We asked are neighbors nicely 2 times over the past 2 years to just to stop feeding peanuts , because the squirrels were becoming a problem and destroying our property. The neighbors have numerous bird feeders and fill them with peanuts which spill onto the ground so the squirrels can easily get them. It was costing us money to repair the damages the squirrells were causing to our property. We keep buying repellent but it only works until it rains So when we asked a 3rd time a couple weeks ago our neighbors replied "it wasn't their problem and to stop whining" . Of course my husband blew up and swore at them. Anyhow now they've sent us a letter stating we are harrassing them and since it is not illigal to feed squirrels in our comunnity, they plan to take legal action if we ask them again and to stay off their property. So I emailed our mayor to see if we could get an ordinance passed within reason to maybe put limits on feeders to stop the eccentrics from going overboard. He said it wasn't a popular ordinance in our community and none of our representatives would even consider it. He suggested moth balls to put in my garage. The squirrells are in the garden and on the roof. Time for a new mayor, I guess.

cornucopia - i think the hardware cloth would work just fine. in order to keep roses in my garden, i have to dig a 2x2-foot hole and line it with "baskets" of hardware cloth -- a lot of work. only those so protected have survived. the unprotected ones have their root systems reduced to something the size of your thumb -- with gnaw marks! voles are a major pest, and they don't even hibernate to give us a break. lorna, i think maybe you're not familiar with hardware cloth. it's a tightly woven mesh of galvanized wire -- i use the 1/2inch mesh. waaayyy more effective and long-lasting than chickenwire. last fall i removed the chicken wire lining my garden fence and replaced it with hardware cloth -- with 10 inches of it buried underground. this is war! the other good tool in anti-vole battles is crushed oyster shell. it's very sharp-edged, and critters don't like to dig in it. i lace my tulip planting with it layer cake-style and haven't lost many bulbs over the winter. these beds are, by the way, behind double fencing to keep the rabbits and deer from eating the tops. right now, i have them under plastic net as well since the deer broke into this garden last year. of 275 tulips planted, i harvested nine flowers. nine! nine!

Outsmarting the tree rats (squirrels) around my house is a full time job. This past spring I hit on a new idea. When I plant a container I invert an empty wire hanging basket over the container and the plant gets sun and can be watered but the squirrels can't dig in it. Another idea: I bring in a lot of plants to "over winter" under lights in my garage. I have so many that it is hard to reach my hand under the lights (4 shop lights) to the middle for watering. So I bought a pump sprayer with a long wand and it works great! In late winter I add a little liquid Dawn detergent, few drops, to each gallon of water and not only does the soil get wet easier but the worms that are waiting to hatch into distructive pets just don't hatch. Don't know what it costs me to run those four shop lights all winter but I don't care. It is a small price to pay to be able to "garden" every weekend in the garage. Many people have mentioned that they mark their outdoor plants with a "permanent Sharpie". In my experience there isn't a "permanent Sharpie", they all fade and quickly too. A grease pencil/china marker or expensive "no fade" garden center marker are the only markers I have found that won't disappoint you by fading. Eight years ago I decided to learn about gardening so I tapped into my local library. I checked out nearly every book they had on gardening and learned so much. The Gardenweb forums are also a wealth of information and entertainment. There is always something new to learn and I appreciate all of you who take the time to write in your ideas. One last idea from me...I keep a small notebook on my computer table and jot down any idea I find that's new and I will want to try. Little pieces of paper get lost but I always know where my notebook is and also use it when I order "on line" so I will remember the name of the company and the order date. Tina or Trowelgal

For me, squirrels are vermin and are just like chipmunks and most other rodents. I have 'exterminated' most of the squirrels around here over the past few years. Either baited rat traps with nice big juicy grapes, the Hav-a-hart and relocate them 20 miles away, or just shoot them with my high powered pellet rifle. In the late spring, I stop feeding birds as there is plenty for them to eat because of all the insects. In the fall, the feeders go back out. The last 4 days, I have been picking some really nice big red raspberries. Three years ago, I planted 3 canes of thornless raspberry canes, of the 'Lauren' variety. Quite hardy and have sent up 5 times more new canes compared to the puny ones my dad planted years ago. They seem to ripen in just a day or two. Birds do seem to attack a few, but dislike all those big seeds. The plastic screen netting can easily be chewed through by squirrels. Its not very useful for rodent protection.