I have a situation I hope you can help with. My little boy's daycare
class planted a bunch of different kinds of sunflowers a month or so
ago. I dug out and added compost to a section of their playground and
they've been doing just great. In addition, I took on a project with
the class to plant 2 raised beds out behind the fence of the playground.

The problem is that there are squirrels or something that have been
shredding the sunflowers! There are only a few left standing now. Some
leaves are being eaten, not by squirrels, I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground, etc.

While I'm at it, the raised beds are lined with 1/2" aviary wire, but
obviously have some gaps or holes, because we started finding holes
around the bed corners, and our freshly planted seedlings and newly
sprouted beans gone. I've been building wire cages and baskets to both
sink down in the ground, as well as cover the tops.

Problem is, that'll work okay while things are still small, but what on
earth are we going to do when things get big and bushy? The tomatoes
are fine, but there are no tomatoes on them yet. The cucumbers we were
going to trellis. Same for the pole beans, gourds, and mini jack
pumpkins. They haven't bothered the radishes.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions of things I can do to save what's
left of the sunflowers, and how I can protect the cukes, tomatoes,
pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, beans, etc., etc.

Many thanks,
Karen
zone 8, northern California

I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground,

2 years ago I lost many sunflowers when the squirrels would climb to the top
for the seeds. Their weight would cause it to bend and snap. I got a trap and 2
years later a significantly reduced squirrel population

in article , KK from NJ at
wrote on 6/19/03 3:27 AM:

I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground,

2 years ago I lost many sunflowers when the squirrels would climb to the top
for the seeds. Their weight would cause it to bend and snap. I got a trap and
2
years later a significantly reduced squirrel population
I sure would appreciate more information. What traps? How do you dispose of
the bodies? Send them to PETA? :=) What are the legalities? etc.

Bill

On 19 Jun 2003 10:27:26 GMT, (KK from NJ)
wrote:

I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground,

2 years ago I lost many sunflowers when the squirrels would climb to the top
for the seeds. Their weight would cause it to bend and snap. I got a trap and 2
years later a significantly reduced squirrel population

I tried using hav-a-heart traps, but the squirrels even figured out
how to escape *those*. The squirrel would bang against one door,
which would cause the other door to raise just a tiny bit. The shock
also caused the bar holding the door to raise up, this allowing the
squirrel to get out of the trap. I watched at least 3 squirrels
escape using this method. I needed to resort to other control
measures to remove them.

Last winter had over 20 crawling over the bird feeders (not a single
bird)...they scurried like roaches when I came out...some wouldnt even
move when I was just 5 ft away. I have no doubt that once they
realize those tasty seeds come from that big yellow plant, they would
be all over it.

Dan

On 6/19/2003 8:51 AM, Repeating Decimal wrote:
in article , KK from NJ at
wrote on 6/19/03 3:27 AM:


I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground,

2 years ago I lost many sunflowers when the squirrels would climb to the top
for the seeds. Their weight would cause it to bend and snap. I got a trap and
2
years later a significantly reduced squirrel population

I sure would appreciate more information. What traps? How do you dispose of
the bodies? Send them to PETA? :=) What are the legalities? etc.

Bill


Now is the time for the little critter to contribute to what it had taken from
your garden so if you don't like how it tastes just dig a hole next to your
garden bed and deposit your new "fertilizer" there.

FC

(KK from NJ) wrote in message ...
I presume, but we're finding
stalks shredding, broken off, lying on the ground,

2 years ago I lost many sunflowers when the squirrels would climb to the top
for the seeds. Their weight would cause it to bend and snap. I got a trap and 2
years later a significantly reduced squirrel population


A few years back a neighbor of mine had problems with chipmunks eating
his flowers. I have house cats, and he asked me for some used kitty
litter. He placed the used litter in small piles around his flowers
and suddenly, the chipmunks weren't nearly so interested in his
flowers anymore. After a while the neighbor figured out that for this
to continue to be effective he had to renew the used kitty litter
periodically.

Good luck with saving what's left of the youngsters' garden.

LeAnn

Share the view from Rural Route 2. . .
http://ruralroute2.com

Used to grow a few sun flowers a couple of years back, have given up now. What ever you do those little buggers will always manage to destroy them.

They will jump on the whole flower and cause it to break in half, the seeds are not even ready yet and the buggers will still jump them.

I sure would appreciate more information. What traps? How do you dispose of
the bodies? Send them to PETA? :=) What are the legalities? etc.

I had a hard time finding out the OFFICIAL line on what to do with the
squirrels. Drowning is the preferred/accepted method, however the Fish+Game
commision said I could relocate up to 10 miles to state land or private land
with permission. I have a Hav-a-heart and caught over 60 the 1st year. Works
Great! The population is way down this year, very few. Mostly youngins, new
ones, I think. Kinda small, skinny tails, really skitzie. So far this year, 15,
since march.
It never ends though, new ones always filter back in, But nothing like the year
I started. Better than fishing.

writes:

I tried using hav-a-heart traps, but the squirrels even figured out
how to escape *those*. The squirrel would bang against one door,
which would cause the other door to raise just a tiny bit. The shock
also caused the bar holding the door to raise up, this allowing the
squirrel to get out of the trap. I watched at least 3 squirrels
escape using this method. I needed to resort to other control
measures to remove them.

You must have a defective trap(s). The traps I have cannot be opened by
pressure but a clip must be raised, from the outside. It's a bit bigger
(cat, racoon, etc.) but there is no way a critter can escape it unless
it's small enough to fit through the openings at the door edges (like a
mouse, etc.)

Even my small trap has such a strong spring that I must work to get it
open. Occasionally, they've gotten in late enough in the day that I could
not relocate them until the following morning, and they still have not
escaped. I'll tolerate a few in the yard but when I count eight on the
ground, that's it!

The sunflowers? The squirrels decimated them. If there had not been so
many, the birds would have gotten none. I have video of one squirrel
trying to get a sunflower head, 8-10 inches across, up the magnolia tree
- it's hilarious! Then, after all the work, it dropped to the ground,
after which he/she decided to take it in pieces.

That's my experience. Your mileage may vary.

Glenna

This dosn't sound like squirrels to me. They'd rather wait
till the seed starts to ripen. Look for groundhogs. They will pull
down a whole plant to get what they want. They love tomatoes and
cabbages.
To keep birds out of sunflowers make some light cotton bags
like pillow cases and tie them around the flowers before they ripen.
This will help with squirrels but they may learn how to tear through
the cloth.