Will cayenne pepper keep squirrels away from bird feeders?

Red Section Separator Spicy exchange / 2023 Learn more

Cayenne has been known to deter squirrels from bird feeders due to its capsaicin. When squirrels come into contact with birdseed, the capsaicin irritates their skin and mucous membranes.

Cream Section Separator How does cayenne deter squirrels? Learn more

Free pepper growing guide

Cream Section Separator Not sure where to start? I've put together a 34-page guide to help you grow an abundant harvest. Get the free guide

Yes, cayenne pepper has proven to be an effective squirrel deterrent. Commercial squirrel repellants often contain capsaicin as their primary active ingredient, making it a well-known choice for keeping squirrels away from bird feeders.

[{"selector":"#anim-e54c474f-3e3e-40f7-be82-099b0c3a7fb0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Does it hurt the birds?

Cream Section Separator Rest assured, cayenne and capsaicin are safe for birds in reasonable quantities. Research on capsaicin-treated bird seed has shown that birds are unaffected by its presence and did not reduce their feeding frequency. Learn more

1. Take 1 pound of birdseed. 2. Mix in 3 tablespoons of cayenne powder. 3. Toss the birdseed and cayenne powder together until they are evenly distributed.

[{"selector":"#anim-9e6de907-2f26-4bd2-b99b-cb05b354fdde","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Homemade cayenne spray:

Cream Section Separator 1. Fill a spray bottle with 1 quart (4 cups) of water. 2. Add 2 teaspoons of cayenne powder to the water. 3. Close the spray bottle tightly and shake it well to ensure proper mixing of the cayenne powder with water. 4. Spray your bird seed and bird feeder with the capsaicin spray. Learn more

Any chili powder or chili pepper spray can be a squirrel deterrent, given that it has enough capsaicin. Research has shown that capsaicin concentrated at 40,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units) is effective.

[{"selector":"#anim-8dc6456e-a5c1-4de8-9137-7a8dad99958d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Red Section Separator Learn more

Does cayenne also deter raccoons?

Cream Section Separator Rich in capsaicin, cayenne is an irritant to all mammals, which means it may also deter raccoons from bird feeders, but capsaicin may be a less effective deterrent for raccoons than squirrels. Learn more

Recommended for you

[{"selector":"#anim-f1440111-5f54-4353-afd0-72956eb71306","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d466c56e-6b9b-4611-9d18-ba5fefce4e82","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.84614%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-53c001fd-c679-42e5-9ced-9ce6548195a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-73282963-bd51-47fe-9a8f-f174de48f431","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":400,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61e0dc66-ebf3-43da-ad2a-01cffbf997ac","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.84614%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f31d8457-c0e0-4465-a999-74dd87806d0d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e241af6d-3341-4036-8aeb-96b049b48dbc","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":350,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16fd1d7b-daef-46ae-a33c-d99bf5527b90","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.84614%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0598ac1d-b336-4beb-8d7d-9ec82f1a6cc6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea929fa5-b9c4-4610-9ba2-d309288a2196","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2ab822c3-ab0f-45fe-98a3-37931658212c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.84614%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d216c7a-6601-4672-8bb0-cc4186659190","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a06cc03a-9307-4f71-84ab-0fb36b39c0df","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":250,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-feafb398-0c8e-47da-a185-66369c66a85d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20378696-424b-423b-b5b9-7e0025145502","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-163.67521%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63f1d2ef-8313-40f9-8f2b-f0ce69de7432","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1510a3d-5497-4035-a7f7-e6406726fcf1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-164.52992%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-09da2c3d-008d-4d93-a591-d33ff88cc894","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-664bdf5d-f02c-4282-8b9d-a29d3efba7b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-164.52992%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ad2bafc-c133-47e6-a7fe-8ba326ed74dd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4754b17d-bb06-4785-947c-6343a10ade1b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-170.56075%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] What to do if your pepper plants aren't growing Best companion plants for peppers in 2023 Does pruning pepper plants increase yield? Should you "top" your pepper plants?

Get the free guide to growing chili peppers

The "green thumb" is a myth — with the right information, anyone can successfully grow peppers. Enjoy this free 34-page guide to help you grow an abundant harvest. Cream Section Separator Get the free guide