Is this the correct place to ask for advice about a particularly greedy squirrel?
He’d come by to nibble every few days...no big deal really. But...once them tomatoes were starting to turn red.
He stole every tomato off the plant.
Added an array of growing garlic, peppers and onion to keep him back. Might just make him bring friends tho.
We set up a bucket last fall a 10 gallon half full of water and floated striped sunflower seeds on top. “Caught” 27 chipmunks and about a dozen squirrels and many mice. Set up up against a firewood stack so they had to reach down to get at the seeds. We were overrun. They don’t bother the garden but chipmunks had gotten into the house under the floorboards.
A good BB gun. Perhaps the Daisy 880 at 715 feet per second.
https://www.amazon.com/Daisy-Powerline-Rifle-Brown-Black/
Please include me in replies to 1_Inch_Group’s question.
My particular issue this spring is bunny rabbit(s). In the morning, my pots with violas look like some animal was sleeping in them. Don’t know what to do. The coyote population has been quietly “taken care of” by local Animal Control so we’re seeing the return of the bunny population.
Last year, my son who lives in the heart of a big city lost every single peach on his tree to the critters. This year we talked about using netting. Would like to hear any other thoughts.
Finally, does anyone back East have a good method for reducing the hordes of mosquitoes in your own backyards? How do children play outside in summers or families sit on the back porch at night without getting covered with bites (besides covering yourself with DEET)?
Thanks in advance,
The Westerner
Do what I do.
I have a smaller trap that is suitable for both squirrels and chipmunks.
Bait the trap with black oil sunflower seeds.
Not peanut butter, not fruit, etc.
There is no spray repellent that will keep them away.
It’s always the adult squirrels that will eat the tomatoes.
It won’t be long before they discover the green maters are just as tasty as the ripe/near-ripe ones.
Do not get the (Havaheart for example) trap that is suitable for larger critters like possums and squirrels.
I find chipmunks are worse than squirrels at eating my maters.
What you may want to consider is start pulling the maters when they have the slightest pink color on the bloom end.
They will ripen just fine somewhere inside where there is sun light.
Do not leave them outside, they will turn to mush.
That “vine ripened” talk is just nonsense.
I don’t have too much trouble with garden filchers. Between the three dogs and four cats the varmints are kept mostly at bay.
The bunnies aren’t terribly destructive. Most years Momma Bunny makes her nest inside the kitchen garden fence where she’s safe from the dogs. She’s already raised one litter this spring, and she’s been out there the past three evenings scouting for a new spot to make a burrow.
Tree rats, on the other hand, are shown zero mercy. Any tree rat inside the wire is treated to 40 grains of high-velocity lead.
There is a product called, ‘Repels All’ and it really works. Spray it around the plant and it should help keep the squirrels and chippies from stealing your fruit. You could spray the fruit, but REMEMBER to wash it thoroughly before consuming, Repels All isn’t toxic, it just would taste awful!
It STINKS to High Heaven, so don’t get any on you when you’re spraying it around, LOL!
(The smell goes away when the product is dry, but the critters can still smell it.)
It’s blood meal, garlic, rotten eggs...I’m sure if you look on line you can find it, or find a ‘recipe’ to make your own batch. That Jerry Baker guy probably has a recipe. ;)
Build a frame around your garden with 1 inch PVC pipe. Drape bird netting over the top and down the sides.
Critters don’t like the netting and will avoid the garden for easier chow.
Grow a ghost pepper in amongst your tomatoes. They’ll only eat it once!