# Can a decent laser pointer deter squirrels?



## sweatybetty

Here's an odd question for you all, although probably one of the few really practical uses for a laser pointer... I have a short garden backing onto woodland (in the UK), and we have a major problem with squirrels damaging the lawn and flower beds. I have an air rifle and a catapult, and have shot several in my garden in the past, but there’s a public footpath in the woods and I don’t want to get into trouble, plus I don't really enjoy shooting them (no flaming please). Would a reasonably powerful laser pointer give a squirrel enough of a burn or a scare to make it think twice about coming into my garden? I know they are quick learners
Thanks in advance


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## gravelmonkey

You're kind of stuck with them to be honest, a laser powerful enough to deter a squirrel will probably cause lasting damage and be cruel. It's illegal to release greys once if you've trapped them as they're a pest. Even if you deter one, there are probably hundreds more of the buggers in the woods!

You can get various PIR controlled water sprinklers and electronic deterrents, but I'm yet to see any solid evidence they are effective. Our squirrel problem was solved when we got a dog, it's amazing how quickly squirrels disappear over the fence when there's 30kg of hungry hound chasing after them!


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## subwoofer

gravelmonkey said:


> You're kind of stuck with them to be honest, a laser powerful enough to deter a squirrel will probably cause lasting damage and be cruel. It's illegal to trap and release greys as they're a pest and there are probably hundreds more of the buggers in the woods!
> 
> You can get various PIR controlled water sprinklers and electronic deterrents, but I'm yet to see any solid evidence they are effective. Our squirrel problem was solved when we got a dog, it's amazing how quickly squirrels disappear over the fence when there's 30kg of hungry hound chasing after them!



I'd have to agree about the laser being cruel. Either kill outright of deter by sound or scent or pet.

It is perfectly legal to trap squirrels as long as you don't release them. I too have issues with limited safe shooting direction, and frequently trap squirrels and then use the air rifle to despatch them in the trap. Quick, safe and efficient.


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## Capolini

Get a Siberian Husky W/ an "Invisible fence".....I assure you that will resolve the problem! If the squirrels get close enough the Husky will eventually kill them or at least keep them at bay!

I have a Siberian as my pic. demonstrates,they have a VERY high prey drive for small animals.


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## Stillbreathing

Try a regular pointer/laser, and see what happens. I live "in the sticks". On two occasions I've used an ordinary laser pointer to scare off a full grown hog, and on another occasion, it scared off a very large boxer. The big sow was rooting up our pasture, and the laser light on her eyes (during the daytime) really buggered her; she took off at a full run. The big dog also reacted in the same manner.............took off at a full run. A laser may or may not work on squirrels, but I'd give it a try. Oh.......the dog belonged to the people next door, and his eyes were fine after the brief laser flash.


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## Str8stroke

Just curious as to why you don't want the squirrels? 

I have several & feed them. Kinda like the little critters. As long as they don't chew on the house. I did have a small issue with that. Thats why I put the food at the far end of my property. That kept them in that zone. 
Don't think that I didn't consider deploying the air rifle on a few of them. They tore a nice hole in my stucco attempting to gain access to my attic.

I even had one that had a white tail. It was so cool. It would go between me & my neighbors houses. Then one day the UPS truck won the zig zag race.  My security cameras caught the whole incident. Darn near made me cry. The driver didn't even stop. "UPS, Got a Package People!"

Youtube has some funny squirrel vids. That one where the guy lures them onto his deck feeder that launches them is pretty darn funny. A bit cruel, but funny none the less. 

:naughty:


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## Capolini

*Str8stroke* 
Just curious as to why you don't want the squirrels? 
____________________________________________________________________________________________

The OP answered that in post 1!!!

Squirrels are rodents! Did you ever have one in your house? I had several before I got Capo. They can be very destructive and people have actually died from electrical fires caused by them chewing wires! To me they are a nuisance!! You and I have different views with different experiences on them which is fine!​


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## Arilou

The squirrels digging in the trash can be quite a nuisance. I've tried scaring them off with lasers and it was not effective. The squirrels saw the light, but just crouched down as if they were hoping I wouldn't see them.


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## rattletrap1970

Squirrels killed my next door neighbor (well, before I bought my house). They built a nest in his chimney and when the heat came on in the fall the couse filles up with Carbon Monixide and he made it to the stairway landing. This was told to be my the next door neighbor that bought the house.


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## Fireclaw18

I'd recommend against using a laser on squirrels. It would be very cruel if you blind them.

On another note I'm finding it hard to visualize the original poster hunting squirrels with a catapult.


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## bright star

I had them in my garage, and can honestly say I had one heck of a problem getting rid of them. Called the city and they agreed to come and get them. However when I pointed out that the mother is here in the garage too they refused to take them. I was like what why not ? She stated that we cannot separate the babies from the parents. And then I pointed out how would you like these little critters in your house I'm sure you would not like them. Long story short she called her supervisor and they agreed to take them out. And then pointed out that you could release them no more than 3 miles from the house. I was like whatever just please get rid of them :twothumbs


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## Str8stroke

Capolini said:


> *Str8stroke*
> Just curious as to why you don't want the squirrels?
> ____________________________________________________________________________________________
> 
> The OP answered that in post 1!!!
> 
> Squirrels are rodents! Did you ever have one in your house? I had several before I got Capo. They can be very destructive and people have actually died from electrical fires caused by them chewing wires! To me they are a nuisance!! You and I have different views with different experiences on them which is fine!​




I think you misinterpreted my question. lol I am not beyond dispatching them safely if they become a hazard to people or property. I was trying to offer a alternative because some folks don't want to kill them. Also, I am very much opinionated about injuring a nuisance animal to attempt to deter it. I just can't condone injuring a animal because it may be damaging my attic. I feel it should be relocated, if possible, or dispatched in a safe & humane way. I liken it to a hunter who kills just for the kill and leaves the meat behind, kills out of season or kills over limit. 

I also have 2 cats now, they are indoor/outdoor and I feed the squirrels on the edge of my property. This have solved my rodent problems. 

ratteltrap1970, I don't think the squirrel killed your neighbor, I think ignorance did. Its kinda like if you had worn out brakes on your car, but refused to do the proper maintenance. Then one day the brakes don't work and you wreck. Did the brakes cause the wreck or ignorance?? See what I mean? 

So anyways, did you guys go look at some of the videos of folks trying to get rid of squirrels?? Some funny stuff there. The squirrel, as you know, can be one hard critter to get rid of. 

The most difficult home nuisance that I have come across getting rid of is Honey Bees! They got into my wall and built a hive. I fought with them for about 2 months! Everyone I called wouldn't or couldn't help. I ended up having to fully abate the wall they got into. It was a mess! I tried everything. But I didn't try zapping them with a laser. If it ever happens again, I am gonna put the Tmack on them!


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## Illum

Lasers seem to have little to no effect to squirrels, but its very effective on crows. Only way lasers can be an effective squirrel repellent would be mounting the laser to an air gun. The local squirrels seem completely blind to 520 and 532nm Lasers


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## Arilou

Illum said:


> Lasers seem to have little to no effect to squirrels, but its very effective on crows. Only way lasers can be an effective squirrel repellent would be mounting the laser to an air gun. The local squirrels seem completely blind to 520 and 532nm Lasers



The air gun would only work if you actually shoot the sqirrels.

The squirrels can see the laser, and they can see me coming. They just try to hide in the trashcans and wait for me to go away.


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## idleprocess

I don't know about the situation in the UK, but in the US squirrels are overpopulated in cities and suburbs due to lack of predation; go out into the country and they're both sparse and incredibly evasive _because they're the *survivors*_. As such it's hard to feel too bad about hunting them when they become a nuisance due to overpopulation.

But if the OP doesn't want to hunt them, I second the idea of getting some sort of predatory animal to dissuade them. A cat or dog may never catch one, but squirrels will quickly learn to avoid the area and when they forget will be chased out again.


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## alpg88

where i live we call them rats with tails. in a winter time they climb under the hood of cars (warm engine) and chew wires, few of my neighbours cars got damaged this way. 
the problem here is that there is so much garbage around, and also people feeding them, i do not think we'll ever get rid of them. dogs do scare them away, but i still would not count on them 100%. squirrels can climb trees\poles fast and can run on overhead wires. i saw some untrasonic repelents in stores, but have no clue how good they work, i had a ultrasonic roach repeller once, roaches lived inside that device, with it being on 24\7. lol


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## mcnair55

sweatybetty said:


> Here's an odd question for you all, although probably one of the few really practical uses for a laser pointer... I have a short garden backing onto woodland (in the UK), and we have a major problem with squirrels damaging the lawn and flower beds. I have an air rifle and a catapult, and have shot several in my garden in the past, but there’s a public footpath in the woods and I don’t want to get into trouble, plus I don't really enjoy shooting them (no flaming please). Would a reasonably powerful laser pointer give a squirrel enough of a burn or a scare to make it think twice about coming into my garden? I know they are quick learners
> Thanks in advance



You have a problem if that footpath is within 50 feet of your property you cannot use your rifle,forget about the laser as you will have all the yoghurt knitters and tree hugger,s informing the green party on you.

If you can use your rifle head shot only for dispatch and the red squirrel is a protected species in the UK so the US&A grey only you can shoot.


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## Arilou

Those ultrasonic repellents annoy people more than rodents.


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## markr6

I have a green laser than goes pretty far even in daylight. It doesn't seem to affect the stray cats or birds at all when I tried it just inches on the ground in front of them. I guess they can't even see it!

I really like squirrels, so I let them be. But that's easy for me since they don't cause any problems. That would change if they started doing costly damage on my property. Chipmunks...that's another story! They caused $8000+ by digging under and sinking my last driveway. Luckily I just moved before repairing it. At my old house, I would catch them in a live trap (Havahart brand) and let them go in the country.

I've even seen my parents' neighbor really put a dent in the squirrel population with one of these traps, to the point where my dad was mad since he liked feeding them. They were pretty much gone. The neighbor would take a trap with a squirrel in it, go into his garage, and come back with it empty 2 minutes later; so you know he was drowning them in a bucket or something - totally sick and demented IMO even with a rodent.


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## Brick Demius

subwoofer said:


> I'd have to agree about the laser being cruel. Either kill outright of deter by sound or scent or pet.
> 
> It is perfectly legal to trap squirrels as long as you don't release them. I too have issues with limited safe shooting direction, and frequently trap squirrels and then use the air rifle to despatch them in the trap. Quick, safe and efficient.



I'm wondering what will be the power output to deter a squirrel at miles away, maybe 10kws, that's only possible you make it yourself.


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