Squirrels have a fantastic sense of smell that helps them source food in both new feeding areas and places they’ve buried some for later usage. So how do they locate their caches of food? Certain smells attract squirrels, which you can use to your advantage.
Squirrels are attracted to the smell of peanut butter, nuts, fruit, vegetables, and plants. These smells attract squirrels because of their instincts to find food. Squirrels have a strong sense of smell and can even find food buried a foot beneath the ground.
These fuzzy creatures may be a nuisance, and some homeowners find them to be a nuisance. So, they bait traps to catch and release them elsewhere.
However, some people want them to visit their yards. So they plant trees, shrubs and set up feeders to attract them.
We’ll guide you on which smells attract squirrels, how to use them, why they attract squirrels, and the best time to use the scents.
The Smells That Attract Squirrels
Whatever your reason is to attract these furry critters, they are easy to entice using smells. Their strong sense of smell combined with their favorite scents should have them running to your house in no time.
If you combine the following aromas, you should have a better chance of attracting squirrels.
#1 Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a squirrel favorite, thanks to its strong scent. The smell of peanut butter lets off signals that it’s full of fat, which squirrels find essential in their diet, and they’re hardwired to detect fatty substances.
Squirrels need fatty substances for energy and other nutritional benefits. In addition, they are attracted to the flavor.
Peanut butter is readily available and super affordable, which makes it a top option to attract these critters.
If you’re looking to trap a squirrel, peanut butter isn’t something they can grab and scurry away with, which makes it an ideal option.
You can entice squirrels further by putting nuts or almond oil onto the peanut butter.
#2 Nuts
Squirrels go nuts over nuts! If you remember Scrat from the movie Ice Age and how he reacts to his precious acorn, real-life squirrels feel the same on both acorns and nuts.
Almonds, white pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, beechnut, and acorns are all excellent options that attract squirrels for the same reason as peanut butter.
Nuts are a staple food for squirrels, so you can’t go wrong with the smell of nuts attracting them.
Strangely enough, unroasted peanuts can have a poisonous fungus that is dangerous to squirrels, so it’s best to avoid them.
Roasted peanuts are okay in moderation, and peanut butter is still acceptable because it has gone through processes.
#3 Fruit
Fruit is also a staple food for squirrels and has an aroma strong enough to attract them for a feast. Fruit gives off a strong sweet smell that’s easy for squirrels to detect.
Berries of all kinds are their favorite, like mulberries, strawberries, and blueberries, and they’ll make an effort to travel to your yard to eat them.
Other favorite fruits they love include oranges, grapes, plums, and peaches.
Fruit also helps with their water intake to quench their thirst.
Pregnant squirrels are wired to look for fruit to give them nutrients and water. If you want squirrels to provide you with a visit, fresh fruit is the way to go, and if you mix them with nuts, even more so.
#4 Vegetables
If you have a veggie garden, the scent will travel and attract squirrels to the yard. Unfortunately, your hard work might be eaten away by the darn critters.
If you don’t have one, putting a few vegetables to munch on will allure squirrels with its earthy scent.
Butternuts, broccoli, zucchini, and carrots are a squirrel’s favorite vegetables, and they would enjoy feasting away at them.
If you want to grow a vegetable garden for squirrels, they would certainly appreciate it, but if you want to keep it safe from them, you’ll need to make a plan to cover the garden.
#5 Plants
Squirrels have a diverse range of foods they like to eat, and if they smell budding plants and flowers in your yard, they’ll surely make an effort to visit.
Springtime is when most plants bloom and bud out from the ground. This is great for squirrels, especially after harsh winter months when it can be challenging to find food.
Plants have chemical compounds that emit aromas to attract pollinators, and squirrels pick up on that. They also like to gnaw on roots and bulbs, which annoys many proud gardeners.
With a combination of other scents, having many plants and flowers around will appeal to squirrels.
How To Use Smells To Attract Squirrels
Now that you know what squirrel’s favorite scents are, you’ll need to use them properly to attract them closer to where you want them to be.
Placing the smells in multiple locations should increase your chances of seeing squirrels flock to the desired place, so you’ll need to pick a few spots to put the smelly treats.
Trees are prime locations and other places they can climb and hide. You can also use a variety of scents to increase the chances of attracting squirrels.
It would help if you grouped the aromas per category instead of mixing them, so keep the nutty smells, fruits, vegetables, and plants separate for greater success.
You should also ensure the scents are well-supplied to increase the scent impact.
Why Smells Attract Squirrels
Squirrels’ strong ability to pick up scents draws them closer as a survival instinct. Their sense of smell is strong enough to find nuts buried a foot underground.
That means it’s easy for them to sense what you keep in your cabinets from outside the house.
Whatever your reason is to attract them, using their impressive sense of smell is an excellent way to go.
The Best Time To Attract Squirrels
Squirrels have a circadian rhythm that makes them more active at certain times, which is when you have the best chance of attracting them with smells.
Squirrels are most active in the morning’s early hours when the sun rises and then again during sunset.
The season also plays a role in squirrel activity. Squirrels are most active in the spring and fall. This is when the trees start to bloom, and
Squirrels are most active in the early morning and evening, especially during fall and spring. This is when it’s easier for them to find food because things bloom and people are planting gardens.
Final Word
The smells of nuts, fruits, vegetables, and certain plants attract squirrels. You’ll better the chances of attracting squirrels by using multiple scents in different locations, placed near trees and locations where they can climb and hide.
Their survival instincts make their sense of smell excellent, and your best chances of attracting them are throughout fall and springtime.
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Sources
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/squirrels