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When I'm growing lettuce, I throw a bunch of seed in a 14" pot and let them go. Too many in there for them to grow very big. I transplant out of that pot every week or two.
Yesterday I transplanted 30 or so. This morning I find numerous plants dug up by tree rats.
I probably should have put some gloves on before scattering smoked Thai pepper flakes around the plants. I guess I could have avoided having to wear them now.
I hate squirrels.

I second that, and I can't begin to tell you how many of those I have gotten rid of.

Could me in as third. You know we live in the woods with about a million nut trees, but NO ~ they have to eat out of my birdfeeders. AND dig up all the plants on the porch. A few of my friends are squirrel hunters and I have been begging them to come on over. Rats!!!

I hear people say this stuff all the time. I have plenty of squirrels. They will definitely raid and eventually destroy birdfeeders if given a chance. That is why we use squirrel proof feeders.


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but I have never had (that I know of) squirrels digging up my plants. They will take bites out of the tomatoes if they can. They do it for the juice so they take little bites out of each one, rather than just eating one. But my tomato plants are all fenced in, to protect them from groundhogs, raccoons, and deer, so the squirrels can't get to those either. So we all co-exist nicely.

(you would think I live in the woods, but no I live on a wooded third of an acre on a big busy street four miles from down town. all these critters have learned to survive in the city quite well.)

I don't often see the squirrels digging UP anything I planted.

What I do see is signs of squirrels BURYING their cache of tree seeds "for later" -- especially late summer through fall. Sometimes, in the process, they disturb where I might have sown seeds or little seedlings are growing. Occasionally, but not often, this happens in flower pots and window boxes.

They usually bury using same technique as I use when planting garlic cloves and flower bulbs -- while pulling open the hole, push the object into the bottom, then let the soil fall back in over the object. So most of the time, it's just a single squirrel front paws sized hole about 1" in diameter and a little bit more comet streak scratch and pile of potting mix.

In spring through early summer, they sometimes remember that they buried something and (try to) dig them up. Often, by that time, I've been planting in the container or garden bed, and had unearthed their treasures and tossed them over by the back fence. They do seem to make bigger messes then because they frantically *search* the spot and dig in several directions.

Most of the time, I discover they had planted their snacks because those seeds sprout and grow "volunteers" -- a lot of hickory, oak, and plum (they eat the fruit and bury the stones)... Maybe some of the cherries as well.

They seem to be just as busy burying them in the middle of the lawn as in garden beds.

No matter why they do it, I'm still stuck repairing the damage. Today it was nasturtiums. Caught this one red handed (or pawed). One less squirrel.

I'm with you! Rats, they are, I get rid of them any way I can. We have a friend who has bird feeders. Squirrels pull out the baby birds and eat them, she has to find ways to arrange that they can't get to the feeders.
Very destructive!
Here in the mountains they get into the walls, in some houses, and nest in the insulation, eat the insulation on the wires, cause lots of damage.

Richard

Using Chilli powder can help deter squirrels. You can read about it, here https://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp ... m:9-202877 You could try this at ground level, as well.

There are other methods, here https://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwild ... rrels.aspx

I tried the cayenne pepper on the bird seed at one point, before we had everything in squirrel proof feeders. It did not seem to deter the squirrels at all. I don't know if I didn't use enough or if my squirrels are just more cayenne tolerant. Have you actually used this or is it just something you read about?

I have used Thai pepper flakes. It works until you water. I have some flakes soaking in old vegetable oil. I'll paint it on tree trunks and on the edges of planters. It's messy but is effective for much longer.

rainbowgardener, I heard about it on tv, a while ago. I only read about it when I posted those links, two days ago and therefore, I have not tried it.

You could always try the other methods at my second link. Otherwise, I can only think of introducing some kind of animal that will prey on squirrels, to your garden.

JC's Garden, that sounds good. Please post an update to say how well it works.

It works much better than flakes alone. This is far being from my first batch. It use it mostly on the rims of containers. Make sure you use gloves every time you move those containers because rain will wash some off but not all. Once squirrels get into it, they stay away as long as they can still smell it. I reapply every couple of weeks depending on how much rain we get. It also works well on fences. I've not tried it on tree trunks yet but I will.

Greetings JC, I watched a video, this guy in the south grew Ghost Peppers, buzzed them with water in a blender and used a tank sprayer on his melon plants to stop the raccoons eating them. If you know Ghost Peppers you know it will work.
Have a good day.

Richard

I don't know ghost peppers personally but a friend of mine on here sent me some yellow ghost pepper seed. If they are too hot for us, we might have to give some squirrels a treat next year.

The hot pepper infused oil sounds like a great idea and an essential in your gardening arsenal. Since many people avoid the extra heat by removing the seeds and membrane before cooking them green or ripe, the seeds (that are not mature and saved for planting) and any spoiled or iffy fruits could be used for this purpose.

in fact you could make up the infused oil, then use them direct for squirrel (and maybe for gnawing bunny and rodent proofing trees.... ) as well as using them a squirt at a time for making up homemade insect repellents and insecticides....

JC's Garden wrote:It works much better than flakes alone. This is far being from my first batch. It use it mostly on the rims of containers. Make sure you use gloves every time you move those containers because rain will wash some off but not all. Once squirrels get into it, they stay away as long as they can still smell it. I reapply every couple of weeks depending on how much rain we get. It also works well on fences. I've not tried it on tree trunks yet but I will.

That's encouraging. Thanks. I might try that.

This method could work well with plants in small, separate groups of containers; rather than those planted in the ground.

Greetings Sweyn, We have a small moving van here we used as storage. Squirrels ate through the floor and had a good time eating and messing on what ever they found, ate my Stamp collection amoung other things.

What works well in addition to the rifle and traps is a product made by Ramic, not poison, when they eat enough of it, well, it doesnt' go well for them. Good for their fellow rats and mice also.
We also have those Belding Ground Squirrels, just a big rat.
Good luck with the battle.

Richard

I have tried blended with water and I have tried boiled and strained. I had trouble with the blended clogging my sprayer when I applied a mist. Just the act of boiling Thai's in the back yard kept them gone for about a week (there was a strong odor in the air) but it spoiled when I left it in a jar in my shed (not allowed in the house). That's why I switched to oil. It keeps well and it takes more than a little rain to wash it off. Not to mention that it sticks to their paws. I've been letting it age a little. It's about time to put it out. I'll sit back and watch the fun when I use bamboo and rag to treat their favorite branches.

That's surprising, Richard. What is that product you mentioned?

Over here, a lot of people seem to like grey squirrels, even though they have been artificially introduced in the past and have devastated the native, red squirrel population. Some people even feed them, deliberately! Others just don't do anything to secure their gardens. Sometimes, they even get away from pursuing cats. Other people here just call them rats with furry tails and I agree.

I don't really want to use anything lethal, like rifles and traps. I just don't like that sort of thing.

JC's Garden, I'll try your method.

Jc, There is a video of this Cajun fellow prepairing the pepper spray. How he strains it, it's done very well.

Sweyn, If you have a few squirrels and like them, I'm happy for you, you can watch and enjoy them. Here in the mountains, that isn't something we can afford, we have many rodents to deal with. My sister's place in town she kinda likes one type, we put metal around the bird houses so they don't enlarge the entry to get at the baby birds. Lady we know get them all the time, when she starts her truck, she can hear them getting thumped in the fan shroud, sometimes a big on will get caught between the fan belt and pully and throw the belt. She doesn't enjoy it much.

Richard

Richard, I didn't mean to give the wrong impression. I don't like grey squirrels. I never have. That's why I mentioned the description of them as rats with furry tails.

I just don't like the idea of harming animals. That's why I would prefer to prevent them harming my plants, with chilli.

Local cats catch them, sometimes.

No Squirrels here. But we do have rats with wings called bulbuls and they will eat your fruit papaya, strawberries, tomato, peppers, pretty much anything red or yellow. They will pull up lettuce for the worms and they eat orchid buds and blooms then go after the phal leaves. They will eat leaves off tender plants, but sometimes I can't tell if it was the birds or the snails, either way the plants just disappear.

There are mongoose at the herb garden and they will dig up bone meal and if I try to bury green manure they will dig it up about a week later looking for grubs. They leave holes and mounds in the garden and they made a deal with the rats. The mongoose steal eggs in the daytime and the rats raid at night.

The mongoose was intentionally imported by the Department of Agriculture to control rats. Mongoose are diurnal and rats are primarily nocturnal.

Sweyn wrote:Richard, I didn't mean to give the wrong impression. I don't like grey squirrels. I never have. That's why I mentioned the description of them as rats with furry tails.

I just don't like the idea of harming animals. That's why I would prefer to prevent them harming my plants, with chilli.

Local cats catch them, sometimes.

LOL! I have always called squirrels "Rats with fuzzy tails"! Same idea, different word.

This is the time of year I "collect" all of my old peppers from my pantry that I want to get rid of , to use for pest control the next season. I give the good ones from last season to friends and co-workers, but there are always some really old ones that I just have to get rid of, and that is how I do it. I don't really find them good for squirrels, but they are great for keeping rabbits from under my shed, and other hiding areas. Last year it was really funny, because I threw a bunch of crushed up bhut jolokia under there, and you should have seen the reaction to that! I only put that in places where nobody could get into it, except pests.

Sweyn, Not a problem.

There is a lady in the valley with a very nice garden, she says, she has no problem with the Squirrels, after being asked: how, why and what does she do? she whispered: " I'm from the south, they make a fine stew."
I've eaten at her place, there was stew on the table, I wonder if, Maybe I should ask.

imafan, Are Bulbuls similar to flying fox like in Australia? Does their face look like a fox or is it flat?

Richard