Freeking squirrels are in my corn

This definately has been a year for battels with fuzzy tailed rats. First, I had the one pulling up my plants, then I had the one that jumped out of the tree and attacked me, now they have gotten into my sweet corn and are eating it right off the stalk. (I know, I know, I raised the little buggers, but you'd think they'd show SOME gratitude.)

The poor corn started out with blackbirds pecking at it. I put up sparklies and a scare crow and that stopped them, but I am at a total loss of how to protect it from the freeking squirrels. Especially since they have absolutely NO fear of me or any other human. (Oh Lordy, I'm hand feeding 7 more babies in the house right now. Just what I need, more tree rat tyrants.)

I think tomorrow I'll get out the habenero pepper spray I made and see if that stops it. It stopped the bunnies, but didn't work too well on the deer. (They are ungrateful little buggers too!) I am trying to encourage the fawns to leave the yard to browse, but why should they? I have chicken food and at least two hostas left. They stripped my currant bush today. Will it survive without leaves?

I guess I should either rehab or garden, but not both.

I think if the bunnies, squirrels and deer could vote, they'd say keep doing both. You're just looking at this from the human perspective.... silly you. Go to the local market, buy yourself some nice corn for dinner and leave the rest to its rightful owners.

And cherries and soy beans and lettuce and .......

Funny how we do a battle of the wits with those little pea brains and they seem to always win.

Not funny when they eat our food and plants and trees, when there is plenty of other stuff to eat right now.

The comment about the "thinking like a human" I had to laugh. Every time someone tells me to put corn out for the deer so they won't eat my flowers. Ha, they just would get another course to their meal.

Well, I don't know yet whether the habenero spray will keep thoes bushy tailed bandits out of my corn, but it sure worked for me! My nose is still running. I don't think the dog will lick my skin any time soon either. (I'm not warning my husband, I can't wait for that first kiss tonight) I'll let you know if it works, it cetainly did for the rabbits.

I know how you feel :( Squirrels got every bit of my corn :(

A friend of my neighbor dropped a bunch of squirrels off in our neighborhood 2 years ago and now they have tripled if not more, I told the guy in no kind words if I seen him dropping any more off around here I would turn him in, but the damage was already done :( We hadn't had any problems with them until he dropped those off. grrrrr

My neighbor now has 3 hugh nests of them in her trees, I could cry.

Obviously, squirrels think habanero pepper spray is a condiment, not a deterrent.

I cannot touch my eyes or lips with my hands, the dog drooled for half an hour after licking my leg when I came home and my nose is still running. The corn, of course, is gone.

I wonder if dish soap spray would work? Hmm, there are a few ears left. I think I'll try that tomorrow.

I've been using a spray for bugs made by making a tea with chewing tobacco and then adding two drops of dish soap per gallon. It helps with the bugs... I don't know about squirrels. Good luck though! : )

Mary

jyl, jyl, jyl..... sigh..... you are so well trained. Keep yourself busy as a bee, wash those 2 ears of corn with soap, whatever.... it doesn't matter what you do. You planted the food for those furry friends of yours. Your life will be peaceful and joyful if you will just learn to ACCEPT that fact. Your future lies in the nearest grocery store. That's where humans are supposed to get their food.

Rochelle

We don't have hardly any squirrels on our 28 acres. I think it's because we don't have many oaks dropping acorns. A mile or so away there are tons of them and chipmonks.

My son loves to hunt for squirrels. I could send him over with his gun. :)

You could try spraying the corn plants with Liquid Fence to see if it deters the animals.


Brenda

Well I can finialy blink today and eat with my hands. I sprayed with soap and of course we had a rain shower. Now my garden looks like a car wash and I'm afraid to try to walk out there.

My husband hunts too and has been frusterated for years about having to look for game when there is abundant game in the yard. After this summer I told him he can hunt bunnies and squirrels in the yard as long as they don't run up to him for treats.

They will be pre seasoned.

I tried liquid fence once, the smell only detered me.

I tried liquid fence once, the smell only detered me.


LOL LOL LOL
Yea, it's pretty nasty smelling isn't it? Made out of putrified eggs and garlic and a lot of yucky stuff but it works! You just have to make sure to spray on a non windy day or make sure the wind isn't blowing it back on you.

You can also try spreading dried blood meal around the perimeter of your corn patch. Many animals won't cross a line of blood. It's not cheap though and needs to be reapplied after rain.

Milorganite is also a good product. I broadcast it in my flower bed this spring and (knock on wood) nothing was eaten this year. A first. I've never used it in the veggie garden (8 foot fence works there) but you could sprinkle it around the perimeter of the corn patch. It's made out of the sludge of a sewerage plant in Milwaukee. It's a fertilizer. It helps deter animals as well.

Hope something works for you.

Brenda

It's bad enough that my garden is on top of an old drain field. Now you want me to put sewage on TOP of the ground? Ewwww. Milwaukee poop!

I don't think that any thing I put on the ground would help as the squirrels jump from the grape arbor over the fence to the corn. aybe I can try putting in in the front or center of the garden next year.

In all the years I have had the garden there and with all the squirrels I've put out there, I've never had this problem before. I think it has to do with the squirrels getting used to eating the ducks and pastured chickens corn out behind the garden. Always before I have fed the squirrels up front by the house. I cut back this year and this is what I get. mm, 14 bucks fgor a bag of squirrel food or 8.50 for a bushel of sweet corn. The sweet corn is cheaper to buy.

No wonder you've got so many squirrels. You're feeding them!!

Cut out feeding everyone and let them fend for themselves and maybe they'll move down the road to someone else's bird feeder and you can have some food for yourself. :) Either that or just hit the local farmer's market.

Good luck.

Brenda

I can't quit feeding them. Remember I rehab and some of them are pretty young when I turn them out. I haven't figured out how to only feed mine, I thing every one else moves in too. Maybe I could find a way to put them on birth control when I release them...

Ha, now you are talking!

jylgaskin
Stick to what you do best......rehab the animals, and buy the sweet corn........the deer ate all of my sweet corn too......*heavy sigh*.....they gotta eat too.....at least they stayed out of my flower garden...

Deann

Oh, now that the corn is gone, I'm sure they will be looking for dessert.