BER, Squirrels, Margaret Curtain, help!

[ramapojoe]

I think the squirrels don't eat the ones with BER is because they like to take one bite out on the bottom of a ripe tomato. the brown/black wood like bottom of a tomato with BER doesn't appeal to them. squirrels are very smart critters

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by ramapojoe

I think the squirrels don't eat the ones with BER is because they like to take one bite out on the bottom of a ripe tomato. the brown/black wood like bottom of a tomato with BER doesn't appeal to them. squirrels are very smart critters

Ramapojoe, where exactly in NJ are you? I will bring them to you ASAP. All of them.

[fonseca]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

It just infuriates me every time I find a tomato chewed up on the ground.

My squirrels like to carry them under the trees to eat in the shade. Or rather to take a few bites out of before losing interest:

[SharonRossy]

so this morning I saw a squirrel sitting on the fence munching away on something. I ran outside and shouted at it and it casually turned and faced me continuing to eat the tomato with a look on it's face like, "what's your problem?" only after I started to run towards it, did it have the decency to take off. Didn't someone on another thread suggest a strong pepper spray? Maybe I should leave a bowl of BER tomatoes out for them so they will take the hint. GRRRR!!!!
Sharon

[squirrel789]

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

My Atlanta squirrels eat green cherry tomatoes, all other tomatoes, acorn squash, and superhot peppers.

They are adaptive, clever, Spawns of Satan.

The only way to stop them is..... wrap every tomato in bubble wrap, or kill them.

I had green, and ripening, tomatoes on my vines for weeks and weeks and all the squirrels in my area didn't give them a second look. Suddenly one must have tried a green tomato and liked it, because within 2-3 days i was cleaned out of every green tomato (from cherry to beefsteaks) in my patio garden (12 plants total). Including all the cherries, literally over a hundred tomatoes went in the blink of an eye. I've got 10'+ healthy vines, but nothing but the promise of new blossoms and pea to golf ball sized fruit at the top. I've mostly solved the problem, excect for one particularly stubborn and large specimen which still intermittently tries to grab one of the greenies, though I hope to teach it not to continue much longer.

I can't use my .22 LR where I live (inside city limits, barely, with neighbors that wouldn't take kindly to it), so instead I tried a CO2 airsoft gun. Squirrels ARE smart, and will stay away if you can spend a few mornings/evenings making sure that when they head into the garden they get firm "slap on the wrist". These perfectly legal "toy" guns (where I live), won't injure or maim and certainly won't kill, but the squirrels will know that they don't like what happens when they get into your plants. I've got only one squirrel who still dares to venture into my tomatoes, and even he will only try it once every couple of days. This was accomplished over a short amount of time that I was able to work from home and peek out at the garden every once in awhile.

I don't think this is an inhumane method as the little plastic biodegradable BB's are not nearly powerful enough to injure and don't even come close to penetrating thick squirrel hides, but I'm sure the pests feel a sting that seems strong enough to make them associate my garden with a feeling they don't much seem to like. Maybe they'll have a bit of a bruise the next day, but I'm guessing its less painful than watching months of hard work and $$$ disappear almost overnight. I had clean water sources available, and there is plenty of other food in the wooded areas around my house, so no excuses there. Every so often I think a squirrel goes for a green tomato and likes it. If you can't eliminate that squirrel, or teach it not to want to go back for more, then you have a free-for-all where every squirrel in your neighborhood knows where the free buffet is - in your garden.

Squirrels DO learn, and quickly too. They can can get into pretty much wherever they want, so you just have to make them not want to get caught inside your garden :-)

Airsoft guns are legal in the vast majority of areas and can range from $10 spring-powered models to more expensive/powerful compressed air or re-chargeable electric versions. They are designed to shoot at other people (like paintball guns), so I don't think they are really a safety hazard/nuisance unless used completely carelessly. This is especially true when compared to other, more serious options. The guns themselves are classified as toys in general, but my now-growing airsoft collection has helped me get rid of my squirrel problems in less time than I expected and without having to deal with any corpses. I can appreciate some good pan-fried or braised squirrel after squirrel-hunting in a natural environment, but I'd rather not eat a "city squirrel". Who knows what they have been into besides my tomatoes? Now, if only I (and the squirrels) remember this lesson before the garden is ruined next year ;-)

There's my rant about squirrels and urban gardening when elimination/relocation is not feasible or is illegal (as live trapping is in many cities). Sorry, but I had to vent this somewhere

[Labradors2]

Maybe you should change your user name as you obviously don't like them any more - not that I blame you after what they did!

Linda

[SharonRossy]

Good one Linda. Well I hate the little buggers but eating them is not in my menu on any level. I'd love to find a way to teach them a lesson but they are protected in our area. Why is beyond me�� they seem to like one to at plant in particular so I'm hoping they zero in on that one.

[BigVanVader]

If you start shooting the squirrels they will soon leave your garden alone. As others said squirrels are very smart and if some of their friends and family get shot dead word spreads and they will go torture other folks.

[bjbebs]

Squirrel
Just saw your post on the problems you are having with the tree rats. I know how much effort you've put into the stock tanks. It hurts to hear your story as I too have dealt with them on and off for many years.
They are determined and when the food source becomes available again it will be time to break out the heavy artillery. Reduced charged 22 longs are barely noticeable, even in a neighborhood setting. With 22 ammo in short supply buy all you can when you can.
You will never eliminate the problem but you can control it. They took a liking to one of my early apple trees this year before I noticed. I spent a few hours in a chair over a two week period and took out 7. This is 7 that I won't need to be concerned with again.
They have their place in the wild, just not in my backyard. I sure hope you can start pickin again soon.

[b54red]

They are eating all my late summer tomatoes as soon as they show the first sign of ripening. At first I thought it might be rats so I put out my rat bait station which is too large for squirrels to enter and it got no business. I also noticed they aren't eating my ripe bell peppers and rats will hit them even before tomatoes.

I guess it is time to start thinning them again with my pellet rifle. One year I got rid of over fifty in a month and they left me alone for a few years but the population has exploded again. I just had to have my cable replaced because squirrels had chewed it to the point I couldn't get a signal anymore. The cable tv guy said they replace them all the time in neighborhoods with too many squirrels. If I can just kill a few and leave them near the garden they will usually stay away for a while. Of course the smell makes me want to stay away too.

Bill

[SharonRossy]

I have to laugh cause when I started this thread I never realized how many squirrel haters there were. I'm not alone! Don't have the luxury of a gun here in Montreal but I watched a squirrel run along my fence then do an aerial dive straight on to the tomato plant and play Tarzan. Now I know why so many of my stems are completely bent or broken. Any suggestions will be welcome. Of course, clearing out some trees might keep them at bay also. Moving house so to speak. GRRR!
Sharon

[efisakov]

Spray hot pepper. That was the only way for me.

[ChrisK]

Oh yes, the squirrel hatred runs deep in these parts! There are lethal home made traps if a pellet gun is out of the question.

This story makes me chuckle.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1457771/posts