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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Blue Bird on April 10, 2007, 17:28:35

Title: Sweetcorn and squirrals
Post by: Blue Bird on April 10, 2007, 17:28:35
Any advise on protecting my sweetcorn from squirral (tree rats!!)
thanks

BB
Title: Re: Sweetcorn and squirrals
Post by: allaboutliverpool on April 10, 2007, 17:42:01
If that is your problem you are in big trouble! I hung a feeder out recently made of plastic and a squirrel chewed through the plastic in no time.

My only advice is wire netting all round and above, or grow more than they can eat. perhaps a corn maze. They also prefer the seed dry, so if you pull it young and fresh, you will beat them to it.
Title: Re: Sweetcorn and squirrals
Post by: Jeannine on April 10, 2007, 18:18:49
Ho, don't rely on the 'like them dry 'bit, I have had a squirrel sit there right on the plant an eat it right off the cob, we watched it for ages. We figured once it had wrecked the one and we disturbed it  ,it would come back and start on another one. However we always grew plenty and only a few were ever nibbled.

Fencing won't keep them out they just use it as ladders, they will even walk accross a washing line to get into something. If they are bad I would give them food in another area, peanuts for eg,might prove expensive but they will take that before the corn, they can carry that off.

We managed to co-exist with the squirrells in BC and didn't fins them so bad.

Good Luck,

XX Jeannine
Title: Re: Sweetcorn and squirrals
Post by: Blue Bird on April 10, 2007, 19:37:03
has anyone used a trap like a mouse or like they use to catch wild animals on the tv ???  ???  ???

if so where from ???