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Texas Bob · 21-10-2008, 01:39 AM posted to alt.home.repair,rec.gardens.edible

wrote:
I grow pumpkins every year, lately kabocha (Japanese pumpkins), also
known as tetsukabuta. They over-winter well, are delicious, similar to
acorn squash, I think.

I had a bumper crop this year due to ample composting at plant time. The
vines extend well beyond the ~10 x 6 foot patch of earth and onto a
large concrete patio and up trellises I built with bamboo.

I've never had a problem with animals messing with my pumpkins but
suddenly have a big problem. My crop this year was about 70, and a few
days ago there were about 20 (mostly of the largest, up to 3+ lb.) still
on the dieing vines (I've generally tried to leave them on the vines
until the vines are clearly unable to supply further nutrients/fluids to
the pumpkins). Around a 6 weeks ago I noticed that one of the larger
pumpkins on the concrete had a vertical split. I decided I'd cook it
sooner than later, because the split suggested it would be among the
first to rot otherwise. However, an animal got to it first. A big hole
was carved out of it one day, maybe 1/3 of it was eaten. I speculated
that it was a possum, which are not commonly seen here, but I have seen
them. There are raccoons around here, too, but no more common than
possums. Several days later I spotted a fairly large possum in the yard
during the day, and it darted off. Not having seen a possum in my yard
for some years, I figured that this confirmed my suspicion that a possum
(this possum) had fed on my pumpkin.

Nothing further happened and I concluded that whatever attacked that
cracked pumpkin wasn't inclined to feed on undamaged pumpkins and I
wasn't too concerned. Two days ago, two smaller pumpkins on the ground
in the planting patch were attacked and half eaten. I left the house for
a few hours during the day and returning in late afternoon I was
dismayed to find that two of the largest pumpkins had been attacked and
almost half eaten! Two other smaller pumpkins were also half eaten. A
couple of other pumpkins had very minor damage indicating that some
creature had tried to penetrate the exterior. I quickly clipped off
every remaining pumpkin that was not suspended in the air, leaving only
4. I assumed that it was a possum or maybe a possum family doing this.

However, yesterday I went outside and found 3 squirrels feeding on the
remains of what I had left there of the attacked pumpkins. This made me
think: Was it squirrels or were they just scavenging on what was left by
another animal? One of the squirrels repeatedly looked longingly at one
of the suspended pumpkins but didn't try to climb the trellis system,
which is pretty flimsy, evidently too flimsy for it to attempt to climb.
This makes me further suspect that the squirrels may have been the
original attackers. There are a LOT of squirrels around here (Berkeley,
CA). I wonder if squirrels could have eaten THAT much of the pumpkins,
though. Two pounds or more of pumpkin were evidently consumed.

My concern is for next year. I don't know if these animals are smart
enough to "remember" and come back for next year's harvest. Suggestions?
TIA!!

Dan
I never would have thought possum would be in California, but, I did
know Berkley was full of squirrels.

Texas Bob