Squirrels? Can't they leave me some?? - Page 2

Stepheninky · August 5, 2011

Not sure if it works as have been afraid to try it with our heat and humidity as of late but I saw in a gardening magazine it was recommended to place a ziplock bag over any blushing fruit and the critters will leave it alone.

Anyways might be worth experimenting with for you being plagued. I have just been picking any blushing fruit and letting it counter ripen.

cleo88 · August 6, 2011

You know, if they would just eat the blushing fruit, that would be better than what I now have, which is that they are eating completely green tomatoes. I've put some touille bags over the best fruit and have to hope that they will just be lazy and eat the other nonbagged fruit.

It's looking like 23 plants will not be enough to keep my family of four in tomatoes - I didn't know I'd have to be sharing with evil rodents!

b54red · August 6, 2011

Cleo it looks like your are going to have to break out a pellet rifle. It was the only thing that stopped them for me last year. The reason they aren't giving me quite as much of a problem this year is that there are less of them now.

ScottinAtlanta · August 6, 2011

They are truly the Spawn of Satan. If your town doesn't allow pellet rifles, consider this solution from Raleigh - rat shot.

Here is one of the Spawn peering in my bedroom window this morning, planning a new day of deviltry and evil.

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

Firstcrush · August 6, 2011

Scottinatlanta, I am sorry for your losses, but I have to say your post made me chuckle, and great photo! The morning is off to a great start, 3 hornworms captured and one appreciating that we don't have squirrels, too! Thank you!
Donna

cleo88 · August 7, 2011

OK, I don't mean to be ignorant, but can someone tell me what a pellet rifle is capable of? Does this kill the squirrel? I couldn't do that, much as I am angry about the fruit damage. (That being said, I am a pretty good shot and would be happy to give the little buggers a sting on their behind to deter them.)

But the bigger problem that I have never actually seen the damage being done, only the aftermath. Which is not to say that it is happening at night. And I work at home and frequently go outside during the day to "smooch my tomatoes" as my husband says, but somehow the squirrels are doing it when I am not looking.

This morning I went out to see several more Granny Cantrell's half eaten on the ground - but one big one that I had bagged had started to blush and was untouched!!! I was practically giddy with happiness as I picked it in victory. Not that I think the bagging helps all that much - I think I got lucky.

My next effort, when it stops raining, is to put a low bowl of water out just in case the "squirrels are thirsty" theory has some legs. Not that there isn't a bird bath six feet away, but why make them walk the distance and have to hop up three feet?

Does anyone think the hanging CDs idea works? I've heard that for birds and maybe deer, but I'm guessing that squirrels would be like, "Hey, Nora Jones, that's a good album" and then munch on a Red Penna while mulling it over.

ScottinAtlanta · August 7, 2011

Pellets kill squirrels, if you are a good shot. That is really the purpose. I don't know of any other way than death, removal, or physical metal barriers to keep a large squirrel population out of a garden. Sorry! Unless, of course, you can increase the hawk, owl, coyote, and fox population. Squirrels really are a menace to modern civilization, and merit no pity.

Squirrels are now having daily orgies in my yard, 3 and 4 couples at a time. How many more of these Spawn will we endure, oh Lord?

**carolyn137** · August 7, 2011

I have lots of squirrels around here. They get into the bird feeders and come to the birdbath every day to drink but they don't bother the tomatoes.

*****

Same with me bcday. Half the bird seed I order delivered from Agway goes to the squirrels, both gray and red ones and the chippes eat what's been knocked to the deck by the birds and squirrels from the ninefeeders hanging from the overhand and two on the deck railing.

A brook runs by my home so no problem with water.

And I have a herd of about 12-015 deer and they don't bother my tomatoes either.

Cleo, maybe I have some genetically smarter squirrels here so if you want to drive over from MA and trap some and take them home and let them breed with your somewhat dumber ones, or would they be the smarter ones. you're more than welcome.

Heck, on a slow day I can watch the red and gray ones fight each other or it can be reds vs reds and the wee red ones always seem to win. Seldom do I see a real fight between grays.

That's the good news for today, good vs bad squirrels, reds and grays, and around here the stew is made by others but I haven't eaten it yet and probably won't.

cleo88 · August 7, 2011

I just have a problem with killing mammals. I could shoot a coyote that was about to take my infant baby, but not for stealing tomatoes.

Also, if I got any sort of gun, one of my kids would immediately shoot the other. They both want to be only children at this point!

Carolyn, I haven't actually verified that this is squirrel damage but we don't have a lot of the other possibilities, it is happening during the day (and maybe the night too, but definitely the day), and we have zillions of squirrels and chipmunks, so I think it's one of those. The breeding suggestions would probably backfire on me, creating a superbreed that would break into my home and steal the ripening ones on my countertop.

Keiththibodeaux · August 7, 2011

Even though I was a hunter as a young man, I agree with you. In my old age, I seem to have gone too soft to actually kill an animal, although I heartily eat them when others do the dirty work. However, remember that this is not a natural environment and the squirrels are over populated due to artificial stimulii, neither of which is likely healthy for them or you. Trapping and relocation is easy. I have done that in the past. But in the end, I am not sure that sustainable harvesting, of the squirrels that is, may not be a more logical and suitable alternative, for the squirrels and the humans.

I wonder how much meat people would eat, if they actually had to do the killing and cleaning themselves. Far less than today, I would imagine.

Keith

b54red · August 9, 2011

I never minded the occasional damage done by squirrels until 3 or 4 years ago when they started ravaging most of the plants in my garden. I think it was due to an overpopulation and once they get thick like that it is very hard to thin them out because they multiply like crazy. They can be as damaging as rats if they ever get in your attic. They have also eaten 90% of my pears the last couple of years.

If you have trouble killing mammals then you are going to be in for some very frustrating times trying to garden once they set their sights on your garden. Just imagine the tail with no fur and what you have eating your tomatoes is nothing more than a furry tailed rat. I still find myself amused by their antics sometimes but the realization of the destruction they bring with them tempers my opinion of them.

Keiththibodeaux · August 9, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I never minded the occasional damage done by squirrels until 3 or 4 years ago when they started ravaging most of the plants in my garden. I think it was due to an overpopulation and once they get thick like that it is very hard to thin them out because they multiply like crazy. They can be as damaging as rats if they ever get in your attic. They have also eaten 90% of my pears the last couple of years.

If you have trouble killing mammals then you are going to be in for some very frustrating times trying to garden once they set their sights on your garden. Just imagine the tail with no fur and what you have eating your tomatoes is nothing more than a furry tailed rat. I still find myself amused by their antics sometimes but the realization of the destruction they bring with them tempers my opinion of them.

Laughing because I had an old neighbor years back who refused to refer to them as squirrels, his term was "tree rats."

ScottinAtlanta · August 9, 2011

Looking at this thread, it seems that it is a regional characteristic that Southerners don't mind killing vermin to save tomatoes, while Northerners and Westeners have developed a moral ethic that puts vermin above tomatoes. What does this say about priorities?

delltraveller · August 9, 2011

Part of it also has to do with what's legal here. Where and when you can discharge a firearm within city limits, including pellet guns; when and under what circumstances and how you can kill a nuisance animal. There are requirements and regulations involved in trapping, too.

b54red · August 9, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Looking at this thread, it seems that it is a regional characteristic that Southerners don't mind killing vermin to save tomatoes, while Northerners and Westeners have developed a moral ethic that puts vermin above tomatoes. What does this say about priorities?

It says we like our tomatoes enough to protect them from tree rats. Why grow a garden if you are going to just turn it over to the vermin. I don't mind sharing but since the squirrels in the last few years have become too greedy they have to go. We also like to kill fire ants. You just have to draw the line somewhere.

August 5, 2011	#16
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	Not sure if it works as have been afraid to try it with our heat and humidity as of late but I saw in a gardening magazine it was recommended to place a ziplock bag over any blushing fruit and the critters will leave it alone. Anyways might be worth experimenting with for you being plagued. I have just been picking any blushing fruit and letting it counter ripen. __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com

August 7, 2011	#23
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I have lots of squirrels around here. They get into the bird feeders and come to the birdbath every day to drink but they don't bother the tomatoes. ***** Same with me bcday. Half the bird seed I order delivered from Agway goes to the squirrels, both gray and red ones and the chippes eat what's been knocked to the deck by the birds and squirrels from the ninefeeders hanging from the overhand and two on the deck railing. A brook runs by my home so no problem with water. And I have a herd of about 12-015 deer and they don't bother my tomatoes either. Cleo, maybe I have some genetically smarter squirrels here so if you want to drive over from MA and trap some and take them home and let them breed with your somewhat dumber ones, or would they be the smarter ones. you're more than welcome. Heck, on a slow day I can watch the red and gray ones fight each other or it can be reds vs reds and the wee red ones always seem to win. Seldom do I see a real fight between grays. That's the good news for today, good vs bad squirrels, reds and grays, and around here the stew is made by others but I haven't eaten it yet and probably won't. __________________ Carolyn

August 6, 2011	#17
cleo88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6 Posts: 225	You know, if they would just eat the blushing fruit, that would be better than what I now have, which is that they are eating completely green tomatoes. I've put some touille bags over the best fruit and have to hope that they will just be lazy and eat the other nonbagged fruit. It's looking like 23 plants will not be enough to keep my family of four in tomatoes - I didn't know I'd have to be sharing with evil rodents!

August 6, 2011	#18
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Cleo it looks like your are going to have to break out a pellet rifle. It was the only thing that stopped them for me last year. The reason they aren't giving me quite as much of a problem this year is that there are less of them now.

August 6, 2011	#20
Firstcrush Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Posts: 20	Scottinatlanta, I am sorry for your losses, but I have to say your post made me chuckle, and great photo! The morning is off to a great start, 3 hornworms captured and one appreciating that we don't have squirrels, too! Thank you! Donna

August 7, 2011	#22
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	Pellets kill squirrels, if you are a good shot. That is really the purpose. I don't know of any other way than death, removal, or physical metal barriers to keep a large squirrel population out of a garden. Sorry! Unless, of course, you can increase the hawk, owl, coyote, and fox population. Squirrels really are a menace to modern civilization, and merit no pity. Squirrels are now having daily orgies in my yard, 3 and 4 couples at a time. How many more of these Spawn will we endure, oh Lord?

August 7, 2011	#25
Keiththibodeaux Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Louisiana Posts: 587	Even though I was a hunter as a young man, I agree with you. In my old age, I seem to have gone too soft to actually kill an animal, although I heartily eat them when others do the dirty work. However, remember that this is not a natural environment and the squirrels are over populated due to artificial stimulii, neither of which is likely healthy for them or you. Trapping and relocation is easy. I have done that in the past. But in the end, I am not sure that sustainable harvesting, of the squirrels that is, may not be a more logical and suitable alternative, for the squirrels and the humans. I wonder how much meat people would eat, if they actually had to do the killing and cleaning themselves. Far less than today, I would imagine. Keith

August 9, 2011	#26
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I never minded the occasional damage done by squirrels until 3 or 4 years ago when they started ravaging most of the plants in my garden. I think it was due to an overpopulation and once they get thick like that it is very hard to thin them out because they multiply like crazy. They can be as damaging as rats if they ever get in your attic. They have also eaten 90% of my pears the last couple of years. If you have trouble killing mammals then you are going to be in for some very frustrating times trying to garden once they set their sights on your garden. Just imagine the tail with no fur and what you have eating your tomatoes is nothing more than a furry tailed rat. I still find myself amused by their antics sometimes but the realization of the destruction they bring with them tempers my opinion of them.

August 9, 2011	#29
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	Part of it also has to do with what's legal here. Where and when you can discharge a firearm within city limits, including pellet guns; when and under what circumstances and how you can kill a nuisance animal. There are requirements and regulations involved in trapping, too.