River
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Location: Mobile

Squirrels eating broccoli and Brussel plants

I noticed some of my plants were getting eaten to the stem. I also built a raised garden and I was suspicious of the rabbits

With our warmer temps in zone 8b I dust them with bt. Hoping that it might also deter the animals and taste bitter. Of course it is for the worms

Today twice I caught the squirrels eating from both one of the containers and also in the raised garden bed

I am in the city and I thought about purchasing a BB gun maybe the old red Ryder. Really not sure about this

The squirrels did the same thing to my cherry tomatoes but it doesn’t hurt the plant

At this rate they will clean me out

Any suggestions?

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

If there's anything I can't stand, it's pests. A BB gun would work great if you pump it up enough times to kill the squirrel.

If you'd rather not shoot, try buying some mesh netting to try an cover the plants with. Other suggestions might be coffee grinds, a motion activated water water squirter, solar powered ultrasonic noise makers, or ask your local wildlife person if it's legal to trap and relocate the pest(s).

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I agree that individual plant or bed-sized fences and cages to protect the food crops are Worth trying to discourage any kind of pests. Exclusion if successful can help to TRAIN them to give up and seek target elsewhere. Motion activated lights and alarm can also discourage especially when deployed early. Security videos help to identify animals and birds.

In my area, what we have are grey tree squirrels with big fluffy tails. They live in trees and tend to prefer nuts and grains — they are particularly bad when trying to grow corn. Raccoons are also corn marauders. I have heard that they can also be bad for tomatoes but in my garden it’s chipmunks that tend to go after my tomatoes, never squirrels.

The broccoli and Brussels are overwhelmingly attacked by groundHOG/woodchuck and Brussels by chipmunks.

So I’m wondering if your “squirrels” are ground squirrels? We don’t have those here so my knowledge and advice will be less relevant.

With regard to tomatoes and chipmunks in general, I believe providing a ready source of water away from the garden goes a long way if they are after the tomatoes for the moisture. (I’ve heard this about tree squirrels and birds as well). However, with chipmunks, they have a way of stuffing their cheek pouches and then stashing their hoard. This tendency to take more than they need to satisfy immediate hunger makes them particularly pesky — they are repeat offenders as well. These traits are also shared by groundHOGS and raccoons. Once they find your garden, they WILL return.

I have had some limited success with low power electric fence that is just enough to zing them. Ultimately, I have had to use traps for persistent thieves.

River
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Location: Mobile

The Mobile area has mainly grey squirrels
Further north you will see the red fox squirrels
Mobile is also known for the abundance of trees. Before Hurricane Frederick in 79 the commercial pilots referred to Mobile as the city of trees. So that explains the multitude of squirrels.
I ordered an animal trap from tractor supply
Yesterday I ran the squirrels off several times but they are not fearful. In fact one of them walked off with a large leaf in its mouth.
With the cherry tomatoes they only eat the inside which is probably for moisture. It doesn’t hurt the plants. Within 15 minutes yesterday I lost another half dozen.

They brought in more recruits.

User avatar
TomatoNut95
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2069
Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am
Location: Texas Zone 8

I'm so sorry that those nasty critters are such a nuisance. But I think squirrels need a trap designed just for squirrels. A regular trap like the one I used to trap my armadillo may not work.

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2844
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I trapped 5 squirrels last week. I haven't looked out there today. Besides my plants, they like peanut butter.

River
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Location: Mobile

The trap that I ordered from tractor supply had 5 stars

It is designed for squirrels

Just don’t how soon it is expected to arrive
Since it is being shipped to the store

In the time I wrote my last sentence above the area was covered with squirrels

The respect the BB gun to some degree

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I guess this means you don’t have a dog, because that is one solution that have been mentioned often by past members.... and to lesser extent by cat owners. Dogs and cats can claim the garden as their territory and reduce squirrel incursion even if they don’t manage to catch them.

We have two indoor-only, supervised outdoor Outing kitties, and they did contribute to the chipmunk control a couple of years ago when I was going out of my mind. I used to have them patrol my garden beds, and they even caught and killed a handful — total surprise.

Them, and a resident garter snake which often patrolled along the house foundation that was a primary route Often used by the chipmunks. I have wondered if the snake contributed significantly by raiding their nests.

River
Senior Member
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Location: Mobile

was going to build a portable cage to go over the raised bed using 2x2’s and chicken wire. One of the folks at Lowe’s said that peppermint oil would work

he told me he used it for rats and it worked

I did some research and supposedly the scent deters them

sounds to easy



Return to “Container Gardening Forum”