Grrr...squirrels!

from JoeUser Forums

I have declared war on the squirrels.

I caught them digging up my daffodil and crocus bulbs this morning.  They had eaten some on the spot, and had made off with the others and taken them up to their nest.  I don't know how many they managed to pilfer before I busted them, but I do know that even after I had gone out and chased them off they came back for some more.  I sat at my kitchen window and watched one particularly bold one dig around in the flower bed....then I hammered on the window and caused him to drop his swag and run off up the tree.

I've put orange zest out there, and I'm going to get some chicken wire this afternoon to tack down.  Hopefully that (and the appearance of a dog this weekend) will put a stop to these thieving little bastards' antics.

Oh, and Dev....did you know that the proper term for squirrel poo is scat?  Thought you might get a chuckle out of that....LOL

14,690 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I have a Daisy BB gun with a scope on it in my trunk...but I have yet to kill anything with it. Just give it a pump or two and it will probably sting 'em bad enough to stay away. Let me know if you want to borrow it.

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Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
We've always put cayenne pepper in the soil around bulbs and the like.... the squirrels don't like that too much, so they don't go around them anymore.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
("Scat" can refer to any animal fecal droppings.)
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Have you tried squirrel fishing for them, one by one? This is a beautiful thing to behold if you haven't seen it already.Link
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
He he,
Squirrel fishing.
Then you swing them around until they are dizzy and WHAM! let the cat out.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

Hahahahahah!!  Squirrel fishing is COOL, dude!   I think I might have to try that tomorrow....

In the meantime, I put a liberal sprinkling of cayenne all over my flower beds.  I want those theiving little snots to get a good nose full of it...see how they like that.  I can't use a BB around here, or else I'd be having target practice in my yard every morning. 

Dacshunds were bread as badger and rodent killers, ya know.....it's in Henry's blood to want to go after squirrels and such. 

Ya know, I don't want to kill them.  I just want them to leave my flowers alone.

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
Sorry Dharma ..but... how cute!.. I know I know they are pesky and destroy your garden but.. for someone who has never seen a squirrel (hint pictures) then to me it's cute.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top

I know I know they are pesky and destroy your garden but.. for someone who has never seen a squirrel (hint pictures) then to me it's cute.


You've never seen a squirrel?????? Holy cats!!!!!  Ok....I'll take some pics this weekend..if they come back, that is.  I think that after they get a snout full of pepper they might decide that Dharma's garden is not the place to party at anymore.


I wish there was a way to attract them but not have the eat all my flowers.  I like to watch them play and do squirrely stuff - I just don't like it when they're destructive.

Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
I wish there was a way to attract them but not have the eat all my flowers


maybe you should make a squirrel friendly garden in one of the garden beds so they can have something to eat for the winter... are they native to the USA? or were they introduced?

i have beautiful lorekeets that come to my house everyday twice a day to eat the grevillea flowers at my front yard.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

maybe you should make a squirrel friendly garden in one of the garden beds so they can have something to eat for the winter...

I had thought about that...they're only doing what comes naturally for them when they forage for food, so I had thought about putting a bird feeder out with some nuts and seeds in it so they wouldn't have to dig up my tulip bulbs.

They're native to the US, as far as I know.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
so I had thought about putting a bird feeder out with some nuts and seeds in it so they wouldn't have to dig up my tulip bulbs


That sounds much more friendly... you will be blessed by the squirrel fairies! xo
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

you will be blessed by the squirrel fairies!

Hehe...Hopefully the head squirrel will tell all the other underling squirrels not to dig in my yard anymore:

"Nah man, Dharma's cool.  We need to leave her flowers alone...hey, lets go chew the neighbors truck tires up!"

 

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
Maybe you could pack them up and send them to your old neighbours yard!!
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Somebody has tree rats lol....
Usually an agressive dog or a couple of cats keeps the critters at bay,
Have fun!
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

Somebody has tree rats lol....
Usually an agressive dog or a couple of cats keeps the critters at bay,


Henry the dacshund comes home tomorrow.......hehe, they're in for a surprise!

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
I don't see much squirrels around here at washington state, vancouver.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
Scat, scat, scat, scat, scat (sung to the tune of the Spam song by Monty Python).

Oh man, Dharma, you gotta get those suckahz! Hopefully the dog will do the trick. If not, a wrist rocket will. You can hit them hard enough to make them think about it, but not kill them.

Thanks for the news on scat though. That made my night.
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Oh, and that kind of brings a whole new meaning to the term "scatting" eh?

*BlueDev slaps his own knee in an hysterical daze*
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

If not, a wrist rocket will. You can hit them hard enough to make them think about it, but not kill them.


Hmmm...there's an idea.  Dave has a slingshot, I might break that out and use sinkers from the fishing tackle box instead of ball bearings.


I'm glad you liked the 'scat' trivia.....so you were perfectly correct when you called them 'scatalogical'!


 


 

Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
Dacshunds were bread as badger and rodent killers, ya know.....it's in Henry's blood to want to go after squirrels and such.


Just make sure his shots are up to date if you ever plan to let him have his way with his urges...

I vaguely remember from my early childhood my dad hand feeding the squirrels. He did it fairly regularly. He'd hold a peanut out and they'd come up and take it. Well, one bit him right through his thumb (nail and all).

We have gophers and they tear up everything. There are gopher holes all over our yard. I fight the urge to go into Bill Murray mode from Caddyshack on the weekends.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
maybe you should make a squirrel friendly garden in one of the garden beds so they can have something to eat for the winter... are they native to the USA?


Sigh......It doesn't work, it just brings around twice as many squirrels, and they go after everything around, not just the "squirrel friendly" garden. Some of my neighboors tried the same thing by putting out feeders for the deer to keep them out of the gardens, with similar results......the bastards.

P.S. to pheonixboi, they seem cute, but just think of the whole australian thing with the cute little evil rabbits, on a much smaller scale.