Irish spring squirrel repellant??

[Rick Potter]

My wife just told me of a friend who just bought a case of Irish Spring soap to use as squirrel repellant in his avocado tree. I googled it, found a lot of mention of it, but nothing that was concrete.

Does anyone know if this really works? I have an Avocado tree that has over a hundred fruit growing this year, and a rare SoCal squirrel just moved to my back yard, and ate my apricots. Never had a problem before.

[Von Bickley]

I am not going to comment on what I think you should do about the squirrel. My last comments concerning squirrels did not go well with a few members.

We have learned that red cayenne pepper mixed with bird seed works well with bird feeders.

[Prashun Patel]

There is a lot of lore that cinnamon or fragranced soaps can deter animals. If they work, they work for a short time most of the times. That's my one data point of anecdotal evidence.

[Mel Fulks]

I've heard this addressed by a Phd on an excellent radio show titled In The Garden....these home remedies work for some...and not for others.

[Jerry Bruette]

It seems to keep the deer away from the hostas. We can buy some repellent locally that's made from rotten eggs, and smells like it too, but it needs to be reapplied after it rains.

[Mel Fulks]

I've used Tree Guard ,works well. Expensive. "Worlds most bitter substance" and has a scent tag added to make sure one taste and multiple sniffs are enough.

[Jerry Thompson]

Ah yes Von I remember how racist your were perceived by someone. I was the one who showed people how to get rid of squirrels.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I guess if you throw the bar hard enough @ them & hit them square in the noggin it would work ok...
Rocks would be cheaper though ;) :D

[Rick Potter]

Well, it looks to me like the results are inconclusive. Squirrels are fairly rare here, and it looks like my best bet is a dog treehouse. I watched a video of an obstacle course someone set up for squirrels, and it looks to me like they are smarter than I am, and quicker than my dog.

[Rod Sheridan]

Rick, I have no idea if it works however I suspect you'll have the cleanest squirrels in California.............Regards, Rod.

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

squirrels are rodents and should be dealt with in a manner similar to other rodents.

[Mark Stutz]

Many years ago I was playing golf on a relatively new course. The groundskeepers had tied Irish Spring soap in small mesh bags and placed them on stakes at 6 foot intervals around the greens. Claimed they worked very well to keep the deer away since it was clearly not a smell found in nature.

Doesn't cost much (except a few avocados maybe) to try.