Wait. Can we rewind this discussion? A Leopard slug? Really? I thought they only ate rotting debris, as well as other slugs. In other words, they are good slugs. They love the compost areas and work damn hard over there, and I have never seen them eating any living tissue off my plants. I have seen them eating other slugs, the kind I do see eating green leaves on my plants. I have some self sowing seed plants in my garden as well as tender lettuces we grew last year. I have seen none of these disturbed by the Leopard slugs. And actually, I think our bad slug population may be down. Are you sure a Leopard slug was the culprit? I've spent tons of time watching and photographing them during the night. I think they are so cool looking. I love the leopard slugs and they are welcome in my garden. I encourage them by keeping pockets of dried leaves packed down in corners against the stone walls they like to hide in. I had them in my last garden several blocks over and at my studio space pot garden, but not here until about four years ago. I was glad when they finally showed up. Right, I know… I get the grossed out looking at rows of dead squirrels but go out of my way to photograph the Leopard slugs in the garden in the middle of the night. At least the leopard slugs are alive for their photo shoots. :) And no worries about the link Lucille! I'm a big girl and the web is full of all kinds of weird, wonderful and creepy things. We are all responsible for our own clicking! :) For the record, I've been a serious vegetarian since around 1984 or so, so I spend very little time looking at dead things, either in the back of a truck like the pictures or at the grocery store. I'm not sure where I thought the "gallery" tab would lead me. Not there, though! Poor little squirrels. I can't even kill the white slugs I pick of my plants. I gather them in a tupperware and put them next door in the wooded yard of the neighbor or in the hellstrip by the road. A bit nutty, maybe, but I like to feel I still fit in on this board, none the less.

hot pepper wax I suspect that actually will help, although you'll probably have to be faithful about reapplying it as often as the label recommends. Squirrels can taste capsaicin just like we can, so they will be repelled by the hot pepper sensations. Those who contend with squirrels eating birdseed intended for birds sometimes pre-mix the birdseed with chili powder, because squirrels can taste the heat, but birds can't (thus it gives the squirrels a reason to avoid that bird feeder while the birds don't notice any difference at all). Oh, assuming you are successful at getting the squirrels to avoid your new climbing rose, I suspect that once you do that this year you'll find that in the future you will have far fewer squirrel problems with this rose, and may very well have no problems whatsoever. I had problems with my Fragrant Cloud and Paul Shirville hybrid teas the very first year I planted them, but after I noticed trouble I sprayed the area with fox urine and after that had no further problems. That was a few years ago and I've had no problems since then. I guess the squirrels lost interest and look for other sources of food. It may be that once the rose and its thorns ("prickles" is the more proper term) are established the squirrels no longer want to bother with it as a food source as long as there are enough other sources of food around for them.

I feel your pain. I came out today to find they had bitten off ALL my tulips, dug up and completely turned over my pot of green onions just sprouting, dug up and chopped off the heads of some potatoes. They have not been so bad in recent years because I put out feeding stations near the fences and that keeps them out of the gardens, but not this year. They have chewed on daylily and iris shoots as well. I have few covers I fashioned: just a rectangular wooden base with chicken wire attached all around. In some cases I closed the top but that's the only thing that works. I also place cut-off 2 litre and 8 litre containers and cover emerging plants. I put one of the covers over my angelique tulip bulbs which are just beginning to bloom. I wish I had a shotgun. One other thing I am planning to try is mouse traps. They will spring them and be frightened off, but will not be hurt. And to think we cut down our big trees to get rid of them and they still come!! Arrgghh!!

Eeeek, not a good idea, brink. Mothballs are highly toxic...not just to wildlife and pets, but you! They are not intended to be used other than in an enclosed area to kill insects. Actually, the fact that they can be deadly to non target animals that may ingest them is why they need to be removed from public use. Holly, my favorite tip is to sprinkle cayenne pepper liberally where those critters dig. I buy a big canister of it at Costco every year and use it generously. It helps keep them out of seed beds, new garden plantings, and my containers for cuttings and flowers. Has no effect on birds, so you can even use cayenne in birdseed to keep the squirrels at bay. I have a couple of wooden propagation boxes that I use for cuttings and divisions and I don't want anything walking around in there! I lay hardware cloth on top of the box and weight it with heavy rocks! So, yes.....wrangling the squirrels and chipmunks are an annual event for me.