Powdered hot peppers can be a deterent, beyond that I've really not seen much that will keep a determined squirrel from doing what it wants.

Thank you for the reply. What form can I find powdered hot peppers in? Are they sold in the super market as such or is there a product/brand name that has them as a main ingredient?

Cayenne pepper (the powdered spice) can be purchased in large containers at such places as Costco or Sam's. I've found it very useful in keeping squirrels and chipmunks out of containerized plants. I've never bothered with it in the garden areas.

Thank you rhizo -

Now for the difficult part. Will Cayenne pepper harm my plants or trees?

Nope. It won't.

Thank you folks!!!

I use peppermint OIL. Squirrels are allergic to it, so they stay away from it. I just mix a few drops of "Essence of Peppermint Oil" with water in a sprayer, and I spray anything I don't want them around. It is very strong and can sting your eyes, so be careful. It also makes everything smell like peppermint, but I like that. The only negative is that you need to spray every couple of days. Try it. You can buy it on the internet.

Powdered hot peppers do not harm squirrels or get in their eyes. They can smell it from far away and don't get close enough for it to be harmful. Don't use pepper spray. It's too diluted to be useful. And it probably would harm a squirrel if it's sprayed right in their face, so if you don't want to harm the animal, don't do that. There are better ways to kill a squirrel if that is your goal.

I have had success with soaking strips of cloth in a 50/50 tabasco sauce/water mix. I lay them on the inside of the pots. As mentioned above, I think the smell keeps them away. You can get generic tabasco at big box stores.