Squirrel Issues
Yesterday, a pair of squirrels decided to dig up a bunch of the garden. At first, it looked like they were just wandering around, but it soon became clear that they were digging up and eating the freshly-planted seeds.
I wasn’t impressed.
I went outside a couple of times to try to get them to stop. The squirrels here are so tame that there’s little I can do to scare them off. I read one idea to spread black pepper around the garden, which I did a couple times. I don’t think it worked, though I was battling intermittent rain which washes away the pepper (though also keeps the squirrels away briefly).
I’m not entirely sure how much they ate. Certainly about half of the peas and beans. They were digging in the tomatoes, peppers, and melons too. I was very annoyed that they had dug up some of the seedlings. They didn’t eat those, just dug them up, so I had to put them back in the ground.
We might have to move on to fox urine, or something similar. I don’t think building a fence would work too well, as they could jump in from trees. Does anyone have a solution?
Comments
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An official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.
That should do it. :)
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I’m afraid I’d shoot my eye out.
Tempting though…
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Yeah, I’m going to agree on the BB gun. I’ve actually an official Red Ryder that I used to ward off a squirrel attack in Chicago.
If you’re worried about your eye, try an Airsoft gun and pull a Jack Bauer. If you need some help, let me know. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve.
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Jason, you definitely need to come over sometime. Bring your arsenal.
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Not sure if squirrels react to citrus stuff the same way as cats do, but try rubbing or spraying some bitter apple around it, or other citrus fruit.
More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_apple
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I have read (and seen) cat hair strewn about helps—our city cats yield a great deal of winter fur that helps in our 6×30 strip of ‘maters and peppers. Of course, those didn’t start out as seeds, but rather as seedlings…
I recommend getting yourself a feline and go to town with the Shed-Ender… or you can borrow my cats, Wesley and Buttercup. “Aaaaz…. Youuuuu… Wiiiiiiish.”
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@steveo:
Not a bad idea. I might have to try that out. I was especially frustrated that my seedlings got dug up. It doesn’t seem like they wanted to eat them, just see what was in the dirt underneath.
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Why don’t you just feed them ? You can make big contribution to animal world and buy them some peanuts or whatever they eating …
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presell: The squirrels in west Michigan are more like rats. In the midwest (the real midwest; Iowa, Nebraska, etc.), squirrels are friendly and people enjoy having them around, so they feed them. In Michigan, the squirrels (which are black and gray, not brown) are nasty little creatures.
