Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. A few thoughts... I wonder what people think about using cayenne...cruelty, effectiveness, potential effects on growing plants, etc. Apart from anney, no one has commented on the cruelty factor. I've had cayenne, habanero, and others on my lips, face, eyes, up my nose, in raw cut hands, and on other areas of my body that my hands have touched (use your imagination). Yes, it hurt like hell, but I was perfectly fine after the pain wore off. I'd like to hear if other's have opinions about this. Regarding the Scarecrow Sprinkler, does anyone have any experience with this method? I have concerns about nighttime watering of leaves, especially regarding tomatoes. This seems like an invitation to disease.

The magic halo concept is 95-100% effective for me for deterring house sparrows. The main idea is that you need the "halo" on top for preventing the HoSPs from descending from above, and the wires to prevent them from approaching laterally. The "halo" (aka top-cover) can be anything that will prevent passage. For my suet log, this is a piece of 1/4" density hardware cloth that is 2' x 4' laying over the top of support that the suet log hangs from. For my sunflower and safflower feeders, the top-covers are extra-large plastic weather domes by Aspects. I then surround the feeders with a network of weights suspended by 30 gauge to 26 gauge hobby wire. The nimble woodpeckers, nuthatch, chickadees, titmice, goldfinch, house finches, purple finches, and even some juncos fly right through. Harris' sparrow (indigenous) ground feeds with the juncos. The house sparrows and starlings find somewhere else to feed. The wires sometimes break of course, and if I don't get right on it and re-hang the wires then I will get a few house sparrows invading. I have a self-designed arbor constructed from steel support tubing with sections of cattle panel over the top which makes it very easy for me to hang feeders and wire anywhere I choose. If I get the occasional stubborn house sparrow I deploy a deluxe-repeating sparrow trap until I get the bugger. These measures have kept my feeders from getting mobbed by the pestilent sparrows and starlings and allowed me to continue to enjoy watching the birds at my feeders. There isn't much else interesting to see out there in the winter!

My neighbor sounds very similar to your neighbor Jeri. Not the most pleasant person to interact with. I try to imagine that she has something really overwhelming happening in her life to make her act like that. It helps me tolerate her and shrug her off. Ingrid it's really funny that you're feeding your neighborhood squirrels and rabbits and here I am trying to put spikes up to drive them out. I really think that if I can just get them to take a detour away from the fence line (AKA squirrel freeway), the neighbor dogs will be less obnoxious... at least in that corner, which is along our shared fence line. I'm going to try the spikes on the top of the fence and see how it works. I might also try something like this ultrasonic animal repellent at the base of the fence. https://www.amazon.com/Anpro-Repellent-Activated-Ultra-sonic-Protection/dp/B01LNH0IYQ/ref=sr_1_17?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1475191064&sr=1-17&keywords=squirrel+repellent It could at least keep my dogs away from that area, which might help those yappy dogs calm down too. My dogs sometimes go over there to sniff through the fence to see what they are barking about.... which only infuriates the yappy dogs more. I will update to let you all know how it's working once it's all up running. Thanks for your help! This is a much better plan than espalier with a thorny rose. :)

Perhaps the squirrels' digging activities are seasonal. This endlessly very hot summer, the ones in my yard are not going into my damp (watered-every-day) garden. Pursuing the bird seed I throw elsewhere, and drinking from the table-top water dishes seem to occupy them. kinzy, I hear you! But, during their digging season, once the seeds have sprouted and gained some "presence" their surroundings seem to be of less interest to the squirrels -- so the cage can be removed and used elsewhere.