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Post by organiclovestl on Nov 30, 2020 20:48:24 GMT -5
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to see what everyone has had success with fending off crop damages by chipmunks and squirrels. I live in St. Louis, has a small organic garden in the backyard. This is my third year with the garden. The first few years, I had some damages by birds (cardinals and their love for tomatoes!) and deers, but this year, chipmunks and squirrels have been out in full force, basically eating and digging everything they could. I have not been able to harvest much at all, which has been disappointing.
I have tried spreading cayenne pepper, spraying the whole garden area with Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit (almost daily), putting owl statue in the middle of the garden, flashy tape (really for bird repellent, but I had to try)...NOTHING WORKS!
I'm at the point where I am debating whether or not to even try planting anything next year because they just eat and dig up EVERYTHING. It's such a shame because I love my garden and was able to harvest quite a bit the past 2 years.
I am open to any suggestions, tips. PLEASE HELP!!
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Post by tom 🕊 on Nov 30, 2020 21:18:30 GMT -5
I had some damages by birds (cardinals and their love for tomatoes!) Welcome organiclovestl! I don't have squirrels and chipmunks, but about the tomatoes, they can be protected from birds -- for the most part -- by picking them at breaker stage and bringing them indoors to ripen.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Nov 30, 2020 21:21:02 GMT -5
Welcome to the community, organiclovestl ! I'm in a fairly rural area, so I don't know about your local situation --- but ground hot peppers (cayenne, serranos, and habaneros) work reasonably well against rabbits and squirrels for me, but I have to apply it almost daily. About half of my pepper crop is dedicated for that purpose. Plastic netting or chicken wire over the beds provides another barrier, and as icky as it might seem, collected urine scattered around helps against deer when they're a problem. Dogs and occasional firecrackers also help keep the critters at bay. I try to make peace with them all, and deal with it. Hard to keep my wildlife totally away. The rabbits, squirrels, and deer are laughing at me as I type this.
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Post by gardendmpls on Nov 30, 2020 21:22:05 GMT -5
Things that have worked for myself and others. Some may apply to your situation: 1. Fence the garden 2. Make sure that there is water for the animals to drink. Many animals will eat tomatoes for their liquid. 3. Get a dog. 4. Plant enough for everyone, animals included. 5. This has worked for me with eggplant- put a piece of pantyhose (leg piece) over the fruit and attach with rubber bands. Then, in the blender, liquify fresh garlic cloves, hot peppers and water. Sometimes will add cayenne from a spice bottle. Let sit a bit, then strain through a cloth so it won't clog a spray bottle. Add a few drops of dish soap (so it spreads) and a little bit of oil (so it sticks). Put in a spray bottle and spray on the pantyhose, where it will dry and stay hot and unpleasant. By the time the spray wears off (usually before the fruit is ripe), the squirrels should have gotten the idea that the fruits in this yard taste bad and will usually leave the later crop alone without anything being put on. 6. Be aware that birds do not taste the heat in hot peppers, but again, they don't peck holes in my tomatoes if they have enough water. For fruit trees, you might have to use mesh. 7. Squirrel stew, if you aren't one to eschew eating animals.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Nov 30, 2020 21:48:08 GMT -5
A cat might help you with the chipmunks and squirrels.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Nov 30, 2020 21:57:50 GMT -5
organiclovestl , I kind of gave up on squirrels, but they really weren't harming anything; they just rearranged the bulbs I planted and moved them so it was a surprise the following spring. I had a worse problem with raccoons. One year they ruined my corn crop.
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Post by desertwoman on Nov 30, 2020 22:40:47 GMT -5
Welcome! organiclovestl, I had problem this year with some yet to be identified critter digging up my chiles and tomatoes (when they were still young) I ended up constructing a cage to keep the critter(s) out. I have raised beds, so for the 2 sections that had those plants I nailed 1"x1" posts in the 4 corners and then wrapped chicken wire all around the perimeter and across the top, stapling the chicken wire to the raised bed boards and/or anchoring the wire along the perimeter with 2x4s and other scrap wood. And then wiring the top 'roof' part to the wrap around sides. Worked great!
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Post by Mumsey on Dec 1, 2020 4:59:30 GMT -5
organiclovestl, Welcome! Never give up, gardening is a learning process and lots of experimentation is involved. Even after gardening our whole lives, there is always something new to learn! We have a big dog and she is a pretty good hunter even in the fenced back yard. The garden is also fenced even though it's inside the back yard. The only thing I can add to the advice is this: one year I discovered that tunneling critters didn't like onions. So I planted onion bulbs in the pea and bean rows, kept the seeds from being discovered and eaten. And I spread daffodil leaves around things they might eat. Rabbits won't eat daffodils. And we love pics here! Yeah, we brag a lot.
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Post by organiclovestl on Dec 2, 2020 11:21:08 GMT -5
We do have a small 10 lb dog but we can't keep him out all day to fend off the critters as it's getting super cold and also he barks at pretty much everything and the neighbors would start complaining in the summer. But his urine smell is everywhere around the garden I'm sure and it hasn't done anything.
Bought a huge bottle of cayenne pepper and spread it around with no effect. They eat even the leafy greens too. EVERYTHING gets eaten. It may be multiple types of critters but it's just non-stop! :(
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Post by binnylou on Dec 2, 2020 14:22:02 GMT -5
organiclovestl, sprinkle a bit of alum on the leaves that are having damage. Make sure that the wind is at your back...you don't want to inhale the stuff. probably might want to keep the pup out of it also. I had an issue with deer eating a hole in the lawn. Every day it was a bit deeper. I sprinkled alum in the hole and on the surrounding grass...heard some crazy deer noises during the night...problem solved.
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 2, 2020 19:49:52 GMT -5
Is it possible you had slugs? They will chew big holes in leaves and fruit. Easy to get rid of.
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Post by James on Dec 3, 2020 11:15:37 GMT -5
Raccoons were a problem in the corn. I found that putting a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local (all night) talk station kept them out.
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Post by gardendmpls on Dec 3, 2020 21:51:03 GMT -5
putting a radio in the corn patch tuned to the local (all night) talk station kept them out If they heard the radio over the past few months they probably would never come back, or just give up and die.
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Post by organiclovestl on Dec 5, 2020 11:07:52 GMT -5
Thank you everyone for your feedbacks. Will try a few different things based on the advice received. Will still hold back on the amount I will plant though, just too sad to watch the creatures take everything. Just couldn't harvest much at all. As soon as I turn my back, they come and dig up, eat the bulbs, plants, etc!!
Thanks again.
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Post by mcool61 on Dec 5, 2020 18:19:29 GMT -5
I used to have a strawberry patch behind the garage & I rounded the corner to find a squirrel clutching a big fat juicy strawberry. We had a standoff. He wanted to head to the woods & I had him boxed in between the garage & the LP tank. I charged, he stood his ground clutching the berry. I had to respect that plus he had kind of a mean look in his eye & was twitching his tail rather menacingly so I stepped aside & let him have it.
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