Owls play an important role in controlling the number of small mammals in our environment by preying on them. Since squirrels are small mammals, the question may arise: do owls scare squirrels or are they hunting them?
Birds of prey or animals that prey on animals are afraid of birds of prey or animals because they can become the prey of predatory animals at any moment.
Squirrels come to many houses like ours and do a lot of mischief, like destroying crops, cutting clothes, and destroying furniture. So, we keep looking for ways to keep squirrels away from our house.
If an owl is near our house or a fake owl is kept, the squirrels will be afraid of the owl and go elsewhere.
Contents
Do owls scare squirrels?
Owls are efficient birds of prey; their feather formation is such that they can fly silently and easily reach their prey. Owls can hunt and eat all kinds of small mammals, including bats.
Small species of owls cannot hunt and eat squirrels, but all medium- to large-sized species of owls easily prey on squirrels, which is why squirrels fear owls.
However, owls have to be more careful when catching a squirrel than when catching other prey because squirrels are very clever and can very efficiently climb trees or any platform at high speed.
Squirrels are very wary of their surroundings, alert to the slightest sound or movement of a predator, and seek a nearby haven.
Below are the names of several species of owls that prey on squirrels:
- Barn Owl
- Barred Owl
- Eastern Screech Owl
- Northern Saw-whet Owl
- Great Horned Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Snowy Owl
- Short-eared Owl
- Northern Hawk Owl
Do fake owls scare squirrels?
Squirrels are known to be very clever animals, they are not easily fooled. But sometimes squirrels can be scared away by showing fake owls, but for that, we have to adopt some methods.
To scare squirrels with a fake owl, you need to choose the fake owl very well so that the owl looks like a real owl.
You have to place the fake owl where the squirrels travel so that they can see the owl.
You will need to change the location of the fake owl every few days so that the squirrels do not get used to the fake owl.
Using multiple fake owls makes it easier to repel squirrels, and it works better if the fake owls can move or make noises in some way.
How to scare away squirrels, but not birds?
While many of us love squirrels, they can be very disturbing to us at times, so we keep looking for ways to keep them out of our homes.
Just as many people use garden owls to scare birds, so many people use fake owls to scare squirrels.
Since owls harm us less than squirrels and most of us hang bird feeders in front of our houses to enjoy the birds eating, since most of the time squirrels eat the bird’s feed, we find ways to repel squirrels.
Many of us use fake owls or fake hawks to scare squirrels. Since birds fear them, we look for ways to scare away squirrels without birds.
You can use owl decoys to repel squirrels without birds, so you need to place owl statues in the path of squirrels.
Squirrels have certain odors that they cannot tolerate, so you can use vinegar or garlic juice to repel squirrels.
Do fake owls scare birds?
Yes, fake owls can scare the birds but you should take some approach to that. You select fake owls that look like originals.
Change the location of the fake owl every few days because if you keep a fake owl in a certain place for a long time, the birds will think it is a fake.
There are now some fake owls available for purchase that bob their heads, using these fake owls will look real and scare the birds away.
However, not all species of birds are afraid of owls, especially some large species of birds or some birds of prey.
Are squirrels afraid of owls?
Squirrels are afraid of any animal larger than them, especially animals that are likely to become prey.
If a squirrel sees the shadow of a bird flying in the sky, they become alert and try to find out what the shadow is.
Squirrels are very smart and can run fast, which is why they run if they think predatory animals are about to be attacked.
Most species of owls prey on squirrels, which is why squirrels fear owls and prefer to stay away from them.
FAQs
Q. Do fake owls keep squirrels away?
Ans: Yes, fake owls can keep squirrels away, but you have to place the fake owls in the right place.
Q. Will an owl statues keep squirrels away?
Ans: Yes, owl statues can keep squirrels away, so if you set the owl statues to move automatically, it works well.
Q. Do plastic owls scare away squirrels?
Ans: There are several plastic owls available in the market that can be used to repel squirrels.
Q. What are squirrels afraid of?
Ans: Squirrels are afraid of any predatory animal.
Conclusion
I hope you like the answer to the question, do owls scare squirrels, mentioned above?
Owls and squirrels are both necessary for our environment. The intelligence of squirrels and their variety of activities fascinate us.
They eat the food we provide for the birds, which the birds do not get at all, which is why we have to arrange squirrel repellent.
Every squirrel can follow what one squirrel does, plus they can store food so they can carry it once they find it. They also scare away birds, preventing them from getting near their food.
Currently, squirrels have become almost extinct animals in some countries, so we need to focus on them so that they can live a healthy life.
