Allotments 4 All
Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: flowerlady on October 24, 2005, 19:19:00
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Just in case you don't follow the 'pests' page!! ......
any suggestions of how to be rid of the little b*****s?
I DID have some fabulous pots of bulbs coming through.
think I have taken up shares in netting for pots!
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I bet they'd eat rat poison.
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(http://bestsmileys.com/army/10.gif)
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I bet they'd eat rat poison.
The difficulty is keeping it away from birds, Robert. It's better to use poisoned shelled (i.e., in a shell, such as hazel nut) nuts a/c a pest controller I spoke to about this.
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If you put a layer of gravel on your pots of bulbs that is enough to stop the squirrels digging them up & is a bit easier than using netting & looks nice.
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Sorry, Beejay - not for my squirrels. Little so-and-sos go straight through an inch of gravel..... :(
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The difficulty is keeping it away from birds, Robert. It's better to use poisoned shelled (i.e., in a shell, such as hazel nut) nuts a/c a pest controller I spoke to about this.
What do you put on the nuts? The only birds I have visiting which I would have thought would be likely to eat a seed the size of corn are pigeons, and I wouldn't have any qualms of conscience about killing the bastard things. I usually have poison under my hives in winter; I wouldn't think it would attract birds there, but I could well imagine a squirrel getting some.
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The battle continues!!
This morning I went outside the front door and my beautiful flower tub of cyclamen, pansies and grasses TOTALLY upside down.
This time I think it was a CAT, I dug out a dead baby pigeon.
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
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Sorry, Beejay - not for my squirrels. Little so-and-sos go straight through an inch of gravel..... :(
What a shame. I used to use wire covered in gravel until a Gardening Which trial reckoned gravel on its own was as effective. Since then that's all I've used & (touch wood) so far has worked. Mind you the b*****s are too busy eating the bird table /working out how to get to the sunflower seeds that we try & fail to get out of the way. Must be too bust to make the effort to go through the gravel.
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My neighbour has squirrels getting into his roof and driving him barmy. Ladder coming this afternoon as my husband is going up to block up the hole as my neighbour has no head for heights :)
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just hope the little buggers are all out when he blocks the hole :o
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he'll have to rattle his nuts to make sure ;D
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I learn't today that I should treat the soil with any kind of cat deterrant.
Or even sulphates of amonia. Perhaps I should ask my husband to take a little trip outside in the dead of night!!! ;D
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We used to have one that was a rare visitor to the garden (and the bird feeders!) but now its becoming a regular occurence, particularly since we started puting out fat balls for the birds (now discovered squirrels love them too!).
A couple of days though a second squirrel appeared, so now we have 2 coming in an pinching the birds' food.
At the same time we learned that our next door neighbours were putting food out especialy for them. Dont know if this is good or bad (probably bad since it is clearly encouraging them into the gardens more).
OK their antics are entertaining, and their tree borne acrobatics are amazing to watch, but i cant help thinking they are perhaps starting to become a nuisance, denying the birds food either by eating it or by knocking the feeders to the ground where the birds cant find it.
It doesnt help that we have mature pine trees running the length of our estate and forming part of the gardens, providing a the ideal squirrel 'motorway'!
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It's WAR !!!
Today I discovered TWO of the little b******s right inside my mini patio greenhouse. grrrrr >:( >:( >:(
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Wheras I was watching one with it's mouth stuffed full of bits of lining from my hanging basket - lovely nesting material I'm sure!
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I am starting to fall out of love with these 'charming' creatures.
Mine are staerting to collect nuts for their winter stores, but i fear once they have finished with peanuts they will start on my bulbs.
I have just planted garlic and spring bulbs in pots. these have have been coferes with netting in the hope that this will deter the blighters from digging them up.
Strange i am the only one who sees a pproblem in my house. the rest of the family just find them entertaining to watch. GRRRR!
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(http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/461/s16startercentre500368406qr.jpg) one of these will work almost every time
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Doc Steve:
Great ! Love it ! Brilliant idea!
One problem with that (othe than the obvious) is that i am a poor shot and miss - even if the litle blighter walked up a nd tapped me on the shoulder! ;D :D
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Have spent the day moving all my treasures into an old cold frame. It was going up to the lottie.
Doesn't lok very glamerous but it will certainly fix the whole b****y family that has just moved into the garden >:
Haven't had time go buy any amonia.
Do you think the stuff will harm my little bulbs?
Chicken pellets smell of amonia, perhaps I could use that? I'd certainly get good foilage! and flowers?
What do you think?
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Doc Steve:
Great ! Love it ! Brilliant idea!
One problem with that (othe than the obvious) is that i am a poor shot and miss - even if the litle blighter walked up a nd tapped me on the shoulder! ;D :D
lol thats ok it has a twin eight shot capacity so you have loads of goes ;D
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Just replaced our peanut feeder in an attempt to stop the blighters pinching all the nuts. After trying to break open the bottom of the old feeder, they learnt to knock it on the ground and open and empty it there. The new feeder is of similar design, but is a tighter fit on its support and has a better fitting lid. No doubt though it wont be long before they work out how to get the nuts out of this one too!
Did anyone see the article in todays Daily Mail? Whilst not exactly in support of the greys, it argued that the planned red squirel areas in the north combined with a grey cull was a bad idea and theat things should be left to nature.
I have to admit they are fun to watch (and quite handsome creatures in their own way) but a pain when they dig things up in the garden!
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The problem with leaving things to nature is that the reds will not survive - the grays are bigger, more aggressive and more successful. The time when things should have been left to nature was before the grays were introduced as a curiosity.
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The article i read seemed to suggest that if the reds were going to be wiped out then it wouldve hapened already. Greys have been here for nearly 150 years, plenty of time IMO. Apparently the habitats where the reds still thrive are places the greys dont like so much.
I also read that the reds themselved had been reintroduced to britain not long before the greys arrived, and were in decline for other (natural) reasons when the greys arrived.
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I am all for leaving well alone - that is what I believe in. But if all had been left well alone, we wouldn't have grey squirrels, mink etc. These do need dealing with.
PS I will restate that both rabbits and hares (and yes ground elder) have been here long enough to be exempt from said pronouncements.
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I think you meant grey squirrels. Trouble is, with so many of us crammed into these islands, and such a history of introducing and wiping out flora and fauna, I don't think there's much of a future to 'let well alone'.
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We discussed the problems of grey squirrels a short while ago. Check at:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,11727.20.html
A recurrent menace!!