Squirrels chewing up my corn!

7 years ago

This year my corn came within a week or two of harvest before the squirrels cut down and chewed up the stalks. Any advice on keeping them away?

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Comments (5)

frankielynnsie
7 years ago
A BB/pellet gun, but if you discover another way to keep them from eating your veggies and fruits you could make a bundle. They are demons in my fruit trees and garden. My 2 cats don't even keep them away.
David Burgess
Original Author
7 years ago
I have a BB gun and I fire at them from my back door, probably about 80 yards range, so I don't stand much of a chance of hitting one with my cheap Daisy 880.

I bought a water blaster thing and it may work if I can get it set properly. It has a motion detector that sprays water when it senses motion. It's got me a few times.

I had the sensitivity set to the max and it was going off constantly when the breeze was stirring the tomato plants. I lowered the sensitivity a couple notches and watched a squirrel cross in front of it, grab a green tomato and take it up a tree. The thing never went off!
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I have a similar situation (compost pile is between two townhouse end units, scared two rats away when turning the pile recently). I decided that the pile could only have yard waste henceforth, otherwise I would be extremely embarrassed if people fingered my pile as the source of rat problems. So I figured, either stop composting kitchen waste, or find some rat-proof way to handle it. Couldn't bear the thought of throwing out all that wonderful organic matter, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a rat-proof tumbler or bin, so I went with worms for the kitchen waste and kept the compost pile (I use a ring composter) for yard waste. I'm using terra cotta planters (3 of them) for the worms, with anti-weed cloth stretched over them and held down tight (like a drum) with bungee cords. They are in a paved area, so I can keep a close eye on them and I can pull the plug if I see any signs of rat infestation.
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Porcupines will go after tool handles because of the salt in the sweat that is left on the wood. It is more likely that the damage to the feeder is squirrels. My, homemade, native cedar feeders were always damaged, and holes have been eaten and edges gnawed on 5 gallon plastic buckets in which I have attempted to store seed. Even the lids of the trash cans. My house, being cedar, is, occasionally attacked, and the barn, similarly covered, has been invaded. They enlarge the holes in the birdhouses I build and I have, actually, put hardware cloth around the holes and edged the houses with aluminum channel. I designed a clever feeder on a suction cup out of a clear soda bottle and attached it to the window. The birds loved it and the squirrels could not quite reach it, centered in the glass. In frustration, they gnawed, and totally defaced the wooden window frames outside. My only bird feeder is a metal one on a copper pipe that closes with the weight of a squirrel on the feeding bar. It has worked well for the past 4 years.
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frankielynnsie
7 years ago
I bet it was funny when the scarecrow got you! I have done things and commented how I sure hoped no one was watching.
David Burgess thanked frankielynnsie
David Burgess
Original Author
7 years ago
My wife thought it was funny, as I was wiping off my glasses :). It did get a squirrel or two yesterday. Here is the water blaster that is (hopefully) protecting my freshly (re)planted corn.
frankielynnsie
7 years ago
A video of it getting the squirrels would be great on you tube. Like the ones of them getting flung off the twirling bird feeders.

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Squirrels chewing up my corn!

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frankielynnsie

David Burgess
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Squirrels chewing up my corn!

Comments (5)

frankielynnsie

David BurgessOriginal Author

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frankielynnsie

David BurgessOriginal Author

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David Burgess
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