In article ,
(Patskywriter) wrote:

actually, if your squirrels are like our squirrels, what they're doing is
taking a bite or two out of the tomatoes and sucking out the water because
they're thirsty. they don't really like the tomatoes. what we used to do is
set
out peanuts and bowls of water for the little critters and they left our
crops
alone. try that and let us know what happens!

pat


[Followup]

Pardon me for the delay, but I wanted to give it enough time to be sure
if it worked ...

I started out by sprinkling chili powder and ground red pepper on the
ground around the plants. Then I treated the leaves and fruits with
Hot Pepper Wax http://www.hotpepperwax.com/default.htm.

The product is 0.00001125% capsaicin. I believe that it is primarily
used for insect control, but according to their web site, it is also a
"registered animal repellent effective against rabbits and tree
squirrels." It is around 10.00 for a 22oz. spray bottle at the local
nursery.

This seems to be working great, as I have had only one small bite mark
out of 15-25 tomatoes since late August. It also seems to be
controlling insect pests (but I do wonder if it is deterring pollinating
insects, as well).

Anyway, I just wanted to drop back by and say that I think I've found a
relatively benign way to keep the squirrels away from my tomatoes.
Thanks again for all of the great tips!

--
Mark
Raleigh, NC USA