Squirrel-proofing

[oc1]

we have Kangaroo rats down here, but they live in the desert and rarely are become a Garden problem,

When I was a kid they had those on Padre Island, TX.  We once tried to catch them when night shark fishing from the beach. They're fast.

[jgp12000]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_CB#:~:text=The%20.,Louis%2DNicolas%20Flobert%20in%201845.

[oldmanjoe]

  Comeon    all you need is a wham o slingshot .

[JasonGotaProblem]

Comeon    all you need is a wham o slingshot .

I saw a rat on the bird feeder once. He got to find out that im still a crack shot with the slingshot after all these years.

[OhReely]

Firing any kind of projectile in an HOA is not only dangerous but probably in violation of HOA, city, county, state, federal, international, PETA, fish/game rules and regulations and public opinion. I read online squirrels can have 2 to 4 babies twice a year. Face it Jason your garden is doomed unless you raise Rosemary or mint. Go to the farmers market.

There are decoy birds of prey that emit motion activated sounds. Owls, hawks, you can't just set it and forget it though or they will become desensitized to it. Move it around the yard. Personally I would start by setting it on a post in very close proximity to where they place the peanuts.

[Rancanfish]

I moved to the Oregon coast a few years back (time flies). The first couple of weeks I kept hearing what I thought was an exotic bird. Turns out it's the species of squirrel here. Very vocal.

My first instinct was to shoot them as I was a squirrel hater from before. At my old house they would half eat every apple and fig in my yard. Basically big rats is what they were. Shot quite a few before I got to where I had semi-control, which is about all you can attain.

I've now kind of adopted the attitude of the James Taylor song where he sings "The squirrels think these woods are their home....".  Guess I'm getting liberal,lol.

[oc1]

Comeon    all you need is a wham o slingshot .

 I wanted a pet.  They probably bite and are too hyperactive to handle.  The slingshot would've been fun with sand crabs though.

My wife is obsessed with poisoning rats and runs a bait line every few weeks..  You stumble over her little black boxes everywhere.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Interesting thread so far. Yeah I don't actually wanna kill them. Randy is sort of right, there used to be a forest here. People bulldozed it 40 years ago to build our homes. The squirrels were here first, and just never left.

I wouldn't put food out for them or tolerate them eating my fruit I'll try to grow for my kids, but I don't mind their presence.

Also I think it would be hilarious to set up a webcam to watch them staring longingly at the contents of my garden cage and trying but failing to get in.

Tree Squirrels don't dig tunnels, right? I can extend the cage below ground if I need to.

[Surfrat]

I have squirrel problems too. Your neighbor should not feed them and I am sure they don't grow food like you. Slingshot is only good for awhile to scare them. A big wire cage covering your vegetables is probably the only option other than to kill/eat them. I have feral cats so I am seeing less squirrels now.

[OhReely]

If you could see the carnage that a few wild pigs can create in your landscaped yard during the wee hours of the morning, on a recurring basis.... Pigs and 9-band armadillos, that's what we deal with in our HOA.

[nelz]

We have feral cats running around here. You think squirrels are bad, how'd you like to step out your front door and be hit with a stench from hell, cat crap is the worst. And then there's their piss... I'll trade you squirrels any day.

The fool cat ladies I'm surrounded by must like the putrid stench because they feed them and keep 'em coming around. And  lord forbid you should harm a precious kitty, you'll end up in jail.

[Midway Tommy]

I find it interesting how City folk feel the need to draw in wild creatures, never considering the possible diseases they carry or destruction they can create or cause.

If a rabies carrying critter bites or scratches them or their kids, or a squirrel makes it into their attic, chews on an electric wire and their house burns down they won't think they're so dang cute.

[Cuttyhunker]

Jason, Like a birdfeeder the only thing that will really work is a physical barrier. Standard hex chicken wire, 1.5" X 2", used in the blue crab traps is probably too large an opening for the smaller grey squirrels you have in Florida.  There is a smaller hex mesh used in crawdad traps that would be restrictive enough to exclude the rodents.  Since your bed is small at 3 X 5 a welded square mesh of 1 X 1, or 1 X 2 inch formed into the shape of a shoebox to cover the garden should work. Simply lift it off when you want access. I set up a pal with a similar solution, worked fine, with the added bonus of the feral cats no longer having access to a soft earth litter box. Find a local crab pot builder to fabricate it for you or find the wire at Lowes.   

[JasonGotaProblem]

I've got a 4'x50' roll of half inch hardware cloth that I'll be using. I'm gonna do a 6' high wood frame with a door. Probably gonna put window screen across the top to make it also function as a shade structure to extend my season in sweltering Florida.

I already have a bunch of 2x4s and a roll of screen. but I probably wanna get some 1x2 pieces to frame out the door without making it too heavy.

Lots of ideas.

[Bill B]

Here on the mountain we have reached an equilibrium of sorts with our critters, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, bears,  rats/mice, banded tail pigeons, stellar Jay's, etc.  I have rat traps set up year round which do a good job on the rodent issues, but 1 squirrel found out the hard way that rat traps work on squirrels.  I had to dog proof my traps to keep them out and it's been successful. Right now I have 2 maybe 3 squirrels, in the past more than 6 were here.

To dog proof my traps I built what can best be described as a shoe box with 1 end removed, out of scrap 1/2" oak.  It was built wide enough to just slide a T-Rex rat trap in so nothing can get behind or approach from the rear of the trap.  Bill