I am thinking ahead to spring/summer/fall. How do I keep the squirrels out of my garden, off my miniature fruit trees, out of my strawberries? We lost our entire crop of tomatoes last year to the rodents; same with strawberries. They ate the pears as they were just setting on fruit but didn't touch the peaches. We live in the DC suburbs; a shotgun is out of the question and I am not interested in a squirrel relocation program. Will bird netting work? Thanks for any and all help.

Corinne Hayes

-- Corinne Hayes (hayesm@doubled.com), January 07, 2000

Answers

You might try an ultrasonic pest repeller. One especially for rodents. They are usually with the ones for insects. I don't know if you have these stores where you are but here is where we have seen them. Lowes, Home depot, Real Goods, or any big garden center. If all else fails get a dog! Even a small one will work!

-- Robin Frontz (frontzfarm@1st.net), January 07, 2000.

I think my dad used plastic snakes scattered all over everywhere. I know he scattered them for some pest. He used diamond shaped blocks of wood painted black with black feathers on them to scare away crows, so I guess the snakes were for the squirrels. He still lost a lot of peaches, though. You have to move the snakes frequently so the pests don't get too accustomed to them. Perhaps a live trap and a large shovel to whop them with?

-- A.C.Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), January 08, 2000.

We had the same squirrel problem (still do, off and on) and the following cures worked for us. We tried a dog and that worked for awhile. But....the dog gets discouraged and the squirrels get smarter. Used a Havahart trap for a while. It worked until the squirrels figured out that whoever went into the trap wasn't at dinner that night. Squirrels learn so fast that maybe we ought to put them in public office! I have yet to find a squirrel that makes the same mistake twice (and doesn't know the meaning of "is"). The last solution is the ultimate cure and the one which is going to get me into the most trouble on this forum, but we are here to solve problems, right? I have never found a squirrel which returned from the dead to steal my grapes, strawberries, peaches, etc.. Purchase and become proficient with any one of the fine cocking-action air rifles (not bb guns) on the market. They are quiet, accurate and absolute. Good luck, john and pat

-- john and pat james (jjames@n-jcenter.com), January 08, 2000.

Concur with John and Pat. I live in the suburbs, too, and squirrels were eating everything I planted, even dragging away whole stalks of corn. Nothing worked until I bought a top-of-the-line German pellet rifle and shot two dozen of them the first day. They didn't go to waste, though. Want a recipe?

-- Brad Rohdenburg (Rodent@worldpath.net), January 09, 2000.

Ah...what do you folks think about Gerbils? Say the word and I'll be gone. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), January 10, 2000.

I would not bother with a 'ultrasonic' toy. Was a veterinary tech for years...they never worked then and I doubt they do now. I'm living with some freinds and the woman here has a couple of 'Roach Clickers'...makes a click and uses ultrasonics to scare off the roaches and mice...funny...had them for years and the man is spraying raid every night for the roaches and setting traps for mice. [I use a pellet pistol on both in my 'area' in the basement..~G~]

I'd suggest the pellet gun...get a cocking one as suggested...there are some that use CO2, but you gotta replace the cartridges occaisionally...

Also consider setting snares using heavy monofiliment line...a spring type snare...that pulls them up so they can't bite thru the line is helpful.

those neat little leghold traps might help...move them around occaisionally so they won't learn where they are....

Good luck and don't waste the meat.

-- Satanta (satanta@zdnetmail.com), January 11, 2000.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. Guns, even bb guns, are absolutely out of the question. Not that I can't or won't shoot one, but here in the "People's Republic of Fairfax" (county), it is against the law to shoot a firearm in the county limits. Makes one wonder about the armed robberies around here!

A rat trap worked last year--rumor evidently got around that our yard was a killer. But it only worked for a week or so after the first killing. Guess we'll try that again and just keep re-baiting and killing throughout the season. And we'll have to be careful to keep the children away from the traps--and the dead squirrels.

Corinne

-- Corinne Hayes (hayesm@doubled.com), January 11, 2000.

My big tom cat keeps everything away other wise its dinner .I'm not sure how to pick a good one I guess I just lucked out .Have you ever thought of a sling shot ?How about a kids gun that shoots plastic pellets , wont kill them but it may scare them away .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), January 11, 2000.

A cat will keep squirells out of your yard much better than a dog. All laws were made to be bent or broken......My grandfather lived in a city which allowed no firearms, even bb guns. He had pecan and walnut trees. We ate squirells regularly which were shot through a hole in the screen on the bathroom window. A benjamin 22 cal pellet rifle is the way to go. No one can hear it and how do the neighbors see it if your in your house????.

Salt pepper and roll cut up squirell in flour Brown in dutch oven with just enough oil to cover the bottom Remove squirell Add flour and brown to make gravy Add water and squirell Simmer for 2-3 hours over low heat with lid on A little red pepper and garlic salt on squirell adds a lot

Serve over rice

Tough old squirells add a couple hours and a little water to cooking time.

Cats are ok but why let a good meal get away......

-- brian r (brian3006@msn.com), January 11, 2000.

For whatever its worth, we had some trouble with red squirrels chewing stuff up around the house, stuff like spark plug wires, oxy/acetylene hoses (they seem to prefer the red, acetylene hoses) etc. That got old real quick. We bought a jar of jalapeno peppers, dipped a rag in the oil they were packed in and wiped every wire and hose we could find down with it. Also we raised an orphaned cottontail in the house who took a liking to the nintendo wires and used the same method. No problems with anything after that.

What if you got a jar of jalapenos, dumped the entire contents in the blender with the appropriate amount of water, blended it for a long time, until very liquid, filtered thru a coffee filter then heavily sprayed on the tree trunks and around the garden plants bothered by the squirrels? It might be worth a shot. Let us know how it works. Haven't tried it myself but I suspect if the solution is strong enuf it will burn their sensitive nostrils, maybe even the pads on their feet. Same thing with gopher holes. Pour some of the hot sauce down the holes. Do it often enuf and i'd think they'd get discouraged and get outta dodge.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 12, 2000.

I called the BATF about pellet rifles, and were told that they are not considered firearms, and are legal to shoot around or even IN houses. Beyond that, they're so quiet that my neihbors don't even know I'm executing squirrels.

"Spring air" rifles are the way to go - those pnuematic ones that require multiple pumps are relative junk.

-- Brad (Rodent@worldpath.net), January 13, 2000.

Don't quite agree with the previous poster. The sheridan, with ten pumps is accurate at 75 yds and packs a punch, almost as good as a 22. Here in Wisc. air rifles are considerd to be firearms so check your local state and community ordinances if that is a concern.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 13, 2000.

A little tnemec in a hamburger patty will kill every squirell, coon, dog, cat, and other living being that touches or eats it withing 1/2 mile radius.........no I dont do this just heard about it and had a couple dogs die because of it

-- brian r (brian3006@msn.com), January 13, 2000.

I'll have to agree that an air powered pellet gun is the best deterrent. In my youth, (my wife calls me a depression baby!) I turned many a gray squirrel into a fine supper with a pellet gun. Nowadays, the extreme left doesn't want us to kill anything, except for perhaps the unborn. But I digress. A simple alternative is a rat-trap, attached to a tree by your bird feeder with a single screw, and baited with peanut butter, bait side down. You MAY catch a bird, but I have never had that happen. Just keep the bird feed ample enough. When you catch the squirrel, it is absolutely the best meat you have ever tasted. Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, goat and iquana all pale in comparison. Try it, you'll like it!

-- Brad Traver (homefixer@mix-net.net), January 19, 2000.

We also have a terrible squirrel problem, one of which we have yet found a soultion for... They have torn up guttering, soffits shingles to get into our attic. We have a cat, dog, the electronic rodent things (they don't work, have tried the extreme and used the pellet gun, they have caused a house fire by chewing through wires and no one can give me a soultion to it. They have over taken my attic and even gotten into the rest of the house and torn up things galore. someone told me to try moth balls, that didn't work either... just made our house stink. They undo the vents under the eaves of our house tear our the insulation, we climb up and fix the vents and they move to the next one... I hate these critters, there is nothing cute or facinating about the damage they have done to our home... we have called professinol pest controllers thier soultion was if we kill them we end up killing everything else to. So anyone else got any suggestions or do we just vacate our house and move so they can have full roam of the house?

-- cindi oates (coates@netection.net), January 13, 2001.

Has anybody tried linseed oil putty. not tried it yet, but it has been reccommended to me. Apparently, if you put it around the entrance of their dray they eat it and it poison's them.

-- Nick (nicoli9@hotmail.com), April 22, 2001.

This is bad but I am nearly as desperate as the person whose attic is infested with the bushy tailed little rat-like monsters. Mine is too. My neighbor suggested a small serving of anti-freeze. I know where the little buggers get into the house and have a spot in mind. Problem I have is endangering other animals. I might give it a go just the same. It'll be my luck that after a green fluid repast, it'll crawl into a warm spot in the attic and succumb (in comparison, a dead rodent makes moth balls smell wonderful). One thing is for sure, I'll not be trying that recipe if I lean on Prestone. You ideas and empathy are welcome.

-- Jim (jdsola@micron.net), May 06, 2001.

I live in Prairie Village, KS and the cops showed up at my door a year ago and told me not to shoot them any more. This is after I had killed about 60 squirrels within a year or so with my pellet gun. The problem was that after I shot many of them, they would live for a few minutes and wind up dead on many of my neighbors side of the fence, so they called the cops. Plus there are too many kids. The trap works okay, but is a pain to reload with bait every time, and after awhile the squirrels get wise and my hit rate goes down. I wish some electrician would design a product that is remote controlled (like a flat tray birdfeeder) so that when I put bird seed down, which quickly draws squirrels, I could point the remote at the device and it would send an ample charge to electicute the fuzzy little varmit to a quick and instant death. I'm not worried about the birds as they fly away once the squirrels arrive, and I would only zap the rodents when I see them on the platform. I can place this aparatus far enough away from my house that it would not shock me or anyone else. Any ideas? I am an independent rep and could also market a product like this to lawn and garden dealers as I call on that trade for a living. I am totally serious. If someone could design it, I'd by it and would consider marketing it!

-- bart maffry (bmaffry@kc.rr.com), September 15, 2001.

Hey i'd buy one! It should not take much to build one! We have one squirrel in our attic right now and I'm sure it is eating tru everything! Having the thing die in the house somewhere would be terrible. How about one of those glue traps you use for Rats. Put some poisioned peanutbutter on it. This way the squirrel goes for the bait gets stuck in the glue, the trap is ackward so it can't really go into small spaces. Then it eats the poison and dies in a open area because the trap is too big! Has anyone tried this idea? Or do they chew there feet off like rats? Yuck!!

-- kim (kim@hoowa.com), December 28, 2001.

If you have a pellet gun use it. I have a garden and cat food, and the squirells kept eating away with it. I got my son's paintball gun and blasted them away. When they kept coming back I used the pellet gun. Haven't come back ever since. Use the pellet gun. Eat em!

-- Tyler (firebobcat@hotmail.com), March 28, 2002.

---I wish some electrician would design a product that is remote controlled (like a flat tray birdfeeder) so that when I put bird seed down, which quickly draws squirrels, I could point the remote at the device and it would send an ample charge to electicute the fuzzy little varmit to a quick and instant death.---

Somewhere in the archives is Ol' Hoot's Electric Rat Fryer, crow killer or something like that. Perfect for those squirrels!

-- Laura S. (LadybugWrangler@somewhere.com), March 30, 2002.

Two words - rat poison. Works like a charm. Just make sure it's out of reach of non-destructive creatures.

-- Squirrel Hater (hard@workinmyyard.com), April 11, 2002.