I'm about to eviscerate a lot of squirrels if I can't get some help.

[foo]

This is a thread destined to be flamed. So be it.

Dear PETA,

Don't read this.

onward.

I have squirrels (oh yes, those cutesy little scamps running around with nuts in their mouths climbing trees and spreading glee throughout the land) that are not only digging up my brand new seedlings but terrorizing the pots they reside in as well. So far they have killed at least ten burgeoning plants. No more. I'm going walking tall on these punks very soon if I can't get some advice. (please).

So, without further adieu here is my question:

What is a safe and relatively easy alternative to preventing these bastards from eating my seedlings (and digging into the soil)?

My first thought isn't safe- it involves a competition .22 with hot ammo and a spray of blood so fanning that it will look like the skies are raining death. Locked, cocked, and ready for squirrel.

These bastards taunt me. Sitting high-and-mighty in *my* trees which I let them hang out in. They stare at me- they know me- I'm their maker- the one they may meet. They casually dance through the branches and always get away of course. But, from the bullet? Not so much.

So with the secondary intention of actually saving these, ahem, a- holes, can someone please recommend a safe solution to either preventing them from eating my greens?

If necessary I will build a squirrel sanctuary. One with plenty of weeds and expensive organic soil for them to dig through- sort of like a bat house. They can sit there fancy-free and munch away at things that nobody cares about. I will provide them a steady supply of nuts during the winter and even crack them for them to not damage their teeth. I will provide yearly dental checkups just in case. I will warm their squirrel house's with a nice warm incandescent glow so they may dine together on things OTHER THAN MY PLANTS.

Thank your your your attention to this pressing matter.

[William Rose]

Foo, As a gardener, I'm always amazed when I make that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde transformation that comes when you see the stumps of your vegetative wards sticking up out of the ground or their shriveled corpses lying on the dirt. I suggest that you look at the conversation that we just had here (or was it in rec.gardens.edible?) about keeping cats and dogs out of gardens. What is working for me right now is a sprinkler that is set off by a motion detector (about $20). Hope squirrels aren't aqua-philes.

Good luck,

- Bill Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Chicken wire or fence wire. Think about it. Make caps out of these materials. Once the plants reach a certain size, remove the caps. "Certain size" depends on which plants. You'll figure it out.

[Travis M.]

Get a dog.

[Gary]

A live trap might be an option. I've seen them for sale at farm and ranch supply places for about $40.00 Also, some state divisions of wildlife lend these out to property owners (probably on a limited basis - and maybe for a fee???) but something to check into. I am told that once you catch the little bugger you have to take it for ride of at least 5 miles before releasing it, in order to keep it from returning. Hope this helps. Happy trapping! :)

[Grandpa]

Then build one of these:

[bungadora]

Actually the bit about the squirrel sanctuary is sometimes advised. If they're eating nuts they aren't as interested in your salad. That said, I don't like the idea of feeding tree rats. Besides which they start burying nuts in the ground.

My cats are into chasing squirrels when I let them out, and I let them, but never when there's actually a danger of them catching one. The scare is enough. But my cats aren't out all the time, and I don't want them digging in my garden either.

I've used blood meal sprinkled on the ground with some success. IMHO it gives the squirrels the idea that a squirrel-like creature met its demise in your garden. But it has to be applied after every rainfall.

Good luck!

[Travis M.]

In Washington state trapping, live or otherwise is illegal.

[Lar]

You can get a permit in Wa state to trap...just have to jump through a few hoops

from WAC 232-12-14----- Washington Administrative Code (WAC) April 4, 2007

(6) A person seeking a special trapping permit shall submit a complete application to the department. The applicant shall provide the following information:

(a) Applicant's name, address, and telephone number.

(b) Location(s) of animal problem (physical address or legal description including township, range, and section number).

(c) Description of the animal problem:

(i) Duration of the animal problem.

(ii) Description of the damage or potential damage being caused (i.e., crop, timber, property, livestock, or pet animals, etc.).

(iii) Any threat or potential threat to the health and/or safety of people.

(d) Species of animal causing the problem and, if known, the number of animals involved.

(e) Description of the measures taken to prevent or alleviate the problem or damage.

(f) Explanation of why the measures taken were ineffective to abate the problem or why such measures could not reasonably or effectively be used to abate the animal problem.

(g) Whether Conibear-type traps in water, padded foot-hold traps or nonstrangling-type foot snares will be used.

(h) Species and number of animals to be removed.

Lar

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

I'll bet [and hope] they still won't let you relocate the vermin to someone else's land. I'd rather get the permit for the .22.

Squirrels may[?] be cute but they are worse than rats. I swore vengeance on them 15 years ago when they ate some Pileated woodpecker babies out of a nest I was watching.

If you're in an area where the .22 might be too much firepower- Crossman makes a bunch of

[dr-solo]

I agree with the blood meal sprinkled over the top. I do this when planting bulbs. also, it is suggested to never leave any husk on top to lure the squirrels.

Now, there is some kind of hot stuff people put into bird seed (birds cant taste very well) to prevent squirrels from eating it.

You might want to try some light weight chicken fencing over the seeds/seedlings for a while.

There is also the water "cannon", I think they are sensitive enough to be tripped by squirrels. ponders use them to keep birds and raccoons away from ponds.

Ingrid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at

up: the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website. I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Zone 5 next to Lake Michigan

[helco]

rec.birds just had a useful discussion on this topic under the heading "squirrel question." I think some people described using nonlethal pellet guns.

Re trapping and relocating -- squirrels? By the hundreds?

And cats aren't especially useful against squirrels, which have exact knowledge of cats' limitations (how far they can jump) and can tease them mercilessly. Yes, on purpose -- I've seen squirrels lure a cat up into a tree, only to run down the tree on the other side and then sneak up on the cat from behind, chittering at it, while it was splayed helplessly on the trunk above the squirrel. I also once saw a squirrel "train" a young cat on its first Spring outing. The cat ran up a tree after the squirrel, which turned around and boxed the young cat's ears -- yes, it hit the cat on both ears with its paws! Luckily, the whole episode was repeated a few minutes later, and, luckily, my daughter saw it too, or I would doubt whether it actually happened.

helco

[Jan Flora]

Get a Jack Russell Terrorist dog. They're bred to kill things.

Jan

[Jan Flora]

In Alaska, it's a way of life and a living for many people.

Jan (who prefers cross-fox fur)

[Ash Williams]

You just gave the answer. However, unless you see them in pots, as you say, "living in them" they are not what is doing the damage. Squirrels don't eat seedlings that I know of. They eat nuts, fruits, and seeds, acorns, etc.

I just came in and there are aborted peaches on the ground and my husband asked me if I thought it was the squirrels and I said, "I don't care if it is."

Let it go. Killing is the worst thing you could do for yourself. Please avoid that at all costs. Not to save the squirrels, but to save the nightmare you'll have when you are a squirrel in another lower life.

[Ash Williams]

And what if the trapped animal has a nest in a tree with young depending on that squirrel for life? More killing. It disgusts me.

[bungadora]

LOL. Oh the indignity of it all! Dora

[foo]

And not a single flame! Is Usenet growing up after 20 years?! :)

THANKS TO EVERYONE! I love the blood meal idea!!! And its good for my plants!

[Travis M.]

I doubt one could get a special permit to trap squirrels.

[Alexander Miller]

| I doubt one could get a special permit to trap squirrels.

127 lines just for this?

Alexander