They all seem to look pretty much alike, orange/brown, bushy tales, don't know how else to describe them except that they are very common in Berkeley, CA. What exact variety of squirrel is this? One in particular has been raveging my pumpkin/squash patch, having eaten most or part of at least 11 of my current crop. I'm trying to research the beast. I have a trap on order, but until it gets here, well, I'm getting at least 2 casualties a day.
Dan
Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net
Gray squirrels and fox squirrels have both been introduced to California. A key trait for distinguishing them is the color of the belly: typically, white in the smaller gray squirrel and (appropos the name) a rust color in the fox squirrel. (There are odd color morphs and subspecies for that break this rule -- the most common being gray squirrels that are entirely black.)
My response was facetious but you can google up pictures of all squirrel species - I believe over 250. It's probably a fox squirrel.
If they are small and reddish they could be pine squirrels.
Pine squirrels are small and tough -- I've seem a pine squirrel chase off a much larger fox squirrel. But they are far more likely to be littering your yard with debris from fir, spruce or pine trees rather than tearing into mature squash. Pine squirrels will make off with the occasional strawberry or other small fruit, though.
:They all seem to look pretty much alike, orange/brown, bushy tales, :don't know how else to describe them except that they are very common in :Berkeley, CA. What exact variety of squirrel is this? One in particular :has been raveging my pumpkin/squash patch, having eaten most or part of :at least 11 of my current crop. I'm trying to research the beast. I have :a trap on order, but until it gets here, well, I'm getting at least 2 :casualties a day. : :Dan : : :Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net
This squirrel is smart, very smart. It did a Houdini to escape my live squirrel trap, just bought on eBay, 16 x 6 x 6 inches. It definitely was in the trap and escaped. I think it's probably a red squirrel. I tried the live trap again, and the damned thing got the bait out of the trap without going inside. Masterful! I had peanut buttered the last 5" or so of a stick and set it into the trap from above. Hard to believe the rodent figured out how to get that stick out, but it did and ate all the PNB. I think it's probably the same squirrel that's been harassing me for 3 years or so, but he's getting better and better. He stopped hitting the rat traps I have out there (around 6, all baited with PN butter).
I deduced that the live trap isn't big enough. This is a BIG squirrel. I saw it again today and I think the nose to end of tail it's about 20-22 inches. The tail keeps the gate from closing on the trap and it somehow got out, either turning around inside or lifting its tail and backing out. I thought of returning the trap and ordering a bigger one but instead I modified the trap today, adding 10" to the length with some wire mesh I had lying around. I have it set now, and think this time I'm likely to get the bugger. I'm going to let it out several miles from my house.
Dan
Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net
Our raccoon sized havahart trap catches squirrels quite well and they can't reach the bait from the sides or above.
If I want to trap anything I will usually leave a little bait inside the door and some just over the the trigger pad.
of course the trap kinda works like a squirrel acceleration chamber but you make do with what you have.
Do you have too many trees to put chicken wire collars around them, or wrap your fruit in? I certainly understand your anger, but is there any concession you could make to keep the squirrels happy without destroying your plants. I give mine a walnut a day, away from the garden, and loosely wrap chicken wire, 5' to 6' up around the trees where they access my garden. It has worked for me, YMMV.
I used to love squirrels as a kid and still get a kick out of them now... but now they are fluffy tailed tree rats.
Putting the irrelevancy aside....
How would chicken wire collars work?
I've seen sheet metal or plastic used to deny squirrels access to trees but given how well squirrels climb, chicken wire seems a minor obstacle.
On Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:07:50 -0700, Billy wrote:
:In article , : Dan Musicant wrote: : :> On Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:31:54 -0700, Dan Musicant :> wrote: :> :> :They all seem to look pretty much alike, orange/brown, bushy tales, :> :don't know how else to describe them except that they are very common in :> :Berkeley, CA. What exact variety of squirrel is this? One in particular :> :has been raveging my pumpkin/squash patch, having eaten most or part of :> :at least 11 of my current crop. I'm trying to research the beast. I have :> :a trap on order, but until it gets here, well, I'm getting at least 2 :> :casualties a day. :> : :> :Dan :> : :> : :> :Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net :> :> This squirrel is smart, very smart. It did a Houdini to escape my live :> squirrel trap, just bought on eBay, 16 x 6 x 6 inches. It definitely was :> in the trap and escaped. I think it's probably a red squirrel. I tried :> the live trap again, and the damned thing got the bait out of the trap :> without going inside. Masterful! I had peanut buttered the last 5" or so :> of a stick and set it into the trap from above. Hard to believe the :> rodent figured out how to get that stick out, but it did and ate all the :> PNB. I think it's probably the same squirrel that's been harassing me :> for 3 years or so, but he's getting better and better. He stopped :> hitting the rat traps I have out there (around 6, all baited with PN :> butter). :> :> I deduced that the live trap isn't big enough. This is a BIG squirrel. I :> saw it again today and I think the nose to end of tail it's about 20-22 :> inches. The tail keeps the gate from closing on the trap and it somehow :> got out, either turning around inside or lifting its tail and backing :> out. I thought of returning the trap and ordering a bigger one but :> instead I modified the trap today, adding 10" to the length with some :> wire mesh I had lying around. I have it set now, and think this time I'm :> likely to get the bugger. I'm going to let it out several miles from my :> house. :> :> Dan :> :> :> :> Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net : :Do you have too many trees to put chicken wire collars around them, or :wrap your fruit in? I certainly understand your anger, but is there any :concession you could make to keep the squirrels happy without destroying :your plants. I give mine a walnut a day, away from the garden, and :loosely wrap chicken wire, 5' to 6' up around the trees where they :access my garden. It has worked for me, YMMV.
I don't care if they climb my two plum trees. I see them in those trees frequently, and they can have all the plums they want. There's more than I can use in anycase. Birds get a lot of them, but again, I don't care particularly.
But the pumpkins are another matter. I can't keep them safe from a squirrel determined to eat them. What I do do is grow them up trellises made of long bamboo. This protects most of the crop from squirrels, and
95% of my currently maturing crop is so situated. The ones on the ground have either been picked by me or at least partially eaten by squirrel(s). More than a dozen were hit by squirrel(s). There are maybe 1/2 dozen left on the ground, mostly seemingly not noticed by the rodent(s). I have a few tucked into ~1' high containers, where the rodent(s) can't see them. I haven't checked the lengthened (now 26") trap this morning. Want to give time for the rodent to hit the patch (I read in Wikipedia today, that they like to go out foraging after dawn and about dusk to avoid both predators and noon-day heat), but it's been only a sometime thing lately, so maybe, maybe not.Dan
Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net
It's a learning curve. We all love learning curves, right? I found one squirrel screwing around in the chicken wire. I walked up to it, and when it saw me, it took off like a roman candle. My seedling are at the base of the tree.
Since I put up the chicken wire collars, my plants haven't been bothered by squirrels. Maybe it makes no sense, but it works for me. The chicken wire has to be out from the tree (U), not pulled tight to it.
ObJoke:
the edible kind. :)
songbird (who's actually never eaten squirrel, possum or raccoon... yet...
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