Keeping turtles out of melon patch?

[Pat]

Today I found a turtle munching into my largest ripening cantelope. This is UNACCEPTABLE behavior... How can I keep them from getting more of the melons?

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

Capture the turtle and sell it?

There can't be that many around......

[Steve]

That's a new one. :-)

[Pat]

Who on earth wants to buy a turtle???

There are quite a few. I live in a wild area. Guess what woke me up this morning: Three wild turkey hens clucking outside my bedroom window. I guess I should count my blessings, that the deer haven't come into the garden at all yet.

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

LOTS of people! Ornate boxes sell for about $60.00.

If it is not a protected species, a pet store in town might want it. Or post to the reptile list if you are willing to ship.

Indeed. ;-)

Bird netting might work, or a low wire fence.

[Penelope Periwinkle]

Oh, kewl, a turtle! I wouldn't mind sharing a few fruits with a turtle, they eat slugs, too. When the 5 year drought around here was at its peak, I lost a fair number of tomotes to the birds, but I figured they needed them more than I did.

That being said, it shouldn't be difficult to put up a low fence to keep turtles out.

Penelope

[simy1]

I am shocked that a garden in a wild area has no protection. A low fence will keep out rabbits as well, and a couple of electric wires (one near the top of the fence, one higher), should keep out the rest. And to keep the birds off the tomatoes, a pan of water is the best solution. It has to be present one month before the tomatoes ripen, to get them used to it. That way they will focus on the caterpillars.

[Doug Freyburger]

Turtles are really good in stew. They aren't smart enough to get the message en-masse, but it is an absolute surefire solution for any one turtle.

[farmerdill]

A low wire border is yours best best. Does not have to be over 9- 12 inches high.

[Dominic-Luc Webb]

Are you sure he was munching into it? Is it possible he has mistaken your cantelope for another turtle? Do not blame the turtle. Maybe if your cantelope were a bit less promiscuous. Well, OK, I suppose if you run really fast you should be able to catch it, give it a good spanking on the back side of his shell and send him on his way home...

Seriously, where are you? I find it a novelty to find one of the most endangered species on our planet (in general) just by chance wandering into your garden. From more real biology point of view, is this turtle where it should be? Is it lost? I know they can experience navigational difficulties. There are some places, like in Mexico, that directly intervene to fetch these lost critters and redirect them. Alternatively, maybe you are directly in a turtle habitat or reside within some migration route?

Dominic

[Pat]

"Dominic-Luc Webb" wrote

South-central Missouri.

I find it a novelty to find one of the most

Are you serious? There are tons of turtles around here. Including alligator snappers (which I carefully relocate using a large flat shovel).

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

Alligator snappers are supposed to be one of the more delicious species...... ;-d

[Steve]

Now there's an image. A turtle migration. :-)

Steve

[Dominic-Luc Webb]

Maybe, but it is true. Many turtles have very specific routes they follow seasonally. In the context of this newsgroup, this means seasonal visits to one's garden, as opposed to a local permanent habitat in which case preventing turtles from accessing the garden becomes a year-round affair.

Dominic

[John Savage]

Could you drop each fruit into a shallow plastic bucket--large enough to allow for anticipated growth? First make a few holes in the bucket to allow rainwater to drain.

[Pat]

Sounds like a good plan. Thank you!

[Laura]

Doesn't have to be in a wild area to have turtles. I live in a suburban neighborhood, and I get them in my backyard from time to time (and yes, they DO like melons). I have a wooden privacy fence that touches the ground all around, but that doesn't seem to deter them. I guess they must dig under it.

In fairness, I do live in Florida, and there is a drainage ditch behind my house. (The plat calls it a "canal" - ha! It has 6" of water in it on average, and drains through culverts into a swamp!)

I assume this is where the turtles hang out when they are not looking for melons to munch on. It's definitely where the mosquitos hang out when they are not looking for *me* to munch on.

Laura

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

Suspending melons in cut panty hose (or just buy a package of cheap knee-hi nylons!) works well also! I used to do that when the vines climbed the fence just to support them so they would not break off early under their own weight.

[David Hare-Scott]

What you have is much more likely to be a tortoise, terrestial types with claws. Turtles are aquatic species with flippers. Those that are not threatened species are employed holding up the universe.

Either could be kept out with a small fence as they cannot climb very well and cannot jump at all.

David

[simy1]

I live in an urban area (bordering woods) and still, I have fences around both my gardens. Not enough to stop the deer, certainly enough to stop the turtles.