Squirrels Anyone?

I am over run with these pesky little critters. When we moved here a little over 2 months ago, they were so cute and fun to watch. I went out and bought corn and birdseed and set up some feeders. Oh boy, Guess that was my first mistake cause now every Squirrel in this river bottom is at my house. They dig up nearly everything I plant including beans before it even had a chance to sprout. They uproot new plants, yes even the ones in pots!!!!!!! there's all these little holes dug in my yard that I at first blamed on Armadillos but since know better. I have taken down the feeders and put up rattly things, have even put up one of those big eye scarey things and an owl...huh, they ain't skeered. Nothing is working, so do any of you have any suggestions?? I'm not oppose to shooting them either, since they are suppose to be good eat'en, but don't think I have enough ammo, and have to many neighbors ....lol.......HELP :0(
WillowWasp...

You might try a live trap like the one shown here. Just relocate the critters far, far away. Accross a river is best
http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/squirrels/squirrels.htm

This message was edited Thursday, Jul 24th 1:51 PM

shoot and kill one of them...
hang him on the garden gate as a warning.

works every time.
Squirrels are not 'cute' they are wharf rats with bushier tails.

Mercy me, tell me about it! Them dang tree rats wiped out my peaches, my plums (most of them), two pear trees...I have one pear tree left that is fully loaded. I've resorted to a .22 rifle and plugged quite a few of them. I've misses as many as I've shot tho so perhaps should get out the shotgun.

I've trapped them in the past, but with all the fruit and other goodies to eat, it's difficult to entice them into a trap no matter what it's baited with.

WillowWasp, I have a great Squirrel Sauce Piquante recipe if you'd like it.
PS...a very hearty Welcome to DG!!

Hey Horseshoe.....send me that recipe.....them little critters were out last night with there little flashlights...hubby tried to convince me they were lightening bugs....I know better, there signaling each other on where the replanted stuff is..LOL.... :o)

AHAHAH!...at least you've maintained your sense of humor thru all this! Now THAT'S a plus!! Lightning bugs, eh? I believe your version of the story! Weirder things can happen! I remember when I used to hear my garden plants talking...yep. And talking about ME! I eventually got used to it and it didn't bother me anymore. That is, until the year I specialized in growing Oriental vegetables...then I got SO frustrated! I couldn't understand a word they said!!

Well Horseshoe I've heard the plants talking too and have had some pretty good conversations with them. Especially when a big one really dosen't want to be moved......did you know they CUSS too?......LOL... :o)

This message was edited Saturday, Jul 26th 2:35 PM

If you sprinkle Blood Meal around in the beds or on the outside edges of the beds they will leave it alone. Only thing is you have to re apply it after the rain or if you water. It truely helps the bedding plants and veggie garden. As for the trees....well guess ya better use Horseshoes method! They don't like the smell of the blood meal. I have 4 pecan trees and they were loving it! They would dig holes to hide nuts for the winter and in the meantime they were digging up the roots of my plants. Let alone digging my bulbs up. But the Blood meal stopped all that! I hardly ever see any in my yard at all now as where we had tons of them!

Thanks MollyBee......that just might work....I'll get some and give it a try...I'm getting kinda desperate, these little critters are really bad and have destroyed several nice plants not to speak of the bedding plants and holes in the yard...:o)

I have the same problem and have decided to live with them. The fight would be endless and I like them too much.
I might change my mind but for now, we cohabitate.

We've had them really bad for years, every winter they moved into our attic too.
This past winter & spring, we trapped at least 40 of them and carted them off to the next county - the population has thinned so much, I can hardly believeit.. now I only see one or two a day, where the yard and trees used to be crawling with them constantly. http://davesgarden.com/t/160437/

Now the chipmunks are taking over!!

This message was edited Sunday, Aug 3rd 11:50 PM

I have put out the blood meal as one post suggested, this seems to help but still have alot around. Have a live trap but they so far they have stayed away from it. Hope that will change soon......but there are just so many....I just put the blood meal where I don't want them to be, mainly my flower beds, hope I don't overdo it.. that cure may be worse than the cause....LOL... :o)