I can't put into words how much I hate squirrels!

[Desert O'Piñon]

Summer 2022, I bought an exhibition-ready Chinese quince from Bjorn for $2500.

!
As a noob, I can't imagine spending that kind of green on a tree. (Also, I'm incredibly cheap!)
That said, my experience and knowledge is not yet worthy of any tree that valuable anyway. But I think we can all relate to losing a large investment. Sorry you lost it.

 

[Dabbler]

I planted garlic cloves all over and get bulk garlic powder and toss it all around - seems to work pretty good as I always have 2 or 3 of them in the back yard at any time.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I have a large pot of peppermint growing, and I toss sprigs around wherever I see pests, be they mammalian or insect. It seems to help. Also, I scatter coffee grounds around my flower bed, and between those two, I haven't seen a mouse in years. And bonus: the dumb feline that used to bury landmines hasn't been seen in quite a while, either. I'm not averse to the use of pellet guns, but I figure if I can keep them away in the first place, there won't be a need.

 

[BrianBay9]

My biggest problem is squirrels chewing through irrigation lines. Chewing a tree might or might not be lethal. Chewing a main water line could kill a whole bench of trees if I don't catch it in time. I'm trying pepper spay on my irrigation stuff. Don't know if that will be effective, or if they like spicy food.

 

[Cajunrider]

In my war against rats I managed to get quite a few squirrels this year in the snap traps. At first I was mortified, but then I realized that it did in fact solve my problem… so

In the past I have used a squirt gun. That’s fun!

Using a squirt gun filled with diluted ammonia is terrifying to squirrels I imagine. No permanent damage but the smell of ammonia drives them crazy.
PS: I used to carry a squirt gun filled with diluted ammonia on my bicycle to stop dogs from chasing me. I used it on a wayward squirrel once. Poor thing acted like a berserker for a few minutes but then was OK.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

I'm trying pepper spay on my irrigation stuff. Don't know if that will be effective, or if they like spicy food.

Around here, squirrels like spicy food. They are good in dishes like asado, squirrel carnitas, (Hatch) green chili squirrel...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Get yourself a fox den. No squirrel problem.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Fukien squirrels!

 

[Likebull1]

I feel for you @Likebull1. Summer 2022, I bought an exhibition-ready Chinese quince from Bjorn for $2500. That winter, I had mulched it into a big storage bin full of mulch and other trees because I lived in an apartment with a balcony. Early December, I started noticing a couple of nibbles on a handful of trees and piles of twigs and leaves. I cleared them whenever I found them, but they kept coming back to my balcony

Two days before leaving to visit my in-laws for Christmas, a squirrel came and chewed every branch back to stubs, but only on the quince. I started to pull up the new squirrel nest and found a couple of wriggling little babies in the bottom of it. Two days after Christmas, a major cold snap hit and the tree never woke up in the spring.

The best/worst part was that my in-laws, completely unaware of everything, gave me a gag-gift of socks with the squirrel from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

No this is not even close to being the same haha I would say my little maple stump doesn't compare to you quince. Even though it was a pretty cute maple stump!

 

[Barbells and bonsai]

Outdoor cat. I’ve never seen critters on my trees besides birds once getting Jamal.

 

[Likebull1]

Outdoor cat. I’ve never seen critters on my trees besides birds once getting Jamal.

That's the funny part. I feed three outdoor cats in my garage. Maybe I'm feeding them too much. Need them to develop a taste for squirrels

 

[Barbells and bonsai]

That's the funny part. I feed three outdoor cats in my garage. Maybe I'm feeding them too much. Need them to develop a taste for squirrels

Maybe change the feeding area to around the trees. Mine hangs near where I feed him mostly

 

[Likebull1]

Maybe change the feeding area to around the trees. Mine hangs near where I feed him mostly

That's I good idea. I have my money on the big orange one

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I never had trouble until this year and the squirrels have started taking bites out of my ficus trees. Next year I will probably build a large cage or just get a greenhouse. I like my plants to get rained on so not sure what my plan is yet.
I want the wildlife and I want the trees.

 

[Likebull1]

I never had trouble until this year and the squirrels have started taking bites out of my ficus trees. Next year I will probably build a large cage or just get a greenhouse. I like my plants to get rained on so not sure what my plan is yet.
I want the wildlife and I want the trees.

I've seen people cover the soil with chicken wire and I might consider that but I'm also having a problem with them chewing the trees. Maybe a chicken wire cage.
But this is also my first year ever that they're going after my trees. It's also the most I've ever seen and they're really wild haha

I saw one in the window yesterday hanging by its feet upside down chewing on maple helicopters. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cute.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Peppermint spray on pots and benches(amazon) or a dog if possible.

Our cat gets multiple rodents per day but won't go near squirrels, they are feisty around here because we have idiot neighbors that think its OK to feed wildlife.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I never had trouble until this year and the squirrels have started taking bites out of my ficus trees. Next year I will probably build a large cage or just get a greenhouse. I like my plants to get rained on so not sure what my plan is yet.
I want the wildlife and I want the trees.

Huh, wonder if it gives them a tummy ache since ficus are harmful/toxic to house pets.

 

[leatherback]

That's I good idea. I have my money on the big orange one
View attachment 561763

Thats one fat cat. You sure it does not have a home and... ?

 

[Cmd5235]

I feel your pain. I had a huge issue with mice since my immediate neighbor made a pile of compost material and sticks along the fence separating our yards (and directly behind my benches). I started using covered snap traps to get them and not catch birds. I must have killed over 40, and that has slowed the damage to my trees but not stopped it. Then came the squirrels.

The red squirrels started chewing the bases of all of my trees on benches and stripping all of the foliage. The grey squirrels learned to flip over the snap trap, snapping it, and then letting them get the bait. Nothing was working on them. I ended up moving to tomcat jawed snap traps, and I put them inside a tomcat covered bait station. I use a high fruit content bird seed, and the squirrels love it. The trap container is too big to flip over and activate and is fully covered, so they have to go in and get the food, hence the success. I’ve been able to manage a dozen or so squirrels, mostly fox squirrels, but with a few gray squirrels as well.

Let me say this however- I take absolutely no joy in killing an animal that is looking for food. It’s the worst part of my day. I’m actively searching for another home that will have the property to build an enclosed structure with screening over the top to avoid all of this.

 

[Likebull1]

Thats one fat cat. You sure it does not have a home and... ?

View attachment 561795

I posted a picture of it on nextdoor and FB and no one claimed it. But you should see this thing eat. I've never seen a cat take such large mouthfuls of food. It's quite impressive!