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rose hips, squirrels and an inhumane deterent -Reply

I have squirrels living IN my yard and have
never seen them eating hips.  Maybe it depends
on where you live/the squirrel types?

>>> <Jeaa1224@aol.com> 08/05/98 06:14am
>>>
I've read that squirrels can "de-hip" a rose bush
in no time flat. I was
pondering some
solutions to this unhappy fact when the August
'98 issue of The Avant Gardener
arrived with something I'd like to pass on. To
quote: 

"Squirrel Away, a hot pepper product to prevent
squirrel damage to plants, is
receiving
very bad press from gardeners: it seems that
when squirrels rub it on  their
eyes, it 
causes such agony they tear their eyes out,
reports a Canadian gardener...".

Whether exagerated or not, or true or false, I
have never believed in using
capsaicin
(the ingredient in chile peppers that makes
them hot) based products for any
pur-
pose on our property as there will always be
something not targeted that will
encounter the products (children, dogs, cats,
wildlife, me), some with quite
dire consequences.

I still have no answer for preserving the hips on
the bushes in a natural
looking way -
any suggestions?  Maybe the Tree Guard
product previously mentioned.

Joanie z. 5  (Welcome Helen - I also hail from
the Windy City area)
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