Is there any way to keep squirrels out of my tomato patch? All I got last year was few cherry tomatoes - not one standard size (squirrels snitched them all.) i could live with sharing the produce, but we should get some, too.
Alan
Huh. I've never had a problem with my squirrels raiding more than a very few tomatoes (knock on wood), but then I feed the squirrels.
Priscilla
Once a couple squirrels learn about tomatos it's hard to get them to unlearn it. Generally tomatos are not something they like very much, but if there is no easy water source, squirrels & chipmunks will break open tomatoes to get water. Sometimes providing them with another source of water keeps them off the tomatos, although that works best BEFORE they learn they can get a drink by busting them open, before they get a taste for flavored water. If you feed the squirrels something fatty like peanuts, crushed walnuts, sunflower seeds, or even just corn which they love to distraction, they would be inclined to ignore such secondary foods as tomatos or leaf buds & all the less-liked back-up foods.
-paghat the ratgirl
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They've got plenty of water - we live by a stream, and have for over 40 years. These squirrels just like tomatoes. :(
Alan
Our squirrels like to pick the tomatoes, take a bite, and then leave them on the ground.
I've had pretty good luck keeping assorted varmits from eating my plants by covering with nylon netting, which is very inexpensive and can be bought from most any fabric store.
Try dusting the tomatoes with cayenne pepper or maybe a hot pepper spray.
I have the exact same problem. Last year, almost no tomatoes. Once the squirrels discovered my garden, they sampled every tomato. Has anyone tried "Shake Away"? Does it work?
Sort of. Not sure how much it influences the squirrels.
They appear to be more interested in the bird feeder. They've never really bothered my tomatoes much, and there are other food sources in my yard.
The shake away is mostly for the groundhog.
Swyck
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