Ground squirrels are attracted to yards that offer easy access to food, soft soil for digging, water sources, and dense ground cover for shelter. Common attractants include vegetable gardens, bird seed, compost, overwatered lawns, and cluttered landscaping that provides hiding spots.
Ground squirrels can turn a tidy yard into a mess of holes and half-eaten plants. They might look harmless, but their habits create a serious ground squirrel problem, damaging gardens, weakening foundations, and tearing through irrigation lines. If you’re noticing dug-up flower beds, toppled veggies, or chewed-up roots around your yard, they’re likely the culprits.
Many yards unintentionally attract these pests with easy food, soft soil, and convenient shelter. By identifying what’s drawing them in, you can take targeted steps to make your property less appealing. Here’s what’s likely inviting them in and how to make them lose interest.
What Attracts Ground Squirrels to Your Yard
Ground squirrels settle quickly when your yard offers easy food, shelter, and soft ground. Even small changes in landscape or routine can encourage squirrel activity and lead to a growing ground squirrel population.
Fresh Produce and Edible Plants
Ground squirrels are plant-powered little diggers. They go straight for vegetable gardens, ornamental plants, fruit trees, bulbs, and seeds. Tomatoes, strawberries, peas, and even flowers like tulips are all fair game. If you’ve got a lush garden without any protection, it probably looks like an all-you-can-eat bait station to them.
Their sense of smell is sharp, and they’ll sniff out ripening fruit or sprouting veggies from yards away. Once they figure out your garden serves fresh snacks on the regular, they’ll make repeat visits and stash extra food in their burrows nearby.
Bird Seed and Spilled Feed
Bird feeders often serve as unintentional ground squirrel bait. Even “squirrel-proof” models drop seeds that attract persistent rodents. Feeders filled with nuts, cracked corn, or peanut butter blends are especially vulnerable.
Ground squirrels are active feeders and remember consistent food locations. Once established, this behavior reinforces repeated visits and increases the chance of nesting nearby.
Soft, Moist Soil
Overwatered lawns, tilled garden beds, and damp compost piles create soft ground that’s easy to dig into, prime real estate for ground squirrels looking to build a stable burrow system. These areas reduce the energy needed to excavate tunnels and offer structure that won’t collapse while they work.
California ground squirrels are especially drawn to soil that holds its shape, making it easier to develop multiple burrow entrances and deeper chambers underground. These conditions support breeding, food storage, and year-round shelter. If left unchecked, the tunnels can sprawl beneath patios, fences, or garden beds, leading to costly damage and ongoing ground squirrel activity.
Dense Ground Cover and Clutter
They’re prey animals, so ground squirrels look for places that offer protection from predators. Low shrubs, ivy, stacked wood, and dense landscaping make them feel safe. The more places they can hide or run under, the more likely they’ll stick around.
Cluttered or overgrown areas encourage nesting by offering easy routes between ground squirrel burrows and food sources. As the population expands, the yard becomes a network of tunnels, hiding spots, and feeding zones, making it harder to control ground squirrels once established. In many cases, these zones also obscure early signs of damage, delaying intervention and allowing a full ground squirrel infestation to take root.
Easy Water Access
Water bowls for pets, birdbaths, dripping hoses, and shallow puddles are all squirrel hydration stations. In dry climates, even small water sources are enough to attract a thirsty critter looking to settle nearby.
During warmer months, water access becomes a major factor in where they choose to stay. If they find both food and water on your property, that’s a full survival setup—and they’ll stick around for the long haul.
How to Make Your Yard Less Appealing to Ground Squirrels
Once you know what’s drawing them in, your job is to quietly ruin the party. The goal isn’t to destroy your yard, it’s to make it less squirrel-friendly without sacrificing your plants or sanity. Here’s how to shift the vibe from “squirrel paradise” to “nothing to see here.”
Protect Your Plants
Use wire mesh or hardware cloth to line raised beds and garden plots. This adds a physical barrier that ground squirrels will gnaw at but likely fail to breach. Cover seedlings with cages and harvest regularly, ground squirrels will eat anything ripe left out.
Their sense of smell is sharp, and they’re smart enough to remember which yards offer free food. Once they get used to grabbing a snack from your lettuce patch, they’ll keep coming back. That’s why prevention needs to start before harvest time.
Pro Tip: Dig a hardware cloth barrier at least 12 inches deep around garden beds. Ground squirrels will tunnel in from below if the top’s blocked.
Get Smarter with Bird Feeders
Switch to feeders with seed trays or catchers to reduce spill. Clean up dropped feed daily, or move your feeders farther from the garden. If it’s attracting squirrels more than birds, it might be time to take a break from feeding altogether.
It’s not just about the feeder, it’s about what ends up under it. Once squirrels spot reliable food on the ground, they’ll memorize that spot and check it daily. Even one spill can train them to return.
Pro tip: Try filling feeders with safflower seed. Most birds still love it, but squirrels usually hate the taste and stop bothering.
Tidy Up and Reduce Hiding Spots
Trim low shrubs, stack firewood away from the house, and clear debris that could provide shelter. Dense clutter hides holes and supports an expanding burrow system. Clean lines of sight make it easier to see ground squirrel movement and react faster.
Overgrown landscaping offers cover not just for rodents like gophers and tree squirrels, but also hides the signs of tunneling and plant damage. When you reduce shelter, you’re also inviting predators to your yard, and that’s not a bad thing. Natural predators like the hawk can help apply pressure to active ground squirrel populations, making your property less attractive over time.
Pro tip: Lay decorative gravel mulch or crushed stone between garden beds. It’s tough to dig into and removes easy cover without making your yard ugly.
Dry Out the Soil
Let your soil dry between waterings. Avoid overwatering, especially in garden beds where they love to dig. If you compost, keep it sealed or elevated so it doesn’t stay soft and damp.
Loose, moist soil is practically an invitation to start tunneling. They’ll test spots with their front paws and go to town if the ground gives way easily. The drier and more compact the dirt, the less interested they’ll be.
Pro tip: Surround key areas with decomposed granite, lava rock, or crushed oyster shell. These materials are miserable to dig through and help the soil stay dry.
Cut Off the Water Supply
Empty pet bowls, fix dripping hoses, and move birdbaths away from common squirrel paths. These small changes add friction, and that’s what you want. They’ll go elsewhere if food and water aren’t easy to reach.
Water is survival-critical, especially in warmer months or dry regions. If they know your yard provides hydration, that alone might keep them nesting nearby even without food.
Pro tip: Raise water sources off the ground using stands or platforms, and place them on slick or metal surfaces to reduce approach paths.
Should You Use Repellents or Traps for Ground Squirrels?
Once you’ve cleaned up the yard and they’re still hanging around like freeloaders who didn’t get the hint, it’s time to get a little more strategic. Repellents and traps can help, especially when used as part of a multi-layered plan to get rid of ground squirrels and keep ground squirrels from returning.
Natural Repellents
You’ll see a lot of natural deterrents on the market: garlic spray, castor oil granules, essential oils, and even predator urine. These all work by making your yard smell or taste repulsive to squirrels. Some homeowners also add motion-activated sprinklers or ultrasonic noise machines for extra disruption. While they’re not guaranteed to work alone, they help manage ground squirrel behavior when combined with habitat changes.
Consistency is the key. Squirrels adapt fast, so one-time treatments won’t cut it. Rotate repellents, reapply frequently, and always combine them with physical barriers for a real way to get rid of recurring problems.
Pro tip: Castor oil granules work best when applied directly around tunnel entrances and garden beds, then watered in to soak the soil. It changes the soil’s taste and smell, which ground squirrels find unbearable.
DIY Garlic & Pepper Spray:
Combine 2 minced garlic bulbs, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, and 1 quart water. Simmer for 10 minutes, let it cool, strain, and spray generously around plants and burrow sites. Reapply every 3–4 days or after watering.
Live Traps and Kill Traps
Live traps are designed to capture squirrels without harm so you can relocate them. The problem is, relocation laws vary wildly by state, and in many places, it’s illegal without a permit. On top of that, if you don’t fix the original attractants in your yard, trapping just opens up space for a new squirrel to move in. It’s like evicting one roommate and forgetting the lease is still active.
Snap traps are more extreme. These lethal devices are used to kill ground squirrels quickly but raise serious ethical concerns and safety risks, especially for pets or children. While they may be legal in some regions, they should only be used under strict guidelines and with full awareness of local regulations. If you’re considering this method, consult a professional or use secure, enclosed trap boxes in controlled areas.
Pro Tip: If you remove a squirrel using any trap, immediately reinforce the area with deterrents and eliminate food and water access. Otherwise, it’s a revolving door.
Reader Warning:
Lethal traps can cause injury to pets, wildlife, and even humans if misused. Always check your local wildlife laws, use tamper-resistant setups, and avoid placing traps near walkways or open garden beds.
Final Thought: Don’t Make Your Yard a Ground Squirrel Hotspot
Ground squirrels aren’t trying to ruin your life, but they sure know how to test your patience. If your yard checks off their wish list, soft dirt, free snacks, and safe places to hide, they’re going to stick around like they own the place. The trick is understanding what draws them in, and taking steps to push ground squirrels away without turning your yard into a battlefield.
You don’t need to tear up your landscaping or bring in heavy reinforcements. Just be consistent. Clean up clutter, seal off vulnerable areas, and use deterrents with intention. A focused ground squirrel control strategy combines habitat disruption with repellents and traps, making your property harder to settle in.
With a little persistence, you can protect your space from becoming a place where ground squirrels live comfortably. Stay proactive, and your yard can shift from pest magnet to a clean, controlled zone again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ground squirrels dig deep tunnels?
They do. Their burrows can reach 15 to 20 feet in length and several feet deep. That’s more than enough to damage foundations, irrigation systems, and plant roots if left unchecked.
Do ultrasonic devices actually work?
They can help, but don’t rely on them alone. Some squirrels get used to the sound, especially if food and shelter are still available. Use them as part of a larger strategy that includes physical barriers and repellents.
Is it legal to relocate a ground squirrel?
That depends entirely on your state or region. In many areas, relocating wildlife without a permit is illegal. Always check local regulations before trapping or transporting any wild animal.
What smells attract ground squirrels?
Ground squirrels are drawn to the scent of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They’ll also pick up on birdseed, compost, or any sweet-smelling food scraps. If something smells tasty to you, odds are it smells ten times more tempting to them.
Do ground squirrels hibernate?
They do, but it depends on the climate. In colder areas, they enter a state of torpor or true hibernation during winter. In warmer regions, they may stay active year-round, especially if your yard stays cozy and stocked.
