Talking Allergies

I am desperate for some suggestions. We have a squirrel that is bringing peanuts into our yard. Every day ther are at lest five shells and loose nuts that I find. I have spoken with the neighbours and they all report that they are not leaving peanuts. Does anyone know how to scare a squirrel from coming into a tree? The tree in our backyard is large and he sits up there and eats the nuts. My four year old understands the danger but I have a little guy who is not quite two that I am worried about. Any suggestions would be great.
Stephanie

I know there are some birds that scare squirrels aware. Or at least they are supposed to, but I have my doubts. We have blue jays and cardinals in our neighbourhood - and still lots of squirrels.

My next door neighbour is feeding the squirrels. I often find peanuts under my chair in the yard, and bread in my garden. (I'm actually more upset about the bread. It might have sesame seeds, and I eat out of my garden. )

Sorry, I don't have any helpful hints.

No idea if this would work, but would something like a fake owl scare away a squirrel?

Lee Valley Tools has a Garden Scare Owl -- see http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=45518&cat=2,51555&ap=1 -- for $27.50 (CDN). Might be worth trying.

They also have a Motion Activated Sprinkler (description: pest-deterring sprinkler that is great for protecting gardens by day or night). But it's $75.

You can see it at http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=44958&cat=2,51555&ap=1.

K.

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Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

How do you catch a squirrel?

You climb a tree and act like a nut!!!!

Sorry. It's an oldie

I know exactly where you are coming from when we purchased our home 1 1/2 yrs ago we had a forest in the back yard (it took 15 dump trucks and a 40 yrd bin to clean it out) We displaced many animals from their homes. The squirrels got back at us by starting to live in our attic.

We tried many things. They apparently hate loud noise so when we weren't home I would turn the radio on full blast. We were able to rent squirrel traps from our city for a $50 deposit. my husband would put some peanuts (scary!) inside and when they went in to get them the trap would close. ( How not to have your kids friends to stay for dinner? I would tell them we were going to bbq them.) We would take them for a long drive to a provincial park and let them go.

I did read of a potion that you can make that they absolutely detest the smell of if I find it I'll post it for you.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I will try an owl in the tree.
Stephanie

Hope this helps.

SQUIRREL REPELLANTS

a long lasting, extremely bad tasting commercial repellant and will stop squirrels and many other animals from chewing things, such as wood, wire, screens, lawn furniture, etc. It is available at many garden centers.

Hot Pepper Repellant Recipe

You need:

1. One chopped yellow onion
2. One chopped Jalapeno pepper
3. One tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper
Boil ingredients for 20 minutes in two quarts of water. Then let it cool and strain the mixture through cheesecloth. You can apply this with a pesticide sprayer or a spray bottle. This will deter just about any animal from an area where it is applied. The only draw back is that it only lasts for three to five days.

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Sil

About the loud noises...we had a mouse last year in the house (traumatic for me, could not use PB or cheese to catch the darn thing) and they make divises that plug in and give off a high pitched sound that drives rodents crazy and they avoid the area where you have it. I have like 5 of them and snuggled up to one at night until the mouse was gone. They do not work through walls, and they only "severely annoy the critter" they will still go in an area to get food but will not stick around if the area is not its food source. They sell them at Walmart near the mouse traps, they were about $16. Maybe having one in an outside plug might keep the critter out of your yard.

I think scare tactics are a good idea...but I'd think twice about the hot pepper recipe. Could be quite painful for the squirrel.

Apparently it is the smell of the hot pepper recipe that will keep them away. This not to harm the animals.

The high pitch sound devices work for mice but not for Squirrels.

I basically tried it all. I must say I found the traps did work the best.

I have located the neighbour who is feeding the squirrels peanuts. I explained the situation and she was fabulous about it.
Thank you for your suggestions.