View Single Post
  #11   Report Post  
Old 28-08-2004, 04:26 AM
Mike Walker
 
Posts: n/a
Default

FXDWG wrote:

I've been waiting all season for red tomatoes.
Now that I finally have them, the Squirrels are eating them while
they're still on the plants.

Some clown posted about some fake ultrasonic device that doesn't
really work in another ng.

Does anyone have any real advice about how to stop the squirrels??

thanks!



_____________________________
'00 FXDWG
"A couple of the sounds that I really like are the sounds of a
switchblade and a motorbike".


I don't know how long this is going to work, but I got a water
powered motion detector from Lee Valley Tools.

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page... &ccurrency=1


It's expensive ($85 C$N) and consists of a high speed sprinkler head
linked to a battery powered motion sensor, with limited adjustment for
sensitivity and range. I got it because my neighbors were housing a
very hungry family of 5 raccoons who made a regular trip through my
garden every night. Seemed to work for them and caused them to find a
new route, but they died/disappeared a few days ago. (Hurray!)

Thus far there is very little squirrel damage to our tomatoes, but
they are pretty smart characters, and I don't know how long this will
keep them out. When they trigger it, the noise and spray makes them
run off - at least for a moment. However I saw one creep in along the
top of the fence, then slip down among the foliage of the tomatoes
without detection. I think he triggered it on his way out, and he ran.
A few minutes later I saw him (or another?) sitting and looking at the
garden & sprinkler as if trying to 'sus out' my device. Of course, it
may be that with such ample produce available in neighboring yards
they will simply not bother with mine. But I suspect these little
devils are as perverse as I am, and will be working at decoding the
system. The battle continues - maybe I can put Tabasco in the
spray.....

Whatever, I never saw a gadget I didn't want to fiddle with, and this
one is fun. Only problem is when I forget it's on - it's easy to walk
in a circle around it to get to the back of the yard, but I always
seem to be preoccupied on the way back and 'SPLAT!'. My wife finds it
funny as my expensive 'toy' startles me. . . . . Mike
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep
voting on what to have for dinner...... James Bovard