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Squirrels - How do you Get Rid of Them!!??

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Smithy
JimLewis
flor1
Will Heath
timatkinson
Seth Ellwood
bonsaisr
fiona
Rick Moquin
Stone Monkey
bobby little
djlen
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Post  djlen Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:12 pm

I'm sitting here day dreaming about the spring when the thought of squirrels and their destructive habit of
digging up my trees comes to mind.
I have never been able to deal with them or this habit. Does anyone know of a product or anything that
will keep them off of my trees?
djlen
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Post  bobby little Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:14 pm

well, I'm sure some of the more experienced members will have other suggestions, but I have found that getting loads of wooden barbecue skewers, snapping them off and sticking them (pointy side down) in your soil will deter the little gits without harming them.
bobby little
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Post  Stone Monkey Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:50 pm

I always found my shotgun does a good job of getting rid of tree rats Twisted Evil

Regards

Andy
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Post  Rick Moquin Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:15 am

Live trap and relocate them. Squirrels are vermin or as Stonemonkey stated, tree rats.
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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:22 am

Try relocating them to the dinner table.... Very tasty Very Happy

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Post  djlen Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:07 am

Very funny folks.
Now do any of you have any useful or helpful comments to impart?
djlen
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Post  fiona Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:18 am

My sister and I once caused a commotion in Strosneiders hardware store in Bethesda because we were laughing so hard at the most marvellous squirrel repellent.

Essentially it was a standard bird feeder on to which you lured the squirrel with promises of delight in the shape of peanuts. Once there, the squirrel's bodyweight triggered a motor which then spun the feeder around and the centrifugal force threw the squirrel off. Quite a distance off. Up to about 10 feet in fact. There was a sales video showing in the store of the evice in action (complete with wheeeeing noise sound effects) and that was what was causing the outbursts of mirth from me and my sister. It also showed how the device worked with cats. Now if it had been shown to work with small children, I'd have bought one there and then.

I suspect the owners didn't throw us out because we had attracted such a crowd of folk around us that the store actually sold about half a dozen items in the time we were in. No commission though.
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Post  djlen Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:15 am

Fiona, I'm going to explain the name first because you are in the UK an might be unfamiliar with it.
There once was a ship which was called the Yankee Clipper. A very famous ship here in America.
My wife is into birding and feeders and for Xmas a few years ago I bought her what was call a "Yankee Flipper".
The selling point was the video, probably very similar to the one you refer to in your post..
I laughed.......and watched people walking out with these feeders for about an hour before I bought one myself.
Quite a marketing technique!!
Squirrels are so stupid....lol. I love all animals but I cannot warm up to squirrels and trust me that's to say the least. I'm not a violent person but have considered buying a pellet gun on several occasions.
There has got to be some substance that repels them. I know that rabbits hate garlic and gardeners have used it for years to ward them off. I'm looking for a garlic for squirrels.
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Post  bonsaisr Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:37 am

During the summer, my bonsai are out in the sun on two tables in the middle of the backyard. They are far enough from any trees or fences that I almost never get squirrels. I do get birds picking over the moss, and I have had birds or rabbits attacking my Lithops. I keep the latter in a birdcage along with my hawthorn, so the birds don't get the fruit. My shade stand, which holds bonsai and orchids, is right at the back of the garage, close enough to the house to discourage squirrels. In our previous house, I kept many of my orchids in an old cat cage to keep squirrels away. This should give you some ideas.
Iris
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Post  Seth Ellwood Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:38 am

Moth balls and mouse traps work wonders on squirrels. Their used to be a product call squirrel be gone avalible but I don't know if it is still avalible.It was a small cloth bag with some kind of natural ingredients and you hung it in an area where you did not want squirrels and they would quickly relocate. as for the mouse traps cover them lightly with leaves and get your video camera out and be prepared to wet yourself laughing.I never realised squirrels could do mid air back flips Laughing

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Post  Rick Moquin Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:17 am

djlen wrote:Very funny folks.
Now do any of you have any useful or helpful comments to impart?
Nope! good luck!!
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Post  timatkinson Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:29 am

Grey Squirrels are a real problem where I live. We have been told to trap them (live) and relocate. My general attitude has been to get a shotgun but that would not be PC here and would make me lose my happy home...so I've learned how to work with bonsai AND foil the little devils. I use 3/8" galvanized wire mesh (hardware cloth) which I cut to cover the entire soil surface up to the bonsai trunk. I make a template of the inside of the bonsai pot and tree trunk at soil level and transfer this pattern to the hardware cloth which I cut to fit. When I repot I thread wire up from the bottom of the pot at each corner and secure the hardware cloth to the top of the soil with wire ties. The wire mesh is ugly but has several benefits. I use the mesh to anchor tie-down wires for branches that are being pulled down. The mesh has the advantage of stabilizing loose soils so that they don't wash away as readily, especially in our very rainy winters. I have learned too that a dressing of soil on top of the mesh can quite easily hide the wire...and for those bonsai which I let moss grow on (let's not discuss the pros or cons of promoting moss growth on bonsai) I top dress and seed with ground up moss particles. Over time moss can hide the mesh very well. The squirrels have learned to leave any mesh-covered plant alone, but woe to any that are exposed. I have not found the zinc covered mesh (galvanized steel) to be a problem for my maples and crab apples, but have no experience with other trees. I hope this helps. Regards!
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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:02 am

Theres a common misconception in the UK, that you can live trap and release. This is illegal, as they are non native vermin. I f I had my way, I'd exterminate the bloody lot of them Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil In favour of our native, true red Squirrel Very Happy

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Post  fiona Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:51 am

I swear to goodness, Will, that when you write an "angry" post, your avatar picture starts frowning! Wink
(Although, conversely, when you write a "happy" one, the pic is smiling)


Or have I been watching too many Harry Potter movies recently?
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Post  djlen Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:08 pm

fiona wrote:I swear to goodness, Will, that when you write an "angry" post, your avatar picture starts frowning! Wink
(Although, conversely, when you write a "happy" one, the pic is smiling)


Or have I been watching too many Harry Potter movies recently?

I think you have him mixed up with Mona Lisa.......don't you see the resemblance?

You know, I had no idea that this topic would bring out so much venom...... Smile Twisted Evil
It seems that there are many, like myself, who just cannot stand the vermin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post  fiona Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:23 pm

We don't have a problem with squirrels so much a with pigeons, blackbirds and starlings. The latter two regularly pinch my moss (mesh wire sorts this out) and also dig into the potting mix in search of food. The pigeons sit on branches and generaly cause a mess.

Here is how I get rid of them. I don't fire the ball bearings that were supplied (it's a bit inhumane and neither do I trust my ability as a sure shot in such proximity to windows and greenhouses!). I used to fire peanuts but I am convinced the wee buggers learned how to catch them mid-air. Now I fire hydroleca clay pellets - it does the trick quite well and is biodegradable.

The Barnett Diabolo
Squirrels - How do you Get Rid of Them!!?? Diabol10

Squirrels - How do you Get Rid of Them!!?? Robin_11
I had to crop this pic slightly so it didn't look like I was lying and was still using ball bearings - an impression brought about by the extreme cold and my lack of jersey! Work it out for yourself, Bobby L.
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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:31 pm

You'll find ball bearing fly straighter Evil or Very Mad

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Post  fiona Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:52 pm

djlen wrote: I think you have him mixed up with Mona Lisa.......don't you see the resemblance?
Yep. Would fool the Art world any day!
Squirrels - How do you Get Rid of Them!!?? Willa_13
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Post  Will Heath Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:01 pm

They are great practice for the old Black Widow recurve. I start with a self made "spanker" tips, basically a hard rubber ball attached to an arrow, then I break out the Judo tips for the slow learners.







Will
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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:08 pm

Ha-ha! Hysterical Laughing - I thought you said you couldn't use Photohop!!!!! Ofcourse, I'll be wanting that for my avatar. I quite fancy meself! cheers


Last edited by will baddeley on Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:44 pm

I see a seperate thread developing here... Bonsai folk 'in the picture'

Fiona... you have kicked this off well, I will 'tweak' your 'Mona Baddeley' when I get home... and create a few of my own... Twisted Evil

Tony

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Post  flor1 Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:19 pm

I live in the country and a 22 works great on them and wild cats too. Anything is not a permanent solution and they will get into your plants. cat

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Post  djlen Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:23 pm

Now don't Hi-jack my thread unless you will include solutions for keeping the frigging squirrels out of my
Bonsai Pots!!!!!!!!!
I NEED INPUT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exclamation
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Post  JimLewis Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:10 pm

I find a .22 pellet gun works well. In town, you might try a plain bb gun. Sting them often eough and they'll go elsewhere.

I have heard lots of stories about repellents, but my extension people say none are reliable.

Other folks say putting up a bird feeder that is squirrel accessible and keeping it filled, keeps the critters away from bonsai. (The LOVE mica pots, BTW!).

Will, sorry you have gray squirrels now. Tey eventually will out the red ones because they're so aggressive. But don' blame us. It was an English woman who brought some back with her, or so I hear. She thought they were "cute."

But then, that's about how we got starlings, too.
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Post  Guest Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:34 pm

Jim, not only are they more aggresive, they carry a pox that kills Reds and they also have a habit of bark stripping. A forresters nightmare. Im sorry but they have to go, even if I have to do it on my own Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Twisted Evil

My weapon of choice is a shotgun, a little more brutal but extremely effective. Hunt for the dreys in the trees, pull the trigger and hey presto cheers a whole family with one barrel Very Happy

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