Pear trees (Pyrus spp.) grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9 and are visited by various pests including squirrels. These fuzzy creatures can consume fruit, leaves, buds and the bark of the pear tree. Sprays with a pungent odor and unpleasant taste are well known for their ability to repel animals -- such as squirrels -- away from the pear tree without harming the critter. Some sprays are available for purchase while others can be made using common household ingredients.
Hot Pepper Spray
Hot pepper spray is an all-purpose animal repellent that keeps various species of critters from munching on your vegetables, fruits and plants. Hot pepper spray can be made with fresh hot peppers -- such jalapenos -- or with bottled hot sauce. One recipe calls for boiling one jalapeno, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper and one onion in 2 quarts of water for 20 minutes before straining the mixture through cheesecloth. Another option is diluting one part hot sauce with 10 parts water. Water washes the hot pepper spray off the pear tree so you must reapply it after rainy weather.
Egg White spray
A repellent spray made of egg whites, water and soap has shown to work in repelling a variety animals from the garden. Make a solution of 20 percent egg whites to 80 percent water. Separate the egg whites from the yolk, making sure to remove the whitish membrane from the white so it doesn't clog the sprayer. Mix the whites and the water, stirring thoroughly together and then add a squirt of regular non-degreasing dish soap to act as a sticker. Spray the tree with the solution during late afternoon and repeat the application every 30 days as needed.
Although not a spray, blood meal will deter squirrels from running up the pear tree when sprinkled around the base of the tree. Blood meal contains an abundance of nitrogen and is commonly used as a fertilizer. The smell of blood meal keeps animals away from the pear tree, but unfortunately, humans are then also subjected to the unpleasant blood meal odor. Another option is to fill stockings with the blood meal and hang them from the pear tree branches to repel squirrels.
Several commercial products that contain natural ingredients -- such as pepper, vinegar and garlic -- are available at home improvement stores and garden centers. Denatonium and thymol are two active ingredients in commercial animal repellents. These bitter compounds can be sprayed on the pear tree foliage and fruits to deter squirrels from consuming them. Before using any chemical repellent, make sure it is safe for use on fruit trees and follow the specific instructions for that repellent.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Wildlife Frequently Asked Questions
- University of Wisconsin Extension: Ground Squirrels Their Ecology and Control
- Penn Live: Squirrels Eating the Decorations
- North Dakota State University Extension Service: Squirrels
- The Wildlife Rescue League: The Eastern Gray Squirrel: Furry-tailed Daredevil or Devil With a Furry Tail?
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Nuisance Wildlife Repellent Handbook
- United States Environmental Protection Agency: Thymol
- Colorado State University Extension: Squirrel Damage to Trees
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