You may be unknowingly attracting squirrels in your attempt... Give them an alternative food choice. This keeps them away because they then have no home, and need to find another. This may seem like … Make the baffle by drilling holes near the four corners of the metal; this provides a means to secure the baffle to the tree with wire. Remove things that attract squirrels. Other Natural Squirrel Repellent Ideas Squirrel Traps. Wrap a tree trunk with a sheet metal baffle to keep squirrels away after trimming nearby branches. These will keep the squirrel pests away for at least a short period of time. After considerable research, here's what I learned about keeping squirrels and other rodents away from your prized produce: Pester them back. They will seek out drier ground and stay away from the area you have flooded. So I knew we'd have to find a natural, non-poisonous way to keep the squirrels at bay with humane and neighbor-friendly methods. You can also try using a natural squirrel repellent, like predator urine or ground chili pepper.