Halloween is less than a month away, and pumpkins are appearing on doorsteps across the area.

It's also autumn, and squirrels fattening up for the winter see those pumpkins as a prime source of free food.

You have a variety of options for keeping squirrels away from your pumpkin.  

On eHow.com, several deterrants are suggested, but some of them are not for the squeamish. Suggestions include scattering used cat litter around the pumpkins or collecting dog urine and sprinkling it around the pumpkins.

Eww.

Another suggestion, spraying the pumpkin with a mixture of water and red peppers to burn squirrels' mouths seems a little cruel. (Some sources say the squirrels will stay away from anything that smells bad to them.) However, there are more humane squirrel repellants on the market that may work.

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Creating or buying a sort of "scare cat" or making a scarecrow and leaving it near the pumpkins to scare away the squirrels. (It serves double-duty as Halloween decor.)

Fake snakes and owls strategically positioned can make squirrels think twice about approaching your door, but you will need to switch them out or move them frequently.

Or, you can purchase a fake pumpkin from a crafts store and leave that on your doorstep until your real jack-o-lantern makes its appearance on Halloween. 

Tell us: What methods you've tried to keep squirrels away from your pumpkins in October. How did they work?