On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 10:04:16 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

Brooklyn1 writes:

"Gus" wrote:

Another young, green tomato on the deck yesterday morning. Not how I
like to start the day... I had been lax with the vinegar soaked rags.
Been raining a lot and that dilutes it. I will have to redouble my
efforts... Or, where do I get some Red-Tailed Hawks? (I don't think
coyotes or foxes exist where I live, in the city.)

"Ground Squirrels are active during the day and the nocturnal Barn Owl
will not help with a squirrel problem. However, in areas of infestation,
you can erect a substantial post of 20-25 feet in height to provide a
perch from which hawks will hunt during the day. Red-Tailed Hawks in
particular will hunt ground squirrels. If your vineyard is enclosed in
deer fencing, you may wish to cut several coyote sized holes in the
bottom of your fence to allow easy access for coyote, bobcat and fox.
These animals are very good at hunting ground squirrels and rabbits. If
you are concerned about these predators chewing drip lines, place a few
pans underneath your drip lines to collect water for their use during
the dry months."

Sounds like a lot of masturbation. Squirrels gotta live too.
Squirrels eat your tomatoes mainly for their water content. If you
put out a birdbath squirrels will much prefer that... keep it clean
and full... the best birdbath is the type that sits on the ground...
the least expensive one, holds the most water, easiest to clean, and
is the best configuration; a snow coaster, grandkids outgrew it..
http://i44.tinypic.com/8x8pza.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/293g585.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/dbjjns.jpg
Price doubled in ten years but still a bargain:
http://www.amazon.com/Paricon-Flying...ords=snow+disk
Also helps greatly to distract squirrels with food they prefer... I
feed the birds and put out in-shell peanuts too... squirrels prefer
peanuts to my vegetable garden. I buy bags of unsalted roasted
in-shell Hampton Farms peanuts at BJ's; five pounds/$6... a handful
each morning suffices. Bad enough you're a masturbator, I don't want
to hear you're a cheapo ******* too.

Hmm, that advice leaves something to be desired.
Are you seriously suggesting that feeding the squirrels will solve
the problem?

Any idea how many squirrels will be around after one year of free food?
How about 2 years?

I've been putting out peanuts here for more than ten years and there
aren't more than 4-5 squirrels... the population doesn't grow because
wild critters are extremely territorial

I don't grow vegetables, it's hard enough keeping the deer away from
flowers, but if I lost my mind and tried, I'd be thinking fencing and netting.

There are lots of deer here, anything I don't want deer to eat I
fence.

"Brooklyn1" wrote in message
...

I've been putting out peanuts here for more than ten years and there
aren't more than 4-5 squirrels... the population doesn't grow because
wild critters are extremely territorial

There was another half eaten young, green tomato on the railing out back
yesterday evening. I put out a couple little tubs of water this morning
and going to get some peanuts today. If they keep stealing the young
green tomatoes, I'm going to just pull off all there are and let them
ripen on the counter... Yesterday, it rained a fair amount and there
were puddles so I don't think the squirrel(s) are biting the tomatoes
for just the water, or maybe they are just lazy insensitive squirrels.

Where do you put your peanuts? Near the garden? Out by trees they live
in? Maybe I can put out peanuts with peanut butter with extra
butter--or better, trans fat margarine-- on the peanuts, and they will
get fat with clogged arteries and have heart attacks and fall out of the
trees.

"Gus" wrote:
"Brooklyn1" wrote:

I've been putting out peanuts here for more than ten years and there
aren't more than 4-5 squirrels... the population doesn't grow because
wild critters are extremely territorial

There was another half eaten young, green tomato on the railing out back
yesterday evening. I put out a couple little tubs of water this morning
and going to get some peanuts today. If they keep stealing the young
green tomatoes, I'm going to just pull off all there are and let them
ripen on the counter... Yesterday, it rained a fair amount and there
were puddles so I don't think the squirrel(s) are biting the tomatoes
for just the water, or maybe they are just lazy insensitive squirrels.

They may not be squirrels, other critters will eat tomatoes, field
mice and voles love them, so do chipmunks. Perhaps you need a couple
of cats... I have two ferral cats living in my barn and there are many
more around. The community of ferral cats patrol all night, other
than insects I get very little critter damage in my garden.

Where do you put your peanuts? Near the garden? Out by trees they live
in? Maybe I can put out peanuts with peanut butter with extra
butter--or better, trans fat margarine-- on the peanuts, and they will
get fat with clogged arteries and have heart attacks and fall out of the
trees.

My garden is about 200' from my house. Every morning I put a big
handful of peanuts out with the bird seed I put on the table on my
deck... I add seed all day but no more peanuts. The few squirrels
compete with the bluejays for peanuts, but I blend cracked corn 50/50
with bird seed and squirrels like corn too, corn is cheap, a 50 pound
sack/$12... premium bird seed costs $40/40 lbs. I don't mind feeding
animals, I actually spend quite a bit on food for critters... that's
my charitable contribution... I'll never give a cent to charities for
people... I see way too many able bodied people paying for groceries
with food stamps, and then get into a Lexus. Food drives are also a
scam, the organizers skim off the good stuff for themselves and most
of what remains goes to lazy deadbeats who more than likely never
bother to cook those foods. Food stamps are an even bigger scam,
people lie to get them and then they get 75¢ on the dollar from small
grocery stores... flog food stamps into illegal drugs... yeah some
legitimately need a hot meal, let them visit soup kitchens... take all
you want, eat all you take. I'd rather feed a thousand squirrels than
one lazy scamming deadbeat.
http://i43.tinypic.com/e6shtu.jpg

"Brooklyn1" wrote in message
...

They may not be squirrels, other critters will eat tomatoes, field
mice and voles love them, so do chipmunks. Perhaps you need a couple
of cats... I have two ferral cats living in my barn and there are many
more around. The community of ferral cats patrol all night, other
than insects I get very little critter damage in my garden.

I'm sure it's squirrels, at leastly a large majority. I saw a damn one
running down my driveway with a tomato in it's mouth. And the one-bite
remants of tomatoes are often during daylight and left where I know the
squirrel(s) traverse, such as on the old deck railing.

If I got a feral cat someone would probably steal it or adopt it. I see
a neighbor cat once in a while, passing through but rarely. There was
one coming to my porch and sleeping on my wicker chair cushion in the
afternoon. I started to put treats out for it to encourage it to come
by, but after a couple weeks it stopped and have never seen it again.
I hope a raccoon or dog did not get it; it's been a few months since I
last saw it. I suppose I could get a cat cheap at Animal Control that
has not been declawed and is okay outside?


My garden is about 200' from my house. Every morning I put a big
handful of peanuts out with the bird seed I put on the table on my
deck... I add seed all day but no more peanuts... I'll never give a
cent to charities for
people... I see way too many able bodied people paying for groceries
with food stamps, and then get into a Lexus...


I got some whole raw peanuts this morning and threw 7 out front. I
should go see if they are still there. It was $2.29 for a medium-ish
bag. Maybe I can find some bulk cheaper. I like peanuts myself, so
would wouldn't mind having some around... I deferred on bird seed. Had
a bag in my cart, but it seemed kind of pricey.

My ex gets food stamps, and she is poor. She has a decent car, but it
was some sort of deal with the first ex a few years ago. So she has a
decent 6 year old Jetta, but she can't afford gas or repairs for it and
is always driving on E. (How driving near E saves any money, I never
understood.)

The peanuts are gone again. I threw about 7-8 in the side of the front
yard early this morning. I assume squirrels forage soon after sunrise?
And best to put out peanuts then, and maybe again in the afternoon?

The container of water I put in the front was completely empty and dry.
Could be raccoon or opposum or other animals though. The container in
the back, didn't look like any water was gone.

So far, no half eaten tomatoes lying around But it's just been a
couple days.

On 7/29/2013 10:10 AM, Gus wrote:
The peanuts are gone again. I threw about 7-8 in the side of the front
yard early this morning. I assume squirrels forage soon after sunrise?
And best to put out peanuts then, and maybe again in the afternoon?

The container of water I put in the front was completely empty and dry.
Could be raccoon or opposum or other animals though. The container in
the back, didn't look like any water was gone.

So far, no half eaten tomatoes lying around But it's just been a
couple days.


I think it is a mistake to put anything out to attract them.

This article says squirrel forage range is 1 to 100 acres but they can
travel up to 50 miles:

http://icwdm.org/handbook/rodents/TreeSquirrels.asp

My wife did not mind them coming to the bird feeder on our deck in the
winter and this year after taking it down a couple of months before I
set out tomatoes in pots, I watched squirrels coming back for weeks
looking for the feeder.

Old guy in the park would walk around with peanuts for the squirrels.
I watched a squirrel come out once and follow him even though he had no
peanuts.

Feeding them is just training them to come around and if pickings are
sparse elsewhere you may attract more in.

Tomorrow morning, I pull all the tomatoes no matter what size... After
putting out water, peanuts, vinegar on rags, chicken wire-- another
half eaten tomato on the deck rail this evening.

"Gus" writes:

Tomorrow morning, I pull all the tomatoes no matter what size...
After putting out water, peanuts, vinegar on rags, chicken wire--
another half eaten tomato on the deck rail this evening.

Netting.

Go to hardware store, buy deer netting.
Get stakes or some other material to build frame around plants.S
Frame must have door.
Staple netting to frame.

Netting must go to ground and cover sides and top.

There are other material than deer netting
like chicken wire. You need a physical barrier,
not a diversion.


--
Dan Espen

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"Gus" writes:

Tomorrow morning, I pull all the tomatoes no matter what size...
After putting out water, peanuts, vinegar on rags, chicken wire--
another half eaten tomato on the deck rail this evening.

Netting.

Go to hardware store, buy deer netting.
Get stakes or some other material to build frame around plants.S
Frame must have door.
Staple netting to frame.

Netting must go to ground and cover sides and top.

There are other material than deer netting
like chicken wire. You need a physical barrier,
not a diversion.


I was going to do that a couple years ago, and by the time I was done
had spent $60 at Lowes. Couple days later, I returned everything. I
love tomatoes but I'm on a tight budget and decided garden ones aren't
$60+ better than grocery ones.

I would love to grow my own tomatoes, last year I had a decent amount
and they were great. I think once the squirrels get into tomatoes they
are hard to keep out. Last year I never had a problem till end of
August and even then was only a few lost. My dad never had problems
with them in Erie. Rabbits were more an issue there, we had trees
around the area but my dad never had squirrels steal his tomatoes.
Maybe I should move to Erie?

"Gus" writes:

"Dan Espen" wrote in message
...
"Gus" writes:

Tomorrow morning, I pull all the tomatoes no matter what size...
After putting out water, peanuts, vinegar on rags, chicken wire--
another half eaten tomato on the deck rail this evening.

Netting.

Go to hardware store, buy deer netting.
Get stakes or some other material to build frame around plants.S
Frame must have door.
Staple netting to frame.

Netting must go to ground and cover sides and top.

There are other material than deer netting
like chicken wire. You need a physical barrier,
not a diversion.


I was going to do that a couple years ago, and by the time I was done
had spent $60 at Lowes. Couple days later, I returned everything. I
love tomatoes but I'm on a tight budget and decided garden ones aren't
$60+ better than grocery ones.

Makes sense to me.

I garden to create a place I like to be.

--
Dan Espen

Brooklyn1 writes:

On Sat, 27 Jul 2013 10:04:16 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

Brooklyn1 writes:

"Gus" wrote:

Another young, green tomato on the deck yesterday morning. Not how I
like to start the day... I had been lax with the vinegar soaked rags.
Been raining a lot and that dilutes it. I will have to redouble my
efforts... Or, where do I get some Red-Tailed Hawks? (I don't think
coyotes or foxes exist where I live, in the city.)

"Ground Squirrels are active during the day and the nocturnal Barn Owl
will not help with a squirrel problem. However, in areas of infestation,
you can erect a substantial post of 20-25 feet in height to provide a
perch from which hawks will hunt during the day. Red-Tailed Hawks in
particular will hunt ground squirrels. If your vineyard is enclosed in
deer fencing, you may wish to cut several coyote sized holes in the
bottom of your fence to allow easy access for coyote, bobcat and fox.
These animals are very good at hunting ground squirrels and rabbits. If
you are concerned about these predators chewing drip lines, place a few
pans underneath your drip lines to collect water for their use during
the dry months."

Sounds like a lot of masturbation. Squirrels gotta live too.
Squirrels eat your tomatoes mainly for their water content. If you
put out a birdbath squirrels will much prefer that... keep it clean
and full... the best birdbath is the type that sits on the ground...
the least expensive one, holds the most water, easiest to clean, and
is the best configuration; a snow coaster, grandkids outgrew it..
http://i44.tinypic.com/8x8pza.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/293g585.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/dbjjns.jpg
Price doubled in ten years but still a bargain:
http://www.amazon.com/Paricon-Flying...ords=snow+disk
Also helps greatly to distract squirrels with food they prefer... I
feed the birds and put out in-shell peanuts too... squirrels prefer
peanuts to my vegetable garden. I buy bags of unsalted roasted
in-shell Hampton Farms peanuts at BJ's; five pounds/$6... a handful
each morning suffices. Bad enough you're a masturbator, I don't want
to hear you're a cheapo ******* too.

Hmm, that advice leaves something to be desired.
Are you seriously suggesting that feeding the squirrels will solve
the problem?

Any idea how many squirrels will be around after one year of free food?
How about 2 years?

I've been putting out peanuts here for more than ten years and there
aren't more than 4-5 squirrels... the population doesn't grow because
wild critters are extremely territorial

You live on wide open land, I've seen the pictures.
Not really squirrel habitat.

I don't grow vegetables, it's hard enough keeping the deer away from
flowers, but if I lost my mind and tried, I'd be thinking fencing and netting.

There are lots of deer here, anything I don't want deer to eat I
fence.

Fencing for the deer, netting for the birds, raccoons, chipmunks, rats,
field mice, ground hogs...

--
Dan Espen