WHEN SQUIRLES ATTACK!

[Kenshin14435]

Yes, you read that correctly.
I have recently been having an issue with squirles or other rodents attacking my bonsai.
It normally happens during the night or when I'm at school.
I've been thinking on buying a pellet gun or somethin' but I doubt my dad'll let me.
It dug up one of my wee little maples and believe me, I was bout to go grab a gun right then and there and shoot the nearest squirel.
There are TONS of squirels 'round these parts.
I'm just not sure what to do.
Should I make a screened in 6' by 6' by 7' enclosure that wouldn't cost too terribly much.

OR

Sould I just buy a portable green house thats around 140 dollars.
If you could help that'd be great!
THNX

K5

[Kenshin14435]

I forgot but it keeps diggin holes in the soil on my other trees as well.
Including the ones my mom and dad are training.
It's like it thinks it buried something in my soil!!!!
*curses aloud*
THEY'RE SO *BEEEEEEPIN'* STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!

K5
(I think I kinda over did this post)

[Gnome]

Kenshin14435,

I have never had the opportunity to use a greenhouse. I suspect their use would be largely confined to either end of the season and for winter storage. During the summer it will surely warm up quickly and require some sort of ventilation, perhaps even a fan. It would be very useful for winter storage and those early spring days when its nice during the day and cold again at night.

I've been pretty lucky with squirrels and chipmunks. Someone took a liking to the tender buds of my Scots Pine seedlings but only got about half before I realized what they were up to. After that I moved the to a different location up off of the ground. They had been on a retaining wall and now they are on benches. There are a lot of Walnut trees around and I'm not sure if that is a blessing or a curse. Do the Walnuts distract them or attract them in the first place?

I think Tom had trouble with these guys a while back perhaps he will see this and jump in.

Norm

[constantstaticx3]

You are correct Norm I have had this problem up until this year. Kenshin14435, I understand your frustration. I believe the fact that there are bird feeders in my backyard that they feed from is the reason I have so many of them. Do you have one? If so try not filling it for a while and see if they go away.

I have heard many techniques to help the situation such as; fox urine, some sort of hot pepper on the soil which is pointless because it washes away when you water (I've tried that one), chicken wire or some sort of bird mesh over the soil, a full on cage to put them in, and one that I was going to try but haven't had to is moth balls. You would put these sporadically around your trees not on the soil. The smell of them is supposed to keep them at bay, granted you will have to keep buying more every once in a while. I would recommend trying this only put them in small containers with holes in them so you can keep them from getting everywhere.

At the end of last year we resorted to trapping and shooting them because the problem was so bad and it wasn't just with my trees. That did not last for long but we got a decent amount of them. We continued to trap and relocate them and I believe this may be why I have had no problems this year. There are still plenty of squirrels but I believe we have gotten rid of the problem ones.

I tried to give you as many options as possible because I know what its like. You get that tree just the way you want it or a bud sprouted just where it was needed and then a squirrel comes and ruins it and you just want to strangle one with your bare hands!!!!!

Good luck.

Tom

[alisios]

Could you do reverse psychology on them by putting out the food they want so they take that and leave the bonsai alone?

Seriously, I think a chicken wire cage is a good solution...

trapping and relocating is another good option...

I've recently acquired a Havahart trap:

https://www.havahart.com/store/live-animal-traps/1025

for pack rats - and have caught 2 in two nights so far...

I have to relocate (instead of killing) them across the highway because my 6 year old keeps looking at the trap for new captors... she thinks they're cute... grrrrr...

[tarian]

haha a couple of club members in my club have had the problem of these rodents many of the squirrels have just left acones and left them in the pot and at a few workshops theres a lil oak growing out of the roots or in one case a hole in the tree
try getting a fake cat and standing it in to keep watch over your tree's or search on the internet of ways to repel these vermin good luck
taz

[Kenshin14435]

Ok, ummmmm.....Thnx?
Chicken mesh wouldnt stop these ********!
They only take the little saplings. And they don't juststart digging.
They literally RIP them out of the soil. I witnessed this yesterday.
I ran over to my neighbor(whose a gun addict) and borrowed his pellet gun. I shot it. Lots of fun. Felt great. Really good anger management.
Anyway, I might jus make an enclosure or something.
And FYI, these lil' ******* are SMART.
One minute your out there and theres tons of em'. But then you go grab a gun a you come back outside and theres no trace of 'em. You wait and wait till you get bored. You go back inside, put the gun away. Then you go back outside and they're there again.
I really don't know what I'm going to do. We'll see but thanks for the advice.

[Gnome]

Ken,

I can understand your frustration but try to remember they are just trying to 'make a living' As usual the less offensive measures you can take are best for all the creatures we share our gardens with. Start small and then work your way up to the big guns, so to speak.

Norm

[alisios]

I shot it. Lots of fun. Felt great. Really good anger management.

[constantstaticx3]

Ken,

I can understand your frustration but try to remember they are just trying to 'make a living' As usual the less offensive measures you can take are best for all the creatures we share our gardens with. Start small and then work your way up to the big guns, so to speak.

Norm

Agreed, did you notice the multitude of possible remedies that I suggested? I understand why you would want to kill them because I do it too but that is only after all my other attempts not working. I strongly suggest the moth balls. You may not need to build an enclosure try some smaller things first.

Tom

[alisios]

Well, try to do your best...

[Kenshin14435]

constantstaticx3,
I still have yet to go looking for some of the things you suggested.
I went to Home Depot and Lowes and they had SQUAT.
Although, I think my one killing got the message across. They have been at bay for right now. No sightings. But I'll be on watch. And when I see them again I'll go buy some stuff. Although, I may not have enough money.(I'm buying a GPS)

K5

[sean117Ply]

I ran over to my neighbor(whose a gun addict) and borrowed his pellet gun. I shot it. Lots of fun. Felt great. Really good anger management.
Anyway, I might jus make an enclosure or something.
And FYI, these lil' ******* are SMART.

I don't think this is the best method of fixing the problem, I have a problem with black birds they dig out all the soil but I won't shoot them because their just looking for food. There must be some kind of repelent like there is for dogs and cats, that you can try. Or if you catch them doing it a good spray with the garden hose should do it. I am sure getting plesure out of hurting or killing them isn't a good idea. It's kind of disturbing

[alisios]

It seems extreme to kill them as a first step of trying to get rid of them...

[Kenshin14435]

And to add to what you said, There are just too many of thm to get rid of.
There has to be over 15 of 'em..

K5

[tarian]

this post sound like a warner bros cartoon
lol good job just try looking on the internet for natural and cheap deterends
tarian

[alisios]

I feed off ALOT of things. 2 of them being hate and violence.

In that case, you should be pruning, pinching, bending and cutting quite often!

[constantstaticx3]

I've seen a motion activated sprinkler system before. I'm not sure how they work but it's better than killing them right away.

I'm a hunter myself and it really doesn't bother me because there are just so many of them to begin with and the population needs to be controlled. It is also not neccesarily legal to shoot a pellet gun so it really isn't a good idea but we really don't have a choice. I believe a natural predetor needs to be introduced to keep their numbers in check.

Tom

[Kenshin14435]

I feed off ALOT of things. 2 of them being hate and violence.

In that case, you should be pruning, pinching, bending and cutting quite often!

Too True my friend, Too True

K5

[Kenshin14435]

I've seen a motion activated sprinkler system before. I'm not sure how they work but it's better than killing them right away.

I'm a hunter myself and it really doesn't bother me because there are just so many of them to begin with and the population needs to be controlled. It is also not neccesarily legal to shoot a pellet gun so it really isn't a good idea but we really don't have a choice. I believe a natural predetor needs to be introduced to keep their numbers in check.

Tom

Yes, I have heard of these. They cost too much money for me though.
In a year I'll be able to become a lifeguard and that earns quite a bit of money. Also, I don't hunt. I never had hunted. But yet I have no problem "taking care" of thnigs like this if it has to come to it. It actually scares me that I can do it without hesitation but whatever. And your very right. It isn't quite legal to do these things where I live but as you said "what choice do we have". I have been looking into a anti-squirrel gun. Instead of shooting a hard projectile it shoots a soft peice of foam or something of the sort. It compacts on impact with the intended object so it delivers some little amount of pain. I think it hurts less than a tenth of how much airsoft hurts. They have different hardness too. Depending on what size of pest you are dealing with and to come over the fact that it might just be a stubborn little pest. Some who have used this have actually stated that after awhile, the pest that is being shot at develops a liking to being shot.(Thats the part about the hardness of the projectile I was talking about) These don't come cheap either. Some the good ones come at the hefty price of 1000 dollars. These by the way, are legal in most areas.

Ken