Author Topic: Squirrel battle  (Read 5134 times)

TropicalFruitHunters

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Squirrel battle
« on: June 11, 2016, 07:44:34 AM »
The last several years of harsh winters and shitty springs and yielded me very little in the way of outdoor fruit.  What little the trees did manage to push, most were ruined by squirrels.  I'd spy the little bastards bounding across the backyard with an unripened fruit hanging from its mouth.  This year, fruit is abundant on all the trees and I vowed that the little assholes were not going to ruin it.

After shooting one with a pellet gun, I realized that I would not win my war in this fashion.  I could not be outdoors 24/7.  After a little internet searching, I decided upon plain old rat traps.  Now some people went balls out with their traps...increasing spring tension, nails sticking up to give a double wammy punch, and some even camouflaged them.  Me?  Nope.  I just zip tied the traps to a limb low enough to catch their attention but not low enough to interest the dogs.  Baited them with some peanut butter and 1/2 a peanut, set and forget.  Put one each in a pear, plum, nectarine, apple, and two peach.

It's been about 1 week with no activity...until this morning.  Got the first greedy, sneaky, little bastard obviously on his way to check out his future ill-gotten gains in the apple tree.  Not this time Rocky!  Looked like a pretty clean and quick kill...which is good.  Bottom-line?  I'm encouraged with this low-cost solution so far.  Now I have to go dispose of the body before my Buddhist-sensitive wife sees it hanging from the trap. 

Jack, Nipomo

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2016, 08:55:10 AM »
I use common rat traps in my macadamia trees for tree rats.  They are on a 8 ft stick with a hanger to hang from a limb. I had to put a screen around the trap because I caught several birds that were checking out the bait.  Screened trap has a rat sized hole so they can enter, but birds stay out. 

clannewton

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2016, 10:05:15 AM »
I, like you, was determined not lose my mangos this year to the squirrels.  last year I went with the pellet gun with mixed success(you can't be out there every second they are). This year I got the catch and release traps from tractor supply(don't waste your money with the ones from harbour freight).  Now after 1week and 29 squirrels later I think I am squirrel free and the local park has a bigger squirrel attraction for the people who love to feed squirrels!

ricshaw

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2016, 01:29:06 PM »
I, like you, was determined not lose my mangos this year to the squirrels.  last year I went with the pellet gun with mixed success(you can't be out there every second they are). This year I got the catch and release traps from tractor supply(don't waste your money with the ones from harbour freight).  Now after 1week and 29 squirrels later I think I am squirrel free and the local park has a bigger squirrel attraction for the people who love to feed squirrels!

That is what works for me. I have a trap set now with a squirrel half eaten avocado for bait.

JeffDM

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2016, 02:20:46 PM »
Here in San Diego I am not allowed to shoot a BB gun or pellet gun anywhere in my neighborhood and the cost of professional exterminators is prohibitively high when it comes to squirrels.  One quote was almost $400 for three days of trapping with no guarantees.
I've used the Rat Zapper with good success, but a Rat Zapper baited with peanuts is no match for a squirrel going after peaches or oranges.
I like the idea of placing rat traps in the fruit trees, but I'm also afraid of birds getting caught by mistake.
It's technically illegal to live trap and relocate the squirrels, but I think I'll give it another try because I'm tired of seeing them run off with my fruit in their mouths.  Of course, because of the nighttime visitors (possum, skunk, racoon) I'll have to limit the live trapping to daylight hours when I'm home to monitor the trap.
I now know people in the neighborhood have been feeding the squirrels because I just tried to chase one out of the yard and it scampered up to me like it was looking for a meal.

joehewitt

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2016, 02:45:00 PM »
After two years of 90% stonefruit lost to squirrels, I too entered this year with a "never again" attitude. I got 4 Havahart traps and have been catching squirrels regularly since January - I'd guess around 100 kills in that time. What I've learned is that squirrels are territorial, but it only takes a few days for new squirrels to move into a vacancy. There is an infinite supply of squirrels in my neigorhood with all the abundant oak trees. I think the measure of success is how aggressive the current occupants are, and whether they have a litter of young.

This month, as my apricots and nectarines were approaching ripeness, I had just killed three squirrels and then enjoyed a nice streak of two days with no siqn of squirrels. Then I went out one morning and counted SIX little bastards in my apricot tree at once, with fruit carnage all around. As they ran up the tree it was obviously there was one adult and five little ones. I might have been better off with the two adult squirrels that were here the week before!

Don

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2016, 07:47:24 PM »
Dont know how high your trees are to first branches but if the branches were higher than squirrels could jump then a bit of plastic or tin around the trunk may prevent them climbing, if not maybe some snares sitting on top of the branches tied from above so as they run along the branch they are almost gauranteed to poke there neck through it. Could set one or multiples on every branch in the tree, heavy fishing line or light wire would make it cheap and was to knock up heaps of them and require no maintenance unless it catches one. Just a thought.

FlyingFoxFruits

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2016, 08:07:51 PM »
i should have never rescued that little orphan squirrel, now when I go to kill the bushy tailed bandits, i think of him every time!

I let them get a running start before shooting with my new Ruger pellet gun (one pump 1000-1200 fps)..I haven't killed one yet..but it's fun to shoot cans in the meantime...

if i end up killing a squirrel, I'm feeding it to my dogs for sure...(just freeze them for 2-3 weeks to kill any parasites before feeding)
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Fiddler

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2016, 01:52:29 PM »
Youtube has numerous videos featuring these homemade traps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xcTB8XY9Yc
   I pretty much have already wiped out my neighborhood squirrels, but if I go back to work full time again, I'm gonna set up a few of these "squirrel poles" to watch over my place in my absence.

TnTrobbie

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2016, 03:57:32 PM »
Havahart traps worked for a while with me but exclusion is the best method thus far- lots of work but I enjoy it. I make individual cages for each mango. And for bunches of em.....bigger cages :D. Still have my gamo igt whisper for those buggers when I see em. And a Hatsan vortex pistol for portability.
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Coconut

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2016, 11:14:07 PM »
I, like you, was determined not lose my mangos this year to the squirrels.  last year I went with the pellet gun with mixed success(you can't be out there every second they are). This year I got the catch and release traps from tractor supply(don't waste your money with the ones from harbour freight).  Now after 1week and 29 squirrels later I think I am squirrel free and the local park has a bigger squirrel attraction for the people who love to feed squirrels!

I love to feed on squirrels too, so where is this park that you free these Redneck KFC candidates???🐿🐿🐿Next time I am in Melbourne for crabbing and fly fishing for Bull Redfish in the Mosquitos Lagoon; I will mention that you send me!😇
The Biggest Fart in the Old West! 68 confirmed killed🔫💀

DeeMango

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2016, 04:38:05 PM »
We fought a never-ending battle with the "fluffy tailed fruit rats" last year. This year Mother Nature lent a hand in the form of a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks that patrol our neighborhood for squirrels. I watched them pluck several squirrels out of surrounding trees and fly away with them one afternoon. They've dropped a couple in our neighborhood. But usually a 500 ft drop cures them of any fruit scavenging (and pretty much everything else as well).
Dee (I can haz a) Mango

Samu

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2016, 09:26:31 PM »
Lucky you DeeMango!

Here's an article about making your yard an owl yard friendly, thus helping to control squirrel/other critters population:

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/attracting-owls-to-garden.htm

And here's a not too complicated way to make your own "owl box":

http://curbstonevalley.com/blog/?p=5012

Sam

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2021, 10:19:06 AM »
spammer
« Last Edit: September 05, 2023, 02:21:56 PM by JakeFruit »

Doug

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2021, 11:46:07 AM »

But, what about the electronic repellers? Anybody have success with them? I lost a lot of my fruit last year to squirrels. I was told that trapping them wouldn't help because other squiirrels just move in to take their place. I  bought some elctronic devices but haven't had to use them yet.

Guanabanus

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #15 on: April 08, 2021, 12:03:46 PM »
On another thread, someone showed an A18 rodent killer.  Looked good.
Har

fruitnut1944

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2021, 01:51:21 PM »
Squirrels, deer, coons, birds, you name it we've got them all. Add to that freezes, hail 6x per yr, wind, etc we've got all that also. Guess what 15 yrs in my greenhouse and I haven't seen a varmint or hail damaged fruit yet. Hasn't been below 34F. Buying a greenhouse was the best money I ever spent..!! And it's given me the best fruit I've ever eaten.

My next project will be a greenhouse within the greenhouse to dial in the best conditions for mango. The current setup allows 900 chill hrs in 45 days and the a 320 day warm sunny growing season. That will produce mango but I'd like to bypass the chilling and warm the nights October thru April. Summers are already perfect for mango.

« Last Edit: April 08, 2021, 02:03:29 PM by fruitnut1944 »

Samu

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #17 on: September 16, 2022, 12:32:01 AM »
Yes, it's an old thread, but the squirrels battle is continuing...isn't it?
Here's one method I am redeploying, using my old "KARO rodent trap" last week, seeing that my cherimoya
fruits are getting bigger. I am debating if I should show the photo of the trap and the dead squirrel, it's a clean kill,
since the spring is very strong and kill bar hit right at the neck (it looks gruesome; maybe unsuitable for some?).

Haven't got another kill yet, and my fruits are still intact - so far! I guess there aren't too many squirrels around
my house lately-lucky!

For those having lots of squirrels in their yard, a better solution would probably be getting "Squirrelator", this will trap them
(many) alive, so you will have to dispose them somehow...good luck guys!
(By the way, those 2 traps were already discussed somewhere in this forum but I don't see it here on this thread).


Sam

Epicatt2

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #18 on: September 16, 2022, 03:09:30 AM »
On another thread, someone showed an A18 rodent killer.  Looked good.

This appears to offer an effective quick kill. Unfortunately the Goodnature Pest Control Trap
model A18, specifically for squirrels, is illegal to sell to us in the US. Hopefully that may change
soon.  Maybe there's a TFF member who lives in the UK somewhere who would send one to
us stateside if we were to send them the money for the item and shipping. Alas, it's not cheap!

I empathize with those members reporting damages and losses to their fruit crops.  I've lost
to squirrels every 'Mexicola Grande' avocado fruit on my tree for the last two seasons. They
got all my mangoes, too!  I have no sympathy whatsoever for these fluffy rats!  Grrrrr!

Paul M.
==

JulianoGS

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #19 on: September 16, 2022, 11:21:00 AM »
A18 trap it is sold in the US.

Ebay has them for sale $90.
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K-Rimes

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #20 on: September 16, 2022, 02:20:05 PM »
I got a particularly bad one with my compound bow this year. Instant kill, silent, neighbors didn't even know. Just have to worry about what's behind the shot for safety. I'll use it again if there's another one that's causing issues.

Luckily we have so many oaks that they don't bother my crops too much. I struggle way more with birds.

W.

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #21 on: September 16, 2022, 05:21:52 PM »
Here in San Diego I am not allowed to shoot a BB gun or pellet gun anywhere in my neighborhood and the cost of professional exterminators is prohibitively high when it comes to squirrels.  One quote was almost $400 for three days of trapping with no guarantees.
I've used the Rat Zapper with good success, but a Rat Zapper baited with peanuts is no match for a squirrel going after peaches or oranges.
I like the idea of placing rat traps in the fruit trees, but I'm also afraid of birds getting caught by mistake.
It's technically illegal to live trap and relocate the squirrels, but I think I'll give it another try because I'm tired of seeing them run off with my fruit in their mouths.  Of course, because of the nighttime visitors (possum, skunk, racoon) I'll have to limit the live trapping to daylight hours when I'm home to monitor the trap.
I now know people in the neighborhood have been feeding the squirrels because I just tried to chase one out of the yard and it scampered up to me like it was looking for a meal.

I am beginning to think everything is illegal in California except what should be illegal.

Whereas, in Alabama, I shoot squirrels and chipmunks on a regular basis, with no issues, and have been doing so for the past two years, averaging a squirrel per week during that time, less than that for chipmunks. They seem to come in waves, though. I will kill a dozen squirrels and eight chipmunks in a week or two and not see any for a couple of months. Then, my yard will instantly be filled with those pests in numbers just like I hadn't done anything, all of them digging and chewing and being as destructive as possible. So, I repeat the process.

My pellet gun does not make enough noise to bother my neighbors, though I make sure not to shoot anything in my front yard or in any direction towards the neighbors. I leave the carcasses out in my backyard for my resident box turtles to eat, an entertaining (if gruesome) spectacle.

I trap raccoons. They are too big to kill with a pellet gun (though with a very well-placed shot it can be done), and I am not going to shoot an actual gun in my neighborhood; even in Alabama that is frowned upon, as it should be. Luckily, there are plenty of wooded areas near me with property owners who are more than happy to have their property stocked with game animals. One of those, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," type of situations.

The irony is, I would leave the squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons completely alone if they were not so destructive. It is one thing for them to take a little bit of fruit or some bird seed. But, they destroy plants, pots, bird feeders, garden hoses, and anything else they can sink their teeth or dig their claws into. There are all sorts of animals that I let have free reign over my yard, such as deer, groundhogs, voles, and many bird species. None of them seem to do any appreciable damage, probably because there are enough woods in and around my yard to provide them with everything they want or need. And if they take a little bit of fruit, that is fine since they never destroy the crop or the plants producing the crop. That is the difference between wildlife and vermin, and why I treat them differently.

spaugh

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #22 on: September 16, 2022, 05:44:15 PM »
I just shoot them with a shotgun.  The neighbors dont care. 
Brad Spaugh

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #23 on: September 16, 2022, 06:10:10 PM »
If it weren't for the fact that I live in a suburban neighborhood, I would just shoot them with my .22. Since I can't do that, I use bucket traps. Just fill it with 5 inches of water, and float a plastic/paper plate with seed on top. When I catch one, I stack another bucket inside to force them to swim in the water, and they usually drown in 5 minutes.

W.

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Re: Squirrel battle
« Reply #24 on: September 16, 2022, 08:15:53 PM »
If it weren't for the fact that I live in a suburban neighborhood, I would just shoot them with my .22. Since I can't do that, I use bucket traps. Just fill it with 5 inches of water, and float a plastic/paper plate with seed on top. When I catch one, I stack another bucket inside to force them to swim in the water, and they usually drown in 5 minutes.

I prefer shooting them. While they may cause my plants to suffer, I have no interest in causing them to suffer. Drowning is not a particularly good way to go; whatever is being drowned definitely suffers. One pellet shot to right spot and they are dead before they even know what hit them. A .22 is a little too loud for a neighborhood, particularly depending on the neighbors. Such situations make a pellet gun a good thing to have around.