I was having lunch in a Wendy’s parking lot last week and I was watching a squirrel running about collecting walnuts and scurrying off. For some reason, my brain named the squirrel Becky and I was rolling laughing at the cartoon bubble in my mind of an eastern grey squirrel in a bubble vest, leggings, and Wellington rain boots waiting in line at Starbucks for a PSL.

Squirrels love the fall, the trees are dropping their nuts, the competition from birds is starting to dwindle as those birds start to fly farther south, and best of all, human neighbors start making their home and property more inviting with festive fall decorations. 

Now, before you all call me a fall humbug, let me tell you I am a huge fan of halloween and all things fall. But, I would be skirting my duties if I did not warn you about the potential concerns that come with your harvest and halloween decor. Here are four ways we unknowingly make our homes and properties more inviting to squirrels and their nuisance wildlife friends.

Straw Bales

They are the Norman Rockwell-esque image of fall in the United States. Right under a big round orange pumpkin, these bales of dried grasses are synonymous with fall. But those bales can cause more problems than you may wish if they are too close to the home. Take it from a guy who buys a half dozen straw/hay bales a month. It is next to impossible to have a large pile of straw bales without it including a few bales that are home to a half dozen mice. 

When I was in the pest management industry in Minneapolis, I serviced a chain of grocery stores that lined the front of their stores with straw bales every October and November. When the bales were put out, inevitably I would get an increase of calls for mice being spotted in the entry and exits of the store. We would increase our traps, and set out bait stations every year, but it never solved the problem that the stores were quite literally shipping mice to their 14 locations. I would tell corporate management every year to move the bales away from the entrances, and they never listened. It has been almost 6 years since i have been in one of those stores, but I can bet you pretty confidently they have straw bales out right now and the current technician handling those accounts is starting to get an eye twitch.

By keeping the bales you purchase to spruce up your porch, yard, or driveway for fall a minimum of 10 feet from any door or entry, you can greatly decrease the likelihood of hitchhiking mice entering your home. I also recommend giving the bales a good sturdy shake at the feed store/farm you purchase them from to shake out any unwanted residents.

Pumpkins/Gourds

When I was living in a suburb south of Minneapolis, I had a decent sized halloween display I would put in the yard each year.We even made the local news a couple times (https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/11/01/richfield-man-hosts-costume-drive-outside-his-home/)  I would start the two month process of  assembling characters, installing temporary fences, running wires, lighting, and curating the viewing experience as early as Labor Day to ensure “the show” was ready for the night of the 31st. The LAST items to go into the display were always the pumpkins. I learned the first year we started our halloween tradition that if I put the pumpkins out before the week of halloween, the squirrels, mice, birds, and raccoons would all give thanks for the bounty I had provided. It did not matter if they were carved or uncarved. Those little gluttons would feast all night on my pumpkins and gourds and leave me with nothing but seeds and stems by morning. (reminds me of an old roommate).

If you are going to put out gourds and pumpkins this fall, there are some colloquial methods online to deter consumption of your decor such as :

Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 small bottle of hot sauce. Add a drop or two of cooking oil. Fill a spray bottle with the mixture, then coat your pumpkins with it. The hot pepper will repel squirrels when they try to bite into your pumpkins.

I can not speak to the efficacy or reliability of these treatments, but it is better than putting them out without any sort of deterrent.

Cornstalks

Along with pumpkins and straw bales, the third most common fall decor item is going to be the corn stalks. Cut at ground level and bound together with baling wire or twine, it is common to see these 6 foot or higher collections of dried corn stalks tied to trees, or leaning up against homes and doorways. Before you do that this year, take some advice from a professional. CUT THE EARS OFF!

It does not detract from the visual of the stalks, and it prevents the stalks from becoming an attractant and food source. My wife can tell you a great story of me going out to get a package off our front step once and a squirrel jumping off of the constalk and flying over my head causing me to question the sanitation level of my undergarments.

Also, if you have them leaning against structure, please ensure that they are not positioned in a way that could assist squirrels, raccoons, or other nuisance wildlife from using the stalks as a ladder to gain access to your roof and possibly entering your home.

Decorations

Along with making sure corn stalks are not being used as access ladders, be aware of any lights, strings, or decorations that create a transport route from the ground to your home or from trees to your home. I will reiterate the last bullet point. You do not want to give squirrels and raccoons easy access to your roof this time of year. They are looking for a dry, warm place to spend the winter and will take advantage of any weakness in your soffits, facia, vents, and chimney to find that safe place to spend the winter. 

Also, please know, though fake spider webbing can be a fantastic visual. The material they make the bags of webbing out of is more than ideal for mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, and other nuisance rodents to use to line and insulate their nests with. It takes both hands for me to count how many rodent nests I have found in garages that include the fake spider web material, one of those nests even still had a little plastic spider in it. Please don't make me have to take my boots off to count this tally next year.

So there ya have it. I am not saying don't decorate your home, yard, or property. Go at it, go big! But just be mindful of the potential attraction, feeding, and harborage potential you may be bringing onto your property. Thanks for taking the time to read this, please share with your friends if you found the information valuable.

Till Next Time… See Ya Folks.