How Do You Deal With Squirrels?

[djlen]

I know that garlic can be used to keep rabbits from digging up plants and I've had issues
with squirrels every year. I'm wondering if any of you have any knowledge of something
similar that can be used against squirrels.

 

[greerhw]

My Henry 22 works pretty well,

keep it green,
Harry

 

[R_F]

I use Red Pepper flakes...the same stuff I like on my Pizza

I just sprinkle a little on the surface of the soil. It seems to work so far. The seeds tend to sprout after a while so you might have to pull them out and sprinkle fresh ones....but see what it does for you.

 

[PaulH]

here's Daphne, my squirrel chaser.

 

[Anonymous User]

No sense wasting ammo, they are great practice for the old Black Widow recurve. I start with a self made "spanker" tips, basically a hard rubber ball attached to an arrow, then I break out the Judo tips for the slow learners.







Will

 

[treebeard55]

Unbaited mousetraps, of the old spring-loaded kind, work for me; after getting snapped at 2-3 times even a squirrel starts getting cautious.

I also find red pepper wax effective; it's just cayenne pepper in a liquid carrier. Interesting side note: all mammals can taste capsaicin (the "hot' in hot peppers,) but only one eats it by choice: Homo sapiens.

 

[Vance Wood]

There are few thing better than a good out door cat.

 

[djlen]

Paul, Daphne is a cutie and she would probably team up well with my Oreo who so far has 11 squirrels, two rabbits, and an opossum to her credit. But we have so many squirrels she has only scratched the surface. She does make life miserable for them though.

Truck, you are the best........and very humane I might add.

Vance, Oreo is a Rat Terrier....a Katrina dog we adopted after the hurricane, from La. and believe me
nothing compares to her as a defender of her yard. Just too many of the little peckers!!!

I hate them but really hesitate to use pepper due to possible eye burning issues. But many are telling me to go that route so unless I get another solution I will have to go that route.

I cannot convey the fury of going out back and finding one of my favorite trees leaning over or hanging out of it's pot. There's nothing in there for them to eat....just destructive behavior.

I'm writing this and seriously considering more and more the workability of the pepper.

 

[mat]

djlen, I know exactly what you mean. If those tree rats haven't totally uprooted something, they've at least dug a few big holes into some moss evey week.

We have 4 cats - 3 outside full-time, and 1 inside/outside. I would have to say that they're pretty useless, at least when it come to keeping squirrels out of my backyard. They'll have fun chasing them and occasionally catch one, but they're pretty ineffective in the overall picture.

I'm probably going to try some pepper soon myself. I don't think I have what it takes to shoot them. After a few more attacks on my ficus, I may change my mind though.

 

[flor1]

A 22 works great the woods are full of the ones that commited suiside by coming on the deck.

 

[Vance Wood]

A 22 works great the woods are full of the ones that commited suiside by coming on the deck.

That's OK but if you live in most metropolitan areas firing a weapon within the City limits is a felony. A 22, small as it may be is a weapon. This definition in some places applies to BB guns as well.

 

[greerhw]

That's OK but if you live in most metropolitan areas firing a weapon within the City limits is a felony. A 22, small as it may be is a weapon. This definition in some places applies to BB guns as well.

I live in an addition, but the 22 CB shorts are subsonic, they hardly make a sound, so my neighbors never hear a thing ! Besides I took care of a family skunk problem last year and they don't mind at all.

keep it green,
Harry

 

[Kirk]

I cannot convey the fury of going out back and finding one of my favorite trees leaning over or hanging out of it's pot. There's nothing in there for them to eat....just destructive behavior.

I'm writing this and seriously considering more and more the workability of the pepper.

I purchase powdered cayenne pepper in the bulk restaurant cannisters from Big Lots and dust the soil surface every week or so (and after it rains). Since it's a fine powder you don't have to worry about the pepper seeds or too much debris. That seems to curb the digging.

Also, be sure to wire your trees in well. The squirrels have a harder time ejecting them and hopefully the roots lower in the pot remain covered and intact.

Good luck. I have a time with them, myself. If I could only find Grandmother's Squirrel Dumpling recipe...


Kirk

 

[greerhw]

Here's a little 22 that will solve your Squirrel problem, redneck style, just a little over kill.......... turn on the sound !

keep it green,
Harry

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/258574/500_round_machine_gun/

 

[treebeard55]

"Overkill" is an understatement! LOL!

 

[rockm]

I lost the best tree rat deterrent around last week. Had to put my 15 year old bull terrier down. Over the years, he "managed" dozens of the bushy tailed rodents.

Dogs are the best squirrel deterrents (and exterminators). Cats mostly ain't up to the job. We have dozens of outdoor cats in the neighborhood and a nagging overpopulation of squirrels. They mostly leave each other alone. Cats don't have the killing equipment to deal with adult squirrels (at least the big tree huggers in my neck of the woods), or the "presence" to truly scare off the little B#$%^!$#.

My bullie, however, kept chasing them until he died, managed to catch his last one when he was 13. He was also a pretty good bonsaiist, having "designed" a few of my trees by chewing the apexes off...

 

[treebeard55]

I... had to put my 15 year old bull terrier down. ...
...He was also a pretty good bonsaiist, having "designed" a few of my trees by chewing the apexes off...

Sorry about your dog, Rock. You can get a new one, but you can never replace an old friend.

Our dogs did the same thing to a couple of my trees when they were still pups. Almost had me thinking of a dogskin throw!

 

[djlen]

I purchase powdered cayenne pepper in the bulk restaurant cannisters from Big Lots and dust the soil surface every week or so (and after it rains). Since it's a fine powder you don't have to worry about the pepper seeds or too much debris. That seems to curb the digging.

Also, be sure to wire your trees in well. The squirrels have a harder time ejecting them and hopefully the roots lower in the pot remain covered and intact.

Good luck. I have a time with them, myself. If I could only find Grandmother's Squirrel Dumpling recipe...


Kirk

This sounds promising. Now I just need confirmation that Cayenne or any pepper powder will not harm my trees. Does anyone know?

 

[rockm]

Won't harm your trees, but it also won't deter squirrels for long either. They get used to it. Some will even eat the bigger pieces of the cayenne...

 

[Bill S]

I have a nice crossman pump BB/pellet gun that is quiet and strong, and a wrist rocket I am pretty good withbut I have taken to putting an aluminum mesh that I think was meant to be gutter guard over the soil. Its not screening, its more like it is stamped out so it has raised edges that are I imagine not very comfortable for the critters to stand on, it has helped.

I also had to visit a neighbor and explain why she should stop feeding the squirrels peanuts. I showed her a peanut growing from a pot, then explained that her feeding the rats was going to get them eradicated if caught digging in my trees. She wasn't happy but understood.