Desperate to Keep Squirrels out of my garden

Primrose

I grow vegetables in our garden and also encourage the squirrels and birds by hanging wire peanut cages from several of the fences. Actually as a result I suffer very little squirrel damage because now when the squirrels visit they make a bee-line for the nut cages as a priority and leave everything else alone. They do occasionally try to bury peanuts in the lawn but largely leave the vegetable patch untouched. We also have a bird table and a wire-mesh tray for bird seed for the ground feeders which we put on the lawn near the bird table. As a result we have one ferral pigeon which visits several times a day to feed, and numerous wood pigeons. As a result of them knowing where a regular food source is they never even bother to venture into my vegetable patch and simply just migrate direct to the feeding area. Generally birds and other wild creatures will only go foraging when food is not easily available. When you lay it out on the table they don't bother to go ferretting into the food cupboards. Try feeding them. You may well find you suffer far less damage in the end.

rhiwfield

At least someone has found a use for them

Pate

huggermugger

We are surrounded by woodland - and squirrels. Had a problem a few years ago with them, mostly caused imo by a couple of my neighbours feeding them (we live in a terrace). Both have since stopped because they were destroying their gardens, eating all the bird food, destroying/stealing the feeders and getting more & more bold. I objected strongly when I found one on my windowsill. A lot of houses round here have had them in the roof space and they have done enormous amounts of danmage. I did talk to my neighbours and explain why I wasn't happy and they stopped - I think they were getting pretty fed up with the side effects anyway! Since then one has completely turned against them when she discovered it eating the baby blue tits that were nesting in her garden. There's nothing cute about their habits. For the record they have decimated the red squirrel population and are very destructive of trees (they chew the bark & kill them). They are not native, having been brought in from America. Imho they do not have a place, they upset a natural balance that existed before they arrived. They are officially classed as vermin which is why it is an offence to release them anywhere (even if you've caught them first).

My dog is encouraged to go on "squirrel patrol" fairly regularly and that is very effective as they are definitely scared of him. I only have to say it now and he rushes into the garden to check there are none on the fence or in surrounding trees. My son is encouraged to use a catapult and a water pistol. Nobody has caught one yet which is probably a good thing as they have very sharp teeth and powerful jaws. I once watched an RSPCA inspector try to rescue an injured one (you may have gathered I didn't make the call ) and it bit him badly, even through a fairly hefty pair of gloves. He won't do that again... :rotfl:

Anyway imho zero tolerance and a terrier is the key. I do not recommend an air rifle if you have neighbours!