User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Re: How to Keep SQUIRRELS & Crows Out of Corn?

I put a radio out in the corn patch tuned to the local station. It seems to frighten off a lot of the pests. Skunks, raccoons and deer.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Yes, deer, raccoons and skunks have gotten after my corn. I put a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local radio station. The noise seems to scare off the critters.

User avatar
ID jit
Green Thumb
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:00 am
Location: SE New England: zone twilight or 5b... hard for me to tell some days.

I think the plastic owl, radio or motion sensing sprinkler and probably the least intrusive options, or even a motion sensor and a recording of cat or other predator sounds would no really alter anything. Bribing a stray cat with just enough food to keep them coming round is a good idea too.
CowchipALGardener wrote:1. Trap or kill them. (If you use the lethality method I can assure you that your corn fed squirrels will be tasty!)
I wish I had another squirrel problem - sort of sauteed with onions, carrots and potatoes!

RWS makes a number of very good options where a standard .22 lr isn't going to be so accepted. Go with the .22 option and the slightly lower feet/sec. My .17 with the gold plated ammo cracks like a .22 lr (pellet go supersonic coming out of the muzzle). The .22's have a slightly slower muzzle velocity (no super sonic crack), have more momentum (hitting punch) and a slightly deminished range.

I have the previous version of this: https://www.topairgun.com/22-rws-diana-3 ... ifle-combo Which is just as accurate as a good .22 lr inside its range. (Good for raccoons in the attic too.)

Radio still seems like the easiest, least intrusive method though.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

If it is legal to shoot the critters there that is a good option. Just get rid of them! A shotgun would be better than a 22LR. Most city rules prohibit firearm shooting so that may not be an option? There is always a choice of a good break barrel pellet gun? Those things will take out a crow easy enough. The one I have is the Crosman Storm XT, .177 cal

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7392
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

jal_ut wrote:Yes, deer, raccoons and skunks have gotten after my corn. I put a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local radio station. The noise seems to scare off the critters.
I put a radio in my garden 2 days ago it has been on a talk show 24 hours every day. Nothing comes to the garden or that part of the yard during the day, no birds, no squirrels. LOL. Funny. Squirrels and birds are usually every where in the yard all day. I sat in the yard several times every day all I see are butterflies. I can see nothing after dark I assume nothing is coming then either. LOL :)

User avatar
ID jit
Green Thumb
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:00 am
Location: SE New England: zone twilight or 5b... hard for me to tell some days.

Let me guess.... talk radio where they are yelling at each other and the goal is to yell louder than the other guy and it doesn't matter if you stay on topic?

Going to try the radio thing next year. Have a short period of time where the local deer come out to sample the young strawberries, hostas and tulips.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I put a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local talk station. It seems to frighten off the critters. I also keep some outdoor cats around. They have the run of the outbuildings and yard. I feed them some dry cat food, but they are free to forage. They will bring me some little furry trophies and leave them on the rug by the door.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

When I lived on the lot our on the Little Bear River, the skunks and raccoons were awful. Also had deer at times. I ran a 1/4 inch cable on the ground the length of the garden on the river side and put a pulley on it then a short chain and tied a hound dog to the chain. The dog then had the run of the length of the garden. He pretty well kept the critters out. (You can't just let a hound dog run loose, as they tend to run all over the place and sometimes chase things they should not.)

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Critters attacking your garden? Trap them, shoot them, sic the dogs on them. Maybe a free ranging cat or two would help?
Shotgun? Slingshot and a bag of marbles? A radio in the corn patch tuned to the local talk station will scare off a lot of critters. Don't know if it will scare crows? I am a beekeeper and the darned skunks like to come scratch on the hives till the bees come out to fight then they eat bees. I find that a #3 foot trap set in front of the hive is pretty effective.

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

Nice summer day here. Hope your gardens are doing well.

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

jal_ut wrote:Nice summer day here. Hope your gardens are doing well.

All I've got in mine right now are 5 pepper plants some herbs. I got out in the garden this morning to once again turn over the soil after I put in the neighborhood of 45 large bags of grass clippings I got from the grass cutters at a local cemetery over the past couple weeks. I turned it under last week after it sat atop the soil for 4-5 days drying out and once again early this morning to further blend it into the soil.

I did manage to pull a couple rows under my trellises and planted pole bean and cucumber seeds to get an early go on the fall harvest. I just hope I haven't jumped the gun too soon as it is still miserably hot and humid here and will be for another several weeks.

By the time I finished about 2 hours garden work I was soaking wet from head to toe, and it still wasn't the hottest part of the day. I hate our summers.......................

2totango
Full Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:44 pm
Location: Hanover, Ontario

I have a problem with birds pulling out my new pea and bean shoots. I put some stakes in the garden and tie old cd's to them. The flashing movement is enough to keep the birds away!

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I do keep a couple outdoor cats around, and put a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local talk station. Don't have much problem with garden marauders. What the cats don't catch the radio scares off.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7392
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I had a cat for 15 years and never had a problem with squirrels until this year. Cat died in June I guess she kept the critters out of the garden all those years.

2totango
Full Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 1:44 pm
Location: Hanover, Ontario

my cats are the main deterrent - that and the neighbour's dog - lol!

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

A radio in the corn patch tuned to the local talk station helps scare off some critters.

Can't use a firearm? Perhaps one of those nice air rifles would work?

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13947
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Owls don't work well unless you keep moving them around. The birds catch on and I have seen them sitting on the owl. cassette tape and reflective CD's work for a short time, again until the birds find out it doesn't hurt them.
I think this might have a chance if you also play a radio along with it.
https://www.lookourway.com/purple-airdancer-6ft/

User avatar
ID jit
Green Thumb
Posts: 339
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:00 am
Location: SE New England: zone twilight or 5b... hard for me to tell some days.

THAT IS THE TICKET!

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

O:)



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”