What smells good for you may smell awful to a rodent like a squirrel. They may hate it so much that they will stay away from areas where this odor is present. So, do coffee grounds keep squirrels away?
Why are there mixed opinions on this subject? Do coffee grounds attract pests? If you try to get rid of squirrels with coffee grounds, you may invite other insects or animals over.
We need to verify and clarify to figure out right now in this article whether or not, “Do Coffee Grounds Keep Squirrels Away?”
Do Coffee Grounds Keep Squirrels Away?
Yes. Squirrels despise the scent of coffee grounds. This is one of the pungent odors that keeps squirrels away. Unfortunately, the mixed results come from people who may or may not have spread enough of it around areas where they do not want squirrels to roam.
Also, the smell can dissipate after some time. You will need to continue spreading coffee grounds everyday or every other day for the desired effect of keeping squirrels away.
Cockroaches may end up building an attraction to coffee grounds. Most rodents and pests will not go near it.
How Do You Get Rid of Squirrels With Coffee?
This is simple. Take the remaining coffee grounds from your coffee maker and bring it outside to your garden. Flip the filter upside down and dump the grounds on the ground or on other surfaces where you wish to keep rodents like squirrels, mice and rats away.
Rabbits, slugs, snails and other critters will also keep their distance. You should spread it out to where the coffee grounds are at least a half an inch to 1 inch thick.
Spread the coffee grounds all over the surface of the soil on potted plants as well. Squirrels will have to find another location to dig up. Keep in mind, coffee grounds get messy and the wind can blow them around your property, leading you to sweep up more often.
What Is the Best Way to Repel Squirrels?
Coffee grounds may not actually be the best choice for repellents to keep squirrels away. Using coffee grounds is convenient if you drink a morning cup of joe and have the leftovers sitting around in the coffee maker.
Try a combination of other strategies to repel squirrels. Here are some tips:
- Predator urine sold in stores or ammonia to mimic this frightful aroma
- Peppers contain capsaicin
- Peppermint oil on cotton balls on in a spray bottle with water
- Vinegar and water spray
- Scarecrows or large owls statues
- Ultrasonic high frequency noise repellents
- Motion sensor light
- A dog or cat
What’s great about spicy peppers with capsaicin is that squirrels, mice and rats will keep their distance, but you will not affect the birds who can’t taste capsaicin. Your plants and soil will also not be harmed if you choose to sprinkle paper powder to deter rodents.
Do Squirrels Like the Smell of Coffee Grinds?
No! Squirrels hate the smell of this bean. They will keep their distance and continue foraging for food away from coffee scents. Sprinkle coffee grounds all over the garden and see how rodents like squirrels, mice and rats stay away once for all.
You can also try spraying hot pepper spray on the plants. This is what I do. I cover the soil on potted plants with coffee grounds and I spray the plants themselves with pepper spray or peppermint oil mixed with water.
Pests, critters, flying insects and even my own dog stays away from these areas to allow my plants to grow freely without being disturbed.
What Animals Do Coffee Grounds Keep Away?
Many animals will stay far away from coffee grounds. The smell is repulsive to them.
Here are some example of animals that will definitely keep their distance from the smell of freshly used coffee grounds:
- Slugs
- Snails
- Rabbits
- Rats
- Mice
- Squirrels
- Raccoons
- Cats
- Fire ants
- Wasps
- Fleas
We don’t wish to include cats on this list, but my neighbor’s feline friend likes to treat our yard as her personal litter box. Sorry kitty, but the coffee grounds we sprinkled over the lawn and garden are now going to force you to search for another location to relieve yourself!
Do Coffee Grounds Attract Rats?
No. Coffee grounds do just the opposite. Rats are repelled by the scent of coffee grounds. There is nothing inviting about the smell of this bean that has been used to create your morning cup of goodness.
Household pests and other rodents also hate this aroma. This is why we sprinkle coffee grounds on locations where we want to keep pests away for good. Coffee grounds are convenient for anyone who brews their own coffee in the morning.
Don’t throw this stuff away. Use it as a weapon to safeguard your property and garden from nuisance pests like squirrels or rats who wish to dig holes and invite other parasites into your fortress and sanctuary.
What Can I Use Old Coffee Grounds For?
Coffee grounds are useful and do not need to be thrown away just yet. Now that you’re satisfied with your morning cup of joe, it’s time to use the leftover coffee grounds for more purposes.
You can consider the following uses for coffee grounds and see which areas you think will benefit from them:
- Plants get fortified and protected from pests.
- Fridges gets deodorized and smell fresher.
- Tools can be cleaned with them.
- Coffee grounds can hide scratches on furniture.
- Give Paper an antique look.
- Sprinkle some in ashtrays.
Smell coffee grounds in between smell tests to reset your olfactory senses in your nose. This is used in many fragrance shops when trying out their different perfumes and colognes on a strip of paper.
What Smells Keep Squirrels Away From Bird Feeders?
You can use certain smells to keep squirrels off your birdfeeder, but the birds themselves will not be too bothered. This is a win-win situation. Consider using the following:
- garlic
- onions
- peppermint
- cinnamon
- lemongrass
- clove
Spread or sprinkle along the base and pole of the bird feeder. You can also consider purchasing baffles that wrap around the poles to deter squirrels from climbing up. This will keep mice and rats away too.
Do Coffee Grounds Hurt Birds?
Coffee grounds will not be ingested by birds unless by accident. If coffee grounds get mixed into their saucer of seeds, it can be harmful. Birds should not stay away from anything caffeinated including:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
The caffeine can cause distress such as:
- Arrhythmias
- Hyperactivity
- Cardiac arrest
Do Coffee Grounds Keep Dogs Away?
Yes. Dogs are silly investigators. They can tell a lot about the world around them by simply following their nose. My favorite canine companion goes to the same spots every morning and checks out what kind of activity occurred in this area when she was at home with me.
She smells and sometimes digs the area. This spot could be where flowers or vegetation that we don’t want disturbed could be growing.
In order to keep dogs away from these spots, sprinkle coffee grounds and watch how the dog sneezes or rubs his or her paw over the nose to indicate the disgust of taking in such a distasteful odor.
What Keeps Squirrels Away From Plants?
Plants can keep squirrels away from other plants. Yes. This is true and you can get strategic about the spacing and placement of your favorite plants in between repulsive plants that rodents like squirrels hate such as:
- Allium flowers
- Daffodils
- Snowdrops
- Hyacinths
- Marigolds
If you plant garden crops, tulips or geraniums, you are attracting squirrels. Consider some repelling plants around those as a barrier to entry. Also sprinkle some coffee grounds and pepper powders for an added touch of security.
Conclusion
You are here because you want to keep squirrels away. You wish to use coffee grounds because you have some lying around after drinking your morning beverage or someone told you that it works. It does.
- You must continue spreading coffee grounds frequently because the odor dissipates. You may also dislike the mess of coffee grounds. It works. But, you must try harder than this.
- You should inspect your property and find out how squirrels are entering and limit these entry points. This could include trimming bushes or branches. You should also seal any cavity holes or entryways that lead into your home, garage or shed.
- Inspect the roof for damage like warped drip edges, damaged eaves, cracked soffit and block vents or chimneys with steel mesh. Squirrel proof your bird feeder with baffles or wrap aluminum foil around it.
- Chicken wire also protects your garden and so does sprinkling pepper powders. Coffee grounds are one solution to a multi pronged strategy of keeping squirrels and other rodents away.
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