Well they did again and again...

This is the second time the birds have destroyed half of my window flower box,this year,they ripped out the sweet potato vine and the lantana I had planted in there,all I ever see is sparrows in there,surely they can't be doing all that damage!!!

You're sur e it can't be squirrels?

Do a test to see who it was: plant new plants and sprinkle heavily with cayenne pepper (cheap at the big box stores). It won't bother birds but will bother squirrels.

If it is birds you could make big arcs from the wire clothes hangers and go across the whole box (after you've planted AGAIN) and then put the black mesh bird netting over it.
From a few feet away the black just disappears.

I have caught squirrels ripping out freshly planted sweet potato vines, and chewing u[p the tubers. Irish Spring cut into slices and placed on top of the soil but under the foliage works for me. I use it in the yard, too.

This message was edited Jul 1, 2005 12:15 PM

i'd place my bet on squirrels. those darn %!@#$%(()*. they have been eating my fancy geranium to the nub.

Nerws Flash
Got them red handed.getting out of my truck,when I got home from work!
Squirrels.you all were right,you should of heard them scream,when I snuke up on them,and said BOOOOOO!!!!
They thought they had seen the last daylight,by the way the fled away.
Cayenne pepper and Irish Spring soap,you say works,well I'm deciding whether I will plant it again or not.
Hmm been a few years since I had fried squirrel,mighty tastey too!!!

It doesn't feel good to be right in this case.
I have a -huge- squirrel problem-- they've killed so much.
I bought a havahart trap and caught and relocated 2, but some other one just takes their place in a week or two.
Ever since I heard the following explanation I have a much better time defending myself;
it goes like this:

"Squirrels are dumb. They bury things and don't remember where they buried them, so they look for loose dirt and just start digging, hoping the dirt is loose because that's where they buried something".

Thus:
Keep the dirt good and wet where you don't want them to dig
Even a simple obstacle, like plastic netting, will cause them to leave an area alone.


I did buy a huge bag of pepper but I never got around to using it.

Buy yourself a bale of that green plastic netting and cut it into smaller pieces-- use liberally.

Horad,
My squirrels will dig where its wet,and for the green netting,I turned my deck area into a greenhouse with the woven plastic as a roof shaped into a tunnel,they loved to slide down it,so got the green and orange plastic netting,didn't stop them ,but it did slow them down,they can't slide any more!!
I guess will just have to live with them as best as possible,might try some pepper tho.

Squirrels were taking my bulbs out of the ground and eating them. They were living in my tree. I got a cat over the winter for my DH, he needed pet therapy, and havent seen a one this spring.

Have 2 cats,but many cats in the neighbor hood as well,not working here!

Well, PETA won't like this, but I'd recommend a gun.........;-) Even I was offended looking at your uprooted pic atop! Stupid rodents......lol.....

MKJ

Just a thought but if you can't beat them why not try a bit of behavior modification..
Put a squirrel feeder at the farthest end from your gardens. (or better yet, keep tossing squirrel chow across the fence in your neighbor's yard!)

I like tossing it into the yard next door!!!!

We had an experience with squirrels a la Bill Murray /CaddyShack with the Gophers. First it was a slingshot with marbles, then it was slingshot with cast lead marbles, then it was a 22...they still came back. Finally we got a 240v. transformer and built a grid with wires and put bait in the middle. end of story and 17 squirrels later...I got to keep my bulbs. ..what was left.

Squirrel Zapper $22. Bulbs they had stolen over $200. Satisfaction: Priceless.

roflmao
Jan...

Oh, Aloha, LOVE it! Zapped............lol.........

=) MKJ

LMBO!!!

My luck the squirrel would get me electicuted!!!