Squirrel trouble!

[Tejastropicals]

I have a 60X100 greenhouse full of palm seeds and seedlings. The greenhouse has roll up sides for the summer temps. I have had an occasional mouse or rat chew on a seedling but all of a sudden this year the squirrels are attacking in numbers! They are chewing up 100s of seeds in pots and seedlings. I dont want to put up wire on the sides but may have to. Does anyone have any ideas or solutions they have found successful in keeping squirrels at bay? Thanks for your help

David

[Kris]

Dear David

Even i had similar problems with squrieals,and had lost quite a few exotic palms to their attacks...

kindly visit the link below as to how i took necessary steps & if you have cats at home they will clear out these squriels too..

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?sh...ic=7749&hl=

Love,

Kris

[Palmə häl′ik]

Don't get me started on these darn critters... I just had a Kentiopsis seedlings new spear get gnawed away from a pesky squirrel... Oddly enough, my aim's getting alot better with the 'ol Crossman .177

I just started a bunch of seedlings, and they're in 1gal containers now, so squirrel season pretty much just opened up around here...

~Ray.

[MattyB]

Get a cat! Or maybe a motion activated sprinkler. Or set up a non target animal safe bait station.

[Tad]

electric fence along the sides where the roll ups are?

[rozpalm]

Funny you should post this. Last night sitting on my balcony I saw a squirrel shredding a 12' frond on my C. no. I went out and threw a couple of tennis balls to get him to stop and he did, but I see he is back today. Time to go to Kmart and get a bee-bee gun. My favorite scene was a few weeks back watching a Hawk pick several of them off my trees. I wish that Hawk would come back and take them all.

[OldNed]

Coldspring, Texas is pretty close to Louisiana, maybe this will help:

http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir22.html

[Tad]

let the monkeys play with them?!?!?!

[DoomsDave]

  OldNed said:

Coldspring, Texas is pretty close to Louisiana, maybe this will help:

http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir22.html

That recipe also rocks for bunny rabbit . . . .

[Moose]

David - on a serious note , I had a friend that is a local grower have this problem with rats. He got small diameter wire mesh and wire cutters and fashioned covers by bending down the sides and formed the mesh. He left about a two inch clearance above top of the soil. It was close to being 100% effective.

The squirrel jokes are very funny . This would be very frustrating if it was happening to you . Getting a cat will cause the cat to attack and cause almost as much damage by dumping the seed containers during the attack. Try the mesh.

Best regards,

Ron.

[Tad]

perhaps predator urine squirted along the perimeter?

you could set up a feeder so they are not gathering in your green house?

temic ................just a little dab will do ya!!

[freakypalmguy]

  Tad said:

perhaps predator urine squirted along the perimeter?

you could set up a feeder so they are not gathering in your green house?

Yup, a feeder full of squirrel bait (poison) is what I have heard some non politically correct evil doers have done. Shame on them.

[Tad]

delete

[Corrosion]

well first you have to figure out the way how squirrels think, you have reach into your enemies mind. Once you´ve collected valuable information about their behaviour and habits strike them hard into their weaks spots! They have weakness about nuts and candies and other eatable stuff. So act like you will give the rat with hairy tail a treat then when the time is right eliminate the bastard! That means feed the beast til it has enough and never try to harm your seedlings.

On the other hand maybe the squirrel has just expensive taste.

[Tad]

call this guy, he is the best in the biz!!

[Moose]

  Tad said:

perhaps predator urine squirted along the perimeter?

you could set up a feeder so they are not gathering in your green house?

temic ................just a little dab will do ya!!

Are you refering to the Bill Sanford technique? I heard he has an instructional video

[Tejastropicals]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and humor. If it wasnt for having lost several hundred Livistona inermis, Brahea decumbems and pimo, and Jubaeopsis seedlings among others I might actually laugh! For real though I am amazed that other growers dont have this level of problem, especially with open shade houses, with rodents such as squirrels, chipmunks, rats etc. I have decided the only sure way is to run 10' by 100' half by one inch welded wire on the sides of the greenhouses. The down side is its convenient to be able to walk into the side of large structures. I did try cayenne pepper on pots and it worked OK just not sure of the cultural impact to the palms? Can pepper burn plant tissue?

[Tad]

i dont think cayanne pepper will burn tho it is an oil???

I would try the predator stinks first, a few squirts of fox wizz along the edges..

and you could always set up a feeder and every so often move it away from the shadehouse a little further each time till you have them relocating???

just bouncing ideas around.

[Jeff in St Pete]

  Tejastropicals said:

Thanks everyone for your ideas and humor. If it wasnt for having lost several hundred Livistona inermis, Brahea decumbems and pimo, and Jubaeopsis seedlings among others I might actually laugh! For real though I am amazed that other growers dont have this level of problem, especially with open shade houses, with rodents such as squirrels, chipmunks, rats etc. I have decided the only sure way is to run 10' by 100' half by one inch welded wire on the sides of the greenhouses. The down side is its convenient to be able to walk into the side of large structures. I did try cayenne pepper on pots and it worked OK just not sure of the cultural impact to the palms? Can pepper burn plant tissue?

I had a terrible time with squirrels when I lived in Tampa. They chewed up so many of my seedlings over the years that I lost count. They also would bury acorns in all my potted palms and I was constantly pulling up Oak seedlings. I used cayenne pepper and it really did seem to work, but it gets washed away with the rain or by hand watering. It never hurt any of my seedlings or larger potted palms.

[Central Floridave]

Instead of putting up wire how about trying something easier and use patio screening. Or bird netting. Just a thought. Good luck. I have troubles with the bushy tail rats eating my fruit (mango/lychee/macadamia/etc). But, since I got two jack russell terriers and a high powered w/scope pellet gun the balance has tilted in my favor!

[Palmə häl′ik]

"one shot, one kill"

[downtownfish]

I had two of my germinated talipot palm seeds taken in a matter of a few hours. I am hoping they did not eat them, but stored them somewhere. I hope to see two talipot palms somewhere in my neighborhood in years to come.

[Palmə häl′ik]

  downtownfish said:

...I hope to see two talipot palms somewhere in my neighborhood in years to come.

<smiles>

[ThunderSRQ]

I was having a lot of trouble with squirrels wreaking havoc with my palms and plants so I did quite a bit of research into this issue and my findings were quite interesting. It turns out that, almost without exception, squirrels that are targeting newly planted and potted palms all suffer from a specific deficiency (which can be corrected).

So, the simple solution is to introduce the needed component and the problem is, at the very least, greatly reduced, and the overall process is quite satisfying for the palm/plant lover. Generally speaking, a one-time "application" of lead will provide the desired results (maybe with a quick follow-up application if your aim is a little off... )

After trying unsuccessfully for quite a while with live traps and then pepper powder, I also resorted to a high-power pellet rifle with a scope and there is a significant "feeling of achievement" when you take out one of the little #@*%!# that just did its best to destroy your prized palms! However, I have been quite amazed at the literal "endless supply" of squirrels -- my "elimination program" has been in affect for well over a year now and I still average 10 to 15 per month (last August's total of 24 is the current top month) -- this month is 18 and counting (as of this morning... )

Tim

[amazon exotics]

Trap all the squirrels and let them go in the Everglades for Python food!

[Palmə häl′ik]

Get the big ones. Their the mommas.

I caught a pair knockin' boots on a neighbors oak the other day. LOCK AND LOAD!

That's like my worst nightmare! MORE SQUIRRELS!

I would have to say, when I walk out back... 9 out of 10 times, I'm packin'.

[Moose]

  ThunderSRQ said:

I was having a lot of trouble with squirrels wreaking havoc with my palms and plants so I did quite a bit of research into this issue and my findings were quite interesting. It turns out that, almost without exception, squirrels that are targeting newly planted and potted palms all suffer from a specific deficiency (which can be corrected).

So, the simple solution is to introduce the needed component and the problem is, at the very least, greatly reduced, and the overall process is quite satisfying for the palm/plant lover. Generally speaking, a one-time "application" of lead will provide the desired results (maybe with a quick follow-up application if your aim is a little off... )

After trying unsuccessfully for quite a while with live traps and then pepper powder, I also resorted to a high-power pellet rifle with a scope and there is a significant "feeling of achievement" when you take out one of the little #@*%!# that just did its best to destroy your prized palms! However, I have been quite amazed at the literal "endless supply" of squirrels -- my "elimination program" has been in affect for well over a year now and I still average 10 to 15 per month (last August's total of 24 is the current top month) -- this month is 18 and counting (as of this morning... )

Tim

Tim - that is quite a harvesting. What do you marinate them with ?

Ron.

[Palehorse]

The problem with feeding the squirrels to keep them full is their population will increase in proportion to the food supply. I love watching them chase each other and I like having a few around but they can get overpopulated very fast. Around our place, rat traps baited with peanuts work very well.

[Kris]

  amazon exotics said:

Trap all the squirrels and let them go in the Everglades for Python food!

Well Said

Even our friend MattyB will feel comfortable with this suggestion..

Love,

Kris

[ThunderSRQ]

  moose knuckle said:

  ThunderSRQ said:

However, I have been quite amazed at the literal "endless supply" of squirrels -- my "elimination program" has been in affect for well over a year now and I still average 10 to 15 per month (last August's total of 24 is the current top month) -- this month is 18 and counting (as of this morning... )

Tim

Tim - that is quite a harvesting. What do you marinate them with ?

Ron.

Actually, I was very actively feeding them to a bobcat that was hanging out behind my house (I'm thinking he was around so much due to the free food supply) but I haven't seen him for several months now (although all the squirrels still "magically dissappear" from the spot at the edge of the woods where I leave them!)

I have a pair of red-shouldered hawks that built a nest in my backyard this year (and raised two "young-uns") but, for some odd reason, they just can't "figure out" the free food supply thing and haven't taken any of the squirrels I've offered them, even though I've tried many times with very "fresh" offerings (very unlike the barred owls I have in my yard -- it was very easy to "train" them to take food -- although, unfortunately for them, they're not around during the daytime "hunting season"...)

[Jeff in St Pete]

I spotted this guy up in a Mango tree having a snack yesterday. This is the only species of squirrel I've seen in this area. For some reason we don't have many of them around here. I only see one every once in a while, but a friend that lives outside of town has been overrun with these critters. He said he has never gotten one fresh green coconut off their trees. The squirrels chew them up when the coconuts are still small so they never make it to maturity. He hates them and calls them a nuisance, but he won't harm them.

[Tejastropicals]

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I found black plastic coated wire that I can attach to the perimeter of my greenhouse and shade houses. The coating will help prevent abrasions on the roll up curtains. Its not cheap but neither are palm seedlings.

David