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Growing Tomatoes

squirrels digging holes!

16 years ago

Squirrels are invading my garden. They are digging small holes everywhere in my tomato garden and my pots and no where else! Any suggestions?!

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Comments (6)

raisemybeds
16 years ago
I have that problem to a degree as well, and was able to curb it a good deal by re-lining my garden paths with a new layer of fresh woodchips. The old woodchips had broken down enough to make the paths all soft and blackish, which entices the squirrels to dig. So if the areas where they are digging holes are all soft and newly cultivated I think they will continue to molest your garden. Try a thick mulch of something coarse, and see if that doesn't help you out some. Good luck.
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shirleywny5
16 years ago
I have a hugh problem with chipmunks digging in my flower pots. I covered the top of the soil with river-stones or marbles. I've even used seashells. It worked for me.
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My grandfather used to go squirrel hunting. They taste very good when they are fried. I don't know what you can do to get rid of them. While you can trap them, other squirrels will move in to the vacated territory. The only thing you can do is make your yard, and yards of your neighbors in all direction unattractive to squirrels. I think the best thing to do is enjoy their antics and patch the yard. Do you have chipmunks? They are also a lot of fun! They are too small to eat.
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Gee whiz. I'm usually pretty nice but your neighbors are seriously immature -- they've got the sensibility of small children who think the world revolves around their whims. If you're not willing to talk to your landlord, then I think in addition to protecting your plants, some other way of getting the critters directly to them is a great idea. Now trellis store bought is expensive, but maybe if you have help, you could get several real thin trim-type pieces of wood together literally like a little ladder, and fix it up so that it will lead ALL the critters directly up to their balcony. They can have the joy of personally feeding critters and cleaning up after them, they'll love it. Then take some pepper spray (nothing that will hurt critters, but which they might hate), I think you could work out some kind of pump extension, and anything that hangs over their balcony so much as 1 mm, spray the thing above you (don't look up -- there's gotta be a way to do it without hurting yourself!) so the animals will avoid it or at least all the part of it anywhere near the outside. Eventually if your neighbors don't figure it out (even if they do, so what), they will realize that for some reason the animals don't eat out of the ones off the edge and they do eat out of the ones on the porch. So they can just put out food ON their porch, since the critters are right there -- rather than hanging off it to try and 'get it to' the critters -- and falling into yours. They get the critters close up, and you get less hanging over you stuff. That doesn't address where they bury things of course, but it might deal with the constant droppings issue. Give the smallest slant to the 'ladder' and the cats can climb it too. I really like critters and feed them myself but wouldn't go about it in the way described, sheesh. PJ
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pests galore!
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Comments (9)
Simply going down to buy "something" to spray is going to compound your problem which is an unbalanced ecosystem. Start by looking closely at your soil and get that in to a good, healthy condition so the plants that grow are strong and healthy and can ward off insect pests more easily. Never, ever simply toss something onto your soil in the hope that will do something, have a good, reliable soil test done to see what needs to be done other than adding lots of organic matter. Dig in with these simple soil tests to get to know what you have, and these will also help guide in what to do: 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
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Whats digging holes in my pots?
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Comments (10)
Using the pebbles as a mulch or topdressing on the surface of the container is fine. Not really necessary but not a concern. It is often used with potted cacti and succulents, to keep water off the plants, especially the low growing rosette types. I can't imagine it would stop a determined squirrel, however. They bury things in the large gravel of the driveway!!
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chalstonsc
16 years ago
sprstguy76-
Last summer when it got hot and dry around late June, early July, the squirrels began using my ripening tomatoes as a source of liquid refreshment. Purely by accident, I noticed that after I sprayed my tomatoes with Garden Safe brand insecticide/fungicide available at Walmart(contains extract of neem oil that I understand is organic/safe), the slaughter seemed to stop. Now to be honest I'm not sure they stopped because of my spraying(neem oil smells and while I haven't personally licked any myself, I'm willing to bet it tastes bitter) or it just started raining enough to satisfy their thirst elsewhere. This year has been extremely dry, but my tomatoes haven't ripened yet, so I don't know for two years in a row for sure whether it works or not, but if you need an insecticide/fungicide that I can for sure recommend for dealing effectively with aphids, you may want to try it on your squirrels. Good luck...
Tom D.
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jasonw
16 years ago
An old man I know puts peeled garlic in his pots. He says that keps the cats and rodents away. I keep my plants 4 stories up. Not everyone can do that tho, so I suggest trying the garlic.
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kubotabx2200
16 years ago
Rat traps baited with peanut butter.
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delta_charlie
16 years ago
Hi Kubotabx and the group,

"Rat traps baited with peanut butter."

Don't know if you are serious but I prefer to live trap them and then I relocate. I did however have one that would not go into my live trap so after a week of trying to catch it live and watching it dig up every square inch of the garden I was trying to sow with wild flowers I got frustrated and set some rat traps out. I got the darn thing alright but it was terrible! The new rat trap was not strong enough to kill the squirrel (squirrels are larger and stronger then rats as I found out) and I found the squirrel about 50 feet away still alive, injured and suffering. I had to dispatch it using a shovel and did not enjoy that one bit!

I will never use a rat trap on a squirrel again. Live traps if you can or a high power air pellet gun if you must but NO RAT TRAPS!

Later, DC
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