Squirrels- was Re: First bloom of the year
- Subject: Squirrels- was Re: First bloom of the year
- From: M*
- Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 23:04:49 -0600
"Christopher P. Lindsey" wrote:
> They're a terrible nuisance in my yard, especially with new plants.
> I've gone out to find my newly planted trilliums laying in the path,
> bulbs strewn all over, or stems broken from their 'frolicking'.
I'm in the same boat here with hundreds of squirrels aka tree rats.
They not only dig up everything but get in hanging baskets and bite
everything off. It took me two years to get one poor climbing rose past
a low crotch in a tree because the squirrels kept biting the tips off!
They also steal anything that isn't nailed down. I found shredded shade
cloth hanging out of their nests and they even took my clothespin bad
off the line! I got it back when a hurricane blew it out of the tree
and the buggers took it again! It was a funny sight tho to see a red
and white striped cloth bag hanging out of a tree 60' up and became a
conversation piece.
> It's kind of disheartening, especially if it's an unusual/hard-to-find/
> prized specimen.
Very much so. I could cry thinking about all the plants they have
destroyed.
I found out that squirrels are attracted to disturbed soil so if you
mulch immediately after planting it helps deter them a bit. A .22 rifle
or a big rat trap is also a good deterrent. ;->
> I guess that's the price I pay for having a big old oak tree in my yard.
> But it could be worse, I suppose. I could have... deer.
I have 17 acres of oak and hickory so you can imagine the tree rat
population here. Even worse, they don't hibernate in the winter.
Please don't say the D word, knock wood, they have all gone elsewhere.
To me there are only two uses for squirrels, stew or plant food.
To say I hate squirrels is an understatement considering I also have
gophers and moles. The squirrels do more damage than the other varmints
but at least taste better! <G>
If anyone hates squirrels as much as I do there is a hilarious website
devoted to us: http://www.deadsquirrel.com/index.html
Linda (Please, no flames, rats with fuzzy tails are still rats!)
San Antonio, TX
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