I was horrified to check on my tomatoes four days ago and discover almost the entire crop-- greens and ripes-- gone. Upon discovering it was squirrels, I put out some water for them to see if that would discourage them. The next day, the rest of the crop save one was gone. I tried to save the last one left by bagging it, but that too fell victim to the little furry thieves.
The placement of our garden isn't conducive to netting/caging, and I'd rather not buy the squirrels separate food-- they've done a lot of damage this year outside of the tomatoes, and encouraging them into the yard is the last thing I want to do. As for poison, I and all of my neighbors have pets, so it's not a feasible option. I was considering a "natural" baking soda/sugar poison mixture I read about online but I don't know what that would do to cats if they got into it and I'd rather not find out.
So. How have other folks gotten rid of the squirrels in their yard? Or at the very least, how have you kept them off of your tomatoes? Right now I'm in the process of building a PVC pipe trap, but in case that doesn't work I'd like to hear other options. Preferably options that keep the squirrels far, far, FAR away from my property.