Living in the woods creates all kind of problems with the critters living in the trees and the ground. Each year we always have a problem with some new critter. You can always count on the deer eating from the garden or the flowers. These animals have caused havoc over the years; raccoons, groundhogs, rabbits, skunks, dogs not to mention all those insects. This year a new battle is brewing, it's me against the squirrels.All our local woods squirrels must be having many visitors; their population has increased since the peach trees are loaded with fruit. The fruit is not ripe yet but they are removing peaches and eating only bites off them and I'm finding them all over the area. Years ago I lowered the squirrel population during hunting season. How to discourage those critters from getting the peaches? Well the scarce crow idea didn't work, I saw one squirrel climbing on Mr. scarecrow. When I get my shotgun out they know it and I don't see any of them. I know they are laughing at me.
New idea????
How about some music near the peach trees. I think that might work!!My plan was to place a radio near the peaches and have it playing music day and night. To far away from the house to plug it into an outlet. Only a small battery radio that doesn't pick up signals very good. That's out ! I do have several old car and truck radio's that were replaced over the years with more modern ones. I also have a couple of 12 volt car batteries and a battery charger. Do you see where this is going??? A five gallon plastic bucket will house the radio inside out of any rain showers and a speaker is mounted to the side of the bucket and a car antenna will be mounted in the bucket top and two wires run out the side to connect to the car battery which is located near the bucket. My wife said that all seems like a lot of work and I bet it want stop them. Oh, of so little faith.
My radio project takes a few hours to complete and finally I place it near the peach trees and tune in a strong station. To my amazement the strongest station is one that plays gospel music. I don't think the squirrels are Christian Squirrels or they wouldn't be stealing my peaches. Music fills the air and it's time to find a place to observe the squirrels and their reactions to the music.
After watching from the den windows later that day near night fall; the squirrels venture out of the woods and approach the peach trees and come to a stop and retreat back into the woods. LOL!! They will not go all the way out to get my peaches. Looks like for the time beginning my plan is working. I'll keep you posted.
Hahahaha! What a battle you've had on your hands!
ReplyDeleteWe tried to grow tomatoes last year, but those squirrels kept taking the tomatoes just as they had grown nice and big and started to turn and would eat just a few mouthfuls out of them. My hubby is too ill to go into battle so we've given up on growing anything. But more kuddos to you, Nick!
I battled squirrels forever here and have never won a fight yet. Good luck to ya. Maybe you should camp out under those trees with your shotgun till the peaches get ripe enough to pick.
ReplyDeleteHere squirrels like to eat the bird food in the winter. But I don't see too many of them and if we do we want to feed them because we think of the cold winters they have to also endure. Moose come into our yards and strip our trees.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your battle. SMILE!
I think them Swedish squirrels are different... I've never heard of any squirrels being any problems in gardens. Our squirrels prefer cones, nuts or bird food!
ReplyDeleteLOL at the gospel music. I bet opera would really keep them away forever! *giggles*
I am both laughing and admiring your ingenuity. A poet said something like "wherever there is something good it will attract pests." I know that so many people have done successful experiments to make crops grow playing Mozart and of course, played in the milking shed the cows milk better.
ReplyDeleteTwo methods we used in hilltop rural areas is a 3 foot high collar of corrugated iron around each tree so rats and opposums can't climb the tree. To keep pests, like rabbits and opposums out of orchards and vegetable gardens then a solar electric fence unit connected to two rows of double ribbon wire .One pair just above ground level and the other about 14"+ and they are run about 9" apart. Unfortunately we are not allowed to use electric fencing in suburban areas though. I used to also plant nasturtium as a ground cover around new fruit trees because the smell repelled the opposums.
Whoever thinks they can outsmart Harry Houdinni is either a genius, a fool or someone related to a squirrel. :>)
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