New, extremely greed tomato theif - Page 6

peebee · September 13, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garf

Maybe a small bear trap would work?

You mean to trap Worth?

**mdvpc** · January 31, 2014

I am resurrecting this thread! My son has squirrels, and is concerned that they are going to wipe out his tomato, pepper and eggplant crop this summer. He is going to use bird netting for the birds, but thinks that the squirrels will not be stopped by the bird netting.

What do you folks think?

ScottinAtlanta · January 31, 2014

They will not. I had to use chicken wire (one inch) to stop them. Failing that, you either have to trap and remove, or kill with pellet guns. I would not use poison since that can get into dogs and birds.

**mdvpc** · January 31, 2014

Thanks Scott for your experience. I am thinking he will need to wrap each raised bed with it. You got any photos?

Worth1 · January 31, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

Thanks Scott for your experience. I am thinking he will need to wrap each raised bed with it. You got any photos?

That is yet another reason I suggested the 4×4 post in your thread.

Myself I would eat the darn things.

Really.
I have the critters running all over the place here and they don't bother the tomatoes.
I keep them happy with food and water and they entertain me with their antics.
Go to the feed store and buy a bag of sweet feed they will go to it over the tomatoes.
And plenty of water for them to drink.
They want water.
Worth.

ChrisK · February 1, 2014

I can tell you from personal experience that bird netting will not work if you have ANY small opening...they'll find a way in. Once they get a taste for tomatoes/peaches/apples/figs/cherries etc they will not stop and they seem to teach the other ones. They are hoarding animals that will strip every single fruit. Chew a bit and then take the next one. In our case it's not a shortage of water (small stream runs just at the edge of our property) or other food.

As Scott says, pellet gun (I cant do this in our urban area safely) or a PVC drowning tube works well. Sorry, their antics are only amusing to a point for me when finding every single fruit from every plant scattered around the yard half eaten. The herd will be severely thinned this next spring.

**mdvpc** · February 1, 2014

Glad I posted on this thread. I am thinking that chicken wire is the way to go. Thanks to all.

MrsJustice · February 1, 2014

I use Very Hot Peppers.

It works

**mdvpc** · February 1, 2014

MrsJ

Do you make a spray up and spray the plants and fruit?

I am thinking about keeping one bed uncovered and use Worth's idea-kind of a control.

Worth1 · February 1, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

MrsJ

Do you make a spray up and spray the plants and fruit?

I am thinking about keeping one bed uncovered and use Worth's idea-kind of a control.

If they are city squirrels you may not be able to trust them.

City squirrels aren't like country squirrels.

Worth

MrsJustice · February 1, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdvpc

MrsJ

Do you make a spray up and spray the plants and fruit?

I am thinking about keeping one bed uncovered and use Worth's idea-kind of a control.

Sorry I was cooking

The Peppers I use can be placed on top of fences, laid out beside your plants or grown in the location of your plants. The Smell along will run anything away, even your dogs from the growning area. This Pepper is called "Hinkel Hatz Pepper" - Grown by Native Americans & the Dutch.

I first got my peppers years ago from Tomato Bob, while looking for this Heirloom Pepper. Some Natives call them: Chicken Hearts Pepper.

Native Americans and Natives of Mexico use these very hot to control pest before we got to America.

**mdvpc** · February 2, 2014

Worth-They are city squirrels!

Vespertino · February 2, 2014

There's a really obese squirrel I've seen around my yard, we've given him the moniker "Fat Albert". Sadly, Albert has a big family and I'm getting nervous about the welfare of my future tomatoes.

A barn owl would come in handy. But I doubt I'm in the right environment for them (sub-division suburbia) but I'm contemplating giving it a try and putting up an owl house. I know there's lot of screech owls but they're not big enough to eat squirrels, especially rotund ones like Albert.

Has anyone built an owl house and managed to attract an owl to keep the critter population down?

Cole_Robbie · February 2, 2014

I wonder how well the scarecrow automated sprinkler would work on squirrels. It uses a motion sensor to squirt anything that moves.

ChrisK · February 2, 2014

I need one of these patrolling my garden.

January 31, 2014	#77
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	I am resurrecting this thread! My son has squirrels, and is concerned that they are going to wipe out his tomato, pepper and eggplant crop this summer. He is going to use bird netting for the birds, but thinks that the squirrels will not be stopped by the bird netting. What do you folks think? __________________ Michael

January 31, 2014	#79
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Thanks Scott for your experience. I am thinking he will need to wrap each raised bed with it. You got any photos? __________________ Michael

February 1, 2014	#81
ChrisK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,448	I can tell you from personal experience that bird netting will not work if you have ANY small opening...they'll find a way in. Once they get a taste for tomatoes/peaches/apples/figs/cherries etc they will not stop and they seem to teach the other ones. They are hoarding animals that will strip every single fruit. Chew a bit and then take the next one. In our case it's not a shortage of water (small stream runs just at the edge of our property) or other food. As Scott says, pellet gun (I cant do this in our urban area safely) or a PVC drowning tube works well. Sorry, their antics are only amusing to a point for me when finding every single fruit from every plant scattered around the yard half eaten. The herd will be severely thinned this next spring. __________________ Blog: chriskafer.wordpress.com Ignorance more frequently begets knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science. --Charles Darwin

February 1, 2014	#82
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Glad I posted on this thread. I am thinking that chicken wire is the way to go. Thanks to all. __________________ Michael

February 1, 2014	#83
MrsJustice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hampton, Virginia Posts: 1,510	I use Very Hot Peppers. It works __________________ May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs

January 31, 2014	#78
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	They will not. I had to use chicken wire (one inch) to stop them. Failing that, you either have to trap and remove, or kill with pellet guns. I would not use poison since that can get into dogs and birds.

February 2, 2014	#87
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Worth-They are city squirrels! __________________ Michael

February 2, 2014	#88
Vespertino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Southlake, TX Posts: 743	There's a really obese squirrel I've seen around my yard, we've given him the moniker "Fat Albert". Sadly, Albert has a big family and I'm getting nervous about the welfare of my future tomatoes. A barn owl would come in handy. But I doubt I'm in the right environment for them (sub-division suburbia) but I'm contemplating giving it a try and putting up an owl house. I know there's lot of screech owls but they're not big enough to eat squirrels, especially rotund ones like Albert. Has anyone built an owl house and managed to attract an owl to keep the critter population down?

February 2, 2014	#89
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I wonder how well the scarecrow automated sprinkler would work on squirrels. It uses a motion sensor to squirt anything that moves.