Squirrel murder?

[Bramble_killer]

I've had squirrels scrabbling around my pots and they've been disturbing pots where I've started some early spinach, some beetroot, and they've chomped some of the tulips they've I've planted late.

They've also been messing with the new blueberries. Before I go out and snap some necks, can anyone tell me how to get tell the squirrels politely not to dig things up that are planted?

[Rhona]

I feel your pain... our old house was opposite a Botanical Garden with a famously large squirrel population. When they renovated the gardens, we had a load of displaced squirrels digging up everything. It used to make my heart sink to go out and see the soil kicked all over again, and my little seedings ruined!

We tried most things unsuccessfully but in the end, humanely trapped a few, released them into the woods nearby (I KNOW you're not supposed to, but that's where they had just arrived from!) and it helped a fair bit.

Good luck.

[SarzWix]

Try feeding them? If that's what they're looking for, giving them some nearly accessible peanuts might keep them busy and away from your pots?

[tamsin]

Got any empty hanging baskets? Turn them upside down over the pots and cable tie on - will keep them out

[Rhona]

Try feeding them? If that's what they're looking for, giving them some nearly accessible peanuts might keep them busy and away from your pots?

It's a good idea Sarz, but in our garden, they ate some, then took the rest of the nuts/food etc. and used our pots and soil to bury it all in! I was forever finding little squirrel larders where our seedlings used to be.

As your plants get bigger and stronger, the damage won't be be so bad. We found that once things got bigger and greener, it put them off a bit.

They used to drive me mad!

[OllieMartin]

I'm sure some on the Vine won't approve, but my mum is a crack shot with the air rifle and has dispatched countless grey squirrels. They keep coming so there's no worries about killing off the local population.

[Snadger]

I'm sure some on the Vine won't approve, but my mum is a crack shot with the air rifle and has dispatched countless grey squirrels. They keep coming so there's no worries about killing off the local population.

Supposedly make good eating as well Ollie!

[Madasafish]

I trap them and drown them.After I drowned five in 2 weeks, the squirrel problem went away.

Now: how to catch the mink...

[Rocketron]

I trap them and drown them.After I drowned five in 2 weeks, the squirrel problem went away.

Now: how to catch the mink...

Don't hold back, madasafish, tell 'em how it should be done.

[sewer rat]

Before I go out and snap some necks, can anyone tell me how to get tell the squirrels politely not to dig things up that are planted?

No point in being polite - they don't understand the concept Just trap 'em or shoot 'em. They are officially classed as vermin, so no problems there, though some folk will no doubt take exception

[Rhona]

Blimey! I thought we were being tough just trapping them!

[jackyspratty]

Im reading a book called "Using the plot,tales of an allotment chef" by Paul Merrot. In it he says another plot member suggest half filling a dustbein with water, floating polystyene on top, and putting peanuts on top of that. The squirrel leaps on the polystyrene to get the nuts and drowns.
I have also seen a tip on a dvd that says if you grate soap on the top of pots the squirrels sray off them?
Depends how you feel!

We are plagued by squirrels as our house is at the end of woods. But my kidstend to scare them away!

[Bramble_killer]

Right, traps then. As it appears I can't carry them, I have to buy traps that kill them?

[Madasafish]

You need to buy..
The Big Cheese - STV076 Squirrel Cage Trap: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors


If you want to drive squirrels away from your traps, kill them in one.. a rat trap will do fine..

[Bramble_killer]

Thanks, what do you bait them with?

That doesn't look like it would kill the squirrel, how would you dispatch it?