What Frightens Squirrels? Top 6 Fears Explained!
Squirrels are tiny animals belonging to the Sciuridae family. They are very clever, intelligent, and have a proactive approach. Due to their extraordinary sensory powders, they can judge the danger easily. Squirrels develop some natural fears around them, and they catch signals easily about specific dangers. I have noticed the quick escape of squirrels in some specific situations. And I was always curious about What Are Squirrels Afraid of?
After observing squirrels’ behavior and through research, I have figured out some situations that frighten squirrels. Most of the time, squirrels get frightened by unusual human behaviors and the things around them. Furthermore, predators also frighten squirrels with their attacking behavior. Most of the time, squirrels escape before the predator attacks due to their prompt response and high sensory powers.
Summary
What Frightens Squirrels? Squirrels are beautiful, sharp-minded small creatures with strong senses. Their strong signaling makes them alert to some changes around them, and they get alert and frightened.
The most common frightening factors are loud noises, sharp lights, human behavior, some changes, and predators. All these factors frighten the squirrels, and they always avoid such places where these things happen to them.
What Are Squirrels Afraid Of?
Squirrels are afraid of predators and unusual human behaviors. Factors that scare a squirrel are:
Loud Noise
Squirrels are sensitive and have excellent hearing power; they can hear small noises. They get frightened by loud noises, which creates an alarming situation for them. These loud noises may be from fireworks, any maintenance work, pressure horns, loud human voices, or music on loudspeakers. Thunderstorm noise also scared the squirrels, and they hid themselves.
Moreover, if you want to keep squirrels away from your garden or home, you can use this technique. This will solve your problem without hurting the squirrels.
Bright Lights
Squirrels get frightened by bright lights due to their sensitive eyes. Whenever they face heavy lightning, they escape or hide in the safest place. These bright lights may be from flashlights, high beams, and from thunderstorms. I have installed a motion sensor light in my garden. I have noticed that squirrels also get frightened by a sudden light source.
Despite using some harmful techniques to deter squirrels, you can use bright lights to keep them away. If you are having pet squirrels, then do not turn on bright lights, especially at night. This will create discomfort and scary situations for them.
Humans Behavior
Squirrels mostly feel threatened by humans, and they do not come closer. But sometimes they become friendly when you feed them. Although they become friendly with humans, human behavior makes them scared. The sudden movements, loud noise, and unusual activities frighten the squirrels, and they run away to save themselves.
Unfamiliar Objects
Squirrels have sharp minds and strong memories. They remember everything around them. When there’s a slight change in their surroundings, they notice them and feel scared. For example, When you place a scarecrow in your garden, it will definitely frighten the squirrels.
Change in the Environment
Squirrels notice and remember small things, and a slight change in the environment makes them alert. When you remove trees or branches from your garden, squirrels notice a change. This will frighten them, and they will avoid these places.
Predators
Squirrels keep their sensors active to keep them safe from predators. The natural predators of squirrels are owls, dogs, hawks, cats, and snakes. If you have a pet dog or cat at home, squirrels will never come within your home vicinity. Similarly, if they observe a snake movement in the garden, they always try to avoid that place.
Are Squirrels Afraid of Cats?
Yes, squirrels are afraid of cats because cats are natural predators of squirrels. Squirrels never risk their lives over food. They keep themselves alert and focused when they notice any of their predators at that place. Furthermore, they also sense the passage of their predators from specific places through their urine or smell.
Conclusion
Squirrels are very clever and have strong senses. They get afraid when they notice any unusual activity around them, like loud noise, lights, some changes, and the presence of predators. Hopefully, you get your answer regarding What Frightens Squirrels? You can use these frightening factors as strategies to repel the squirrels from your gardens.
