General Chat

We live next to the woods and the squirrels eat the top of our fence occasionally. We don't have a problem with them though as my two dogs love to chase anything that moves, so if they enter the garden they get seen off very quickly. Perhaps get a dog - good company too! My Mole problem seems to be under control by the way - it seems that the sonic scarer is working now? Kaye x

Do you think your cats would be any good at getting rid of my Mole? Perhaps we could do a swap for a week - your cats for my dogs - could kill two birds with one stone, or one mole and a few squirrels! Lol Kaye x

I wonder if a coat of creosote on the tree would put them off?

Get a wood stove! We have a very large one we use over the winter. Some months ago we cleaned the chimney as usual. Yesterday morning I went in the kitchen for breakfast and hubby says 'Guess what! There's a squirrel in the stove.' He had fallen down the steel chimney (about 25 feet) and landed on the damper. Hubby shook the damper and he fell into the firebox. I lifted one of the burner plates and out popped a VERY black brown squirrel. He landed on the table as he headed for the window. Luckily we got the screen off and the window open in a hurry. He sneezed and shot off into the bush. Hasn't been back since. Haven't heard of squirrels stripping bark - porqupines yes! Other than shooting you don't stand a chance but you could try a very strong water hose - mine don't like getting wet. They'll cost you a fortune in feed!

Hi Everybody,Just got back on .thanks for your help,I found out about 'Squirrel Scarers' They cost £30.00. from the pest control shop.only thing is,they scare off,cats/dogs/deer and practically everything with the squirrels.its a 'One Size Fits all Type of thing',So I think I will be Constructing one of those old type 'Siege Catapults'which they used to fire rocks at castles,if its big enough perhaps they will land on the beach and get swept away with the tide. Hal.

Hi Hal, Very annoying. They need teaching better manners. Round 'em up and stick 'em in a box, then send them to me. We've always had them in our gardens and encouraged them by feeding them. We've had them eating out of our hands and sitting on our laps and our shoulders. We love the little blighters, and the only harm they've ever done is to dig up newly-planted bulbs. We have lots of trees in our garden - a Scots pine, 4 silver birches, a row of beeches and hawthorns that form a hedge, a rowan, a laburnum, 5 apples, 2 pears, a crab apple and an amelanchier, as well as a conifer hedge - and there are poplars on the land behind ours. We've never seen squirrels stripping bark from any of these trees, so maybe you've got the type of trees they go for? If your cats don't chase them away, maybe a dog is the answer. Best wishes to you and Sasha. CB >|< X

Hi CB. I wish I could send them to you,but according to the Bumpf.I obtained from the Environmental Bods,If you trap them you are supposed to kill them,and not release them again. We,ve got about 40 trees of all types in the garden,one of them being a very large ( 50-60ft high) Ginko Biloba,and they have got their dreys at the Bl---dy top of that and the other large ones,just hope they don,t nick all the fruit when it is ripe,it looks as though its going to be a bumper year in the orchard,Hope you are OK.and your Knees are OK.now. ( you,ll have to stop Kneeling to David' Best wishes to you both,Hal.xx.

Hi Harold, apparently there is a product called 'shake away' that deters squirrels, it's a powder that contains the scent of their enemy 'the fox' you just shake it around your trees and the little blighters stay well away. You will find details on this site, don't know how much it costs though. www*critter-repellent*com/squirrel/squirrel-repellent*php hope this helps Belle.

Hi Hal Don't know if it will work for squirrels but apparently human hair works on deer. For deer you spread it around your boundaries, maybe if you draped it over the tree branches!! Your local hairdresser should be happy to supply. Vivienne