, it’s time to move on to the next essential chapter in jack-o-lantern maintenance: How to keep them from becoming squirrel carnage and ruining the carefully curated Pinterest vibe on your front porch.
There are several ways you can keep neighborhood fluffy-tailed rodents off your gourds—here are a few of the most effective.
Make your own pepper spray
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While you can buy mass-manufactured squirrel repellent, you don’t need to. There are many things in your kitchen that fulfill the same function. Hot pepper, for one. Squirrels don’t like capsaicin, the oil in chili peppers that produces a burning sensation in the tissue if humans and other mammals. Dousing your pumpkins in hot sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a liquid mixture of any of those ingredients (or crushed jalapenos, if you have them) with a small amount of water and a dollop of sticky dish soap will make the perfect anti-nibbling spray.
(Take note, however, that this may not be the best solution if you’ve got small children who touch everything in sight. And be sure to apply these substances while wearing gloves to avoid accidental contact with your eyes.)
Put your pets’ shed hair to good use
According to Bob Vila, placing your pumpkins on a blanket your dog or cat has slept on can be an effective deterrent. “Squirrels will be alarmed by the hair and dander, a sign that there may be a potential enemy nearby.” If you’ve got a canine shedder in the house, placing their excess pet hair inside the hollowed gourd could work equally as well.
Employ the power of peppermint, vinegar, or garlic
Squirrels, like people, are not keen on strong whiffs of vinegar. Place bowls inside or around your pumpkins to discourage their approach. (Don’t spray the skin, however, as the acetic acid may damage the fruits’s skin.) They also don’t like the taste of peppermint, so spray the outside with a mixture of peppermint oil and water, or simply place some of grandma’s favorite candies (unwrapped) inside. Stuffing the carved-out center with the strong odor of fresh garlic cloves or coffee grounds for an extra layer of protection.
Don’t go easy when scooping out the guts
Scooping a large pumpkin clean of all its gloopy inner fibers is no small task and you may be tempted to knock off early. But don’t. Carry on until all the seeds, strings, and chunks are removed, to reduce the attractiveness of your jack-o’-lantern to hungry backyard pests. Decreasing moisture inside your gourd will also slow the growth of mold and bacteria.
When all else fails: Get some fake owls
Like a scarecrow in a garden, a fake owl can scare squirrels enough to keep their paws off your pumpkins. As owls are squirrel predators, a decoy can work wonders in getting squirrels to buzz off. Bonus points if you can find an electronic one that hoots, has flashing or glinting eyes, or turns its spooky mechanical head when it detects motion nearby. Squirrels will be scurrying back to their acorns before they even reach your front steps.