Squirrels - about to lose my mind!

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

This has been a very frustrating growing season for me. Every other year, tough or not, we've always had a decent harvest. This year I put up shelves in our basement for my starts, was all ready to plant them out early, but it got cold. I considered using Wall O'Waters, but I grew them in the basement to get tough, thick stems in the cooler conditions and had read how they wow's can lead to spindly stems.

When they finally got in, actually later than usual, we had on and off heat waves. A few days of 100 degree's then cooler, then hot, then cooler. Had more blossom drop than most years I've grown combined.

Fruit set finally occurred and we've waited and waited and waited for ripe tomatoes. Even the sungolds are not ripening. I ate my first the cherry August 7th; we usually have cherries in July! We finally got to enjoy a 12 oz. Kosovo this weekend and have since picked about a dozen sungolds. I've had squirrels eat my first Kosovo and the first 2 Orange Minsk that ripened.

I went out this morning to walk through with a friend, and 3 more just beginning to ripen tomatoes have been chowed. All plants are absolutely loaded with greenies and I prefer to allow them to ripen on the vine but this is unreal. I spent months hovering over these plants only to be providing squirrel fodder? Hubby says to pick green, but they lose flavor that way.

Any advice on successfully thwarting squirrels and chipmunks? The garden is fenced, they are not bothering green fruit, they are coming in at ground level somewhere (no holes in fences, I checked) and appear to be climbing up the plants to chow on the fruit as it ripens. They must be sitting out there with sights set for first signs of ripening because they are catching them before I can. I was going to pick 2 yesterday but they really weren't far enough and now they are chowed. I've already lost every single eggplant to the critters. I am so discouraged....

[NGGrant]

Do you have a gun?

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

I have two boys as part of my trio, so yes we do have gun here, albeit air-soft pistols and rifles. But the trio keeps me from sitting watch. Hubby says he wants to pay one of the boys to sit watch and target practice, but I can hear the issues with neighbors already. We had to curtail practicing at our house due to complaints so was hoping for a more neighbor friendly solution. We are only on an acre, have kids around us, a neighbor without kids and without tolerance for them....

[recruiterg]

Get a live trap. Trap them and relocate them to a park nearby.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by recruiterg

Get a live trap. Trap them and relocate them to a park nearby.

I agree,
It is my opinion only but the killing without eating them seems to be a waste of protein.
No joking, fried squirrel is tasty.

Worth

[tjg911]

you can pick the tomatoes when they are getting color and ripen them in the house. they ripen fine this way, i do it all the time.

i have a pellet rifle and have killed a few. a 22 would be better if you live in an area where it is safe to use one. and if you trap them PLEASE don't relocate them, no one else wants your problems! for some reason people think it is acceptable to put their pests into someone else's area, if you (the trapper) did not want this pest why do you think someone else does?

i'm surprised you are so late getting ripe fruit. i'm in litchfield county and they were a little later this year than the past few years your's are very late.

tom

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Tom,

Late indeed! It's frustrating! We've had a garden for years and never like this. We've been successful even in years that others have had issues - guess this is my year for troubles. We're in Danbury, btw, so south of you and should be a bit further along than you. Ah the joys of gardening!

[tjg911]

yeah you should be a little ahead of me unless you're on top of some of those big hills down there (i was down there in the spring and was surprised how hilly that section can be!), elevation can skew things, litchfield county is the cooler part of ct. i was picking cherry tomatoes about 7/20 and regular about 7/25 and i was moaning about how late they were!

tom

[bcday]

Originally Posted by tjg911

if you trap them PLEASE don't relocate them, no one else wants your problems! for some reason people think it is acceptable to put their pests into someone else's area, if you (the trapper) did not want this pest why do you think someone else does?
tom

What makes you think everyone considers them problems and pests? Lots of folks, especially children, enjoy watching squirrels. Check your local garden center, you can even buy squirrel feeders that hold dry ears of corn. Just because YOU don't want this squirrel around doesn't mean no one else should either.

If people want to live trap and relocate squirrels, I say leave that choice up to them. AFAIC those who want to relocate squirrels to a park are far more civilized than jerks who think "right to life" only applies to humans and that other live animals are only good for target practice.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by bcday

What makes you think everyone considers them problems and pests? Lots of folks, especially children, enjoy watching squirrels. Check your local garden center, you can even buy squirrel feeders that hold dry ears of corn. Just because YOU don't want this squirrel around doesn't mean no one else should either.

If people want to live trap and relocate squirrels, I say leave that choice up to them. AFAIC those who want to relocate squirrels to a park are far more civilized than jerks who think "right to life" only applies to humans and that other live animals are only good for target practice.

I keep corn and feeders out for them and have very few problems with them eating my garden.
My neighbor lady friend would be horrified if she saw me kill one.
She keeps a mud wallow for them to cool off in.

Worth

[tjg911]

when they attack my food it's curtains for them period. as long as they leave me alone all will be fine. violate that law and they die.

tom

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by bcday

What makes you think everyone considers them problems and pests? Lots of folks, especially children, enjoy watching squirrels. Check your local garden center, you can even buy squirrel feeders that hold dry ears of corn. Just because YOU don't want this squirrel around doesn't mean no one else should either.

If people want to live trap and relocate squirrels, I say leave that choice up to them. AFAIC those who want to relocate squirrels to a park are far more civilized than jerks who think "right to life" only applies to humans and that other live animals are only good for target practice.

I like squirrels and I think they are very cute. Oddly enough, I never had a problem with them eating from my garden, but blue jays and possums are awful. I had a possum eat a pineapple thet was at the perfect ripeness, and they only put out 1 fruit every year and a half. That p----ed me off!
The blue jays got into my mangoes and would peck holes in them by the dozens instead of eating one or 2 all the way through. They are pigs!
No problem from squirrels though.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

I like squirrels and I think they are very cute. Oddly enough, I never had a problem with them eating from my garden, but blue jays and possums are awful. I had a possum eat a pineapple thet was at the perfect ripeness, and they only put out 1 fruit every year and a half. That p----ed me off!
The blue jays got into my mangoes and would peck holes in them by the dozens instead of eating one or 2 all the way through. They are pigs!
No problem from squirrels though.

If a possum eats my pineapples I am growing after that long I'll be fit to be tied.

I better start more pineapples.

Worth

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Worth1

If a possum eats my pineapples I am growing after that long I'll be fit to be tied.

I better start more pineapples.

Worth

Oh my, that made me laugh!!
A clever way to catch a possum humanely is to get a small step ladder leaned against a 30 gallon plastic garbage can, that has a portion of cat food in it. Can must be plastic so the critter cant grip it to get out. Put out at night of course because possums are nocturnal. It will be stuck inside it in the morning, and you just put the lid on the trash can and drive it to it's new home many miles away, safe and unharmed. it works very well.

[Mark0820]

If you trap them, check your local laws before you relocate them to a park. In my area, the city fines people for relocating squirrels to the city parks. We are only allowed to relocate them outside of the city limits.