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seepnezorf1 20-09-2003 09:32 PM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
as I read these are their favorites.

thanks



BT 20-09-2003 10:22 PM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
I find regular old chicken wire works well against squirrels and chipmunks. But
a bit tighter mesh will work better since it also deters mice and voles. I have
found that narcissus doesn't need any protection, but crocus are known as
"chipmunk candy" around here.

You can either make an underground "basket with a lid" around your bulbs if you
plant them in small groupings, or you can just lay some chicken wire overtop the
already planted garden bed and tack it down with rocks or "wire staples" (I use
pieces of bent wire clothes hangers).

This defense has worked well for me...still have the tulips I planted five years
ago.

BT


"seepnezorf1" wrote in message
news:US1bb.527794$YN5.351802@sccrnsc01...
Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
as I read these are their favorites.

thanks





Roy 21-09-2003 02:22 AM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
I have waged war on squirrels this year, and I am still inundated by
them. I talked to the game commision, and they said it was not a
problem to shoot them as long as they were causing damage and on my
property. I have 2 types of squirrels. The common gray and ther Fox
squirrels. I don;t fool with the fox, but this year alone I have shot
over 50 of the gray squirrels and there is still a heap of em out
there yet. Fortunately I live in the country, so shooting them is not
a problem as it may be in a populated area. I had trapped some for
awhile, but it was a never ending battle setting and unloading the
traps, and having to relocate the critters. The 50 I have shot do not
include the ones I carted away after catching them in live traps.

They come right in my hen houses and rob the eggs, eat through bags of
feed, and dig up the yard burying acorns. They clipped my gardens new
growth numerous times, and have all but destroyed most of the wild
bird nests. The have destroyed all my birdhouses, by enlarging the
entry holes, so they can fit inside. They are even eating their way
into my attic, by gnawing through the screen thats used to cover the
louvers in the gables.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 19:27:48 GMT, "seepnezorf1"
wrote:

x-Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
x-keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
x-of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
x-as I read these are their favorites.
x-
x-thanks
x-


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Regards
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Opinions are strictly those of my wife....I have had no input whatsoever.
Remove nospam from email address

[email protected] 21-09-2003 05:02 PM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
blood meal... sprinkle over the area and repeat after every rain. I think it does
work, seems the digging stops for a while anyway. Ingrid

"seepnezorf1" wrote:

Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
as I read these are their favorites.

thanks




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

dmeyers 21-09-2003 09:02 PM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
I used blood meal too and it seems to work for a short time. You
might have to keep spreading some around.



wrote in message ...
blood meal... sprinkle over the area and repeat after every rain. I think it does
work, seems the digging stops for a while anyway. Ingrid

"seepnezorf1" wrote:

Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
as I read these are their favorites.

thanks




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.


dstvns 22-09-2003 02:14 AM

defense against squirrels and chipmunks
 
On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 19:27:48 GMT, "seepnezorf1"
wrote:

Aside from a cat and bb gun, is there anything I can put in my garden to
keep the chipmunks and squirrels from digging up my bulbs? I have a mixture
of Narcissus Jack Snipe and crocuses. I stayed away from tulips and lilies
as I read these are their favorites.


A domestic small-breed cat would also kill birds, even when they're
not hungry. A cat's instinct is to kill, which is why they should
always be kept indoors. Four million birds are killed every day by
people letting their cats outdoors. Native North American bobcats
might help with rodents like sq's & chp's but they've been wiped out
of most ecosystems due to being a nuisance to livestock farmers.
Snakes, especially the timber rattlesnake, used to keep populations
down, but in the early 20th century they were all trapped and killed
in this area for their skins. I have no qualms about keeping their
populations in my area low (I frequently work in the backyard moving
many rocks).

I put up a couple big birdhouses with 3-inch holes. This attracts
owls and kestrels to the area, something which squirrels & chipmunks
don't find very amusing. The squirrels will use boxes with 2-2.5 inch
diameter holes, but around here they stay away from the 3-inch ones.
Birdhouses with 2-inch diameters must have a steel-plate around the
hole or else the squirrel will widen it to their own dimensions
(usually pregnancy dimensions, meaning more squirrels). Animals seem
to know that a hole that's too big is a sign something bigger can come
in after them. In fact, I've been working on building a barred owl
nestbox, but that is a biggie (2.5 feet deep and 12"x12" base with a
7" entrance hole). I would just barely have enough wood.

To be honest, the pellet gun is what works best. Usually I get 30-40
a year, and there's always just as many to fill the void. With a
squirrel it's less effective, but a properly sighted scope is very
effective with chipmunks.

Dan



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