Squirrels are decimating my late-season crop here in Virginia. I live in the city, so shooting them or trapping them are not possible. Has anybody found any way to deter these vile rodents?

I was wondering.....  If you really can't shoot them with a pellet gun, how would you outsmart them.

How about feeding them something they like more during the ripening season?   A feeder with lots of feed corn and Peanut butter.   You can get a big bag of feed corn for $10.  I think you have to give them something the would like better.  

I don't have that many squirrels, but that would be extreemly upsetting to put all that work into something and end up making the squirrels fat and happy.  I was sitting with Rafed the other night and we watched one digging in his back yard.   That would drive me nuts!

Let us know how you make out.

Depending on how humane you feel like being, no judgements here, you could put mice poison in your feeder pile.   You would want to make sure nothing else but the squirrels would eat it though.

Them rascals ran away with 2 lovely figs I've left on the tree to dry. My some spotted them and said "that fig is bigger than that squirrels head". I was out the door too late to save the figs, they were gone.

Yeah I'd like to feed them alright, to a larger predator. Maybe some hawks, owls of snakes will do the trick.

Although discharging a firearm within city limits is normally outlawed, most of the time a pellet gun is not considered a firearm.  You would want to check with your local law enforcement to be sure.  A normal pellet gun (not a BB gun) is usually adequate to kill a squirrel if shot in the head.

The most effective way to deal with them would be to set live traps and dispatch with a pellet gun.  Feeding may divert their attention, but it would also probably attract more squirrels.

DO NOT put out any kind of poision it is a FELONY.

You might try putting out an owl decoy and moving it around regularly to get some temporary relief.  However squirrels are pretty clever and will eventually realize the decoy is a fake.

Good Luck

I like having squirrels around, them make a tasty addition to any bolognese sauce. 

Field and Stream recommends:
2 squirrels (about 1 pound each), dressed and quartered
2/3 cup flour for dredging, plus roughly 1/4 cup for gravy 
5 slices bacon 
Salt and freshly ground pepper 

Biscuits 
2 cups flour 
1 teaspoon sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled 
3/4 cup buttermilk 
3 tablespoons butter, melted 

 I make , Squirrel and Rice.  I was raised on it.
Now, in a neighborhood , my German pellet rifle is super accurate and powerful.
              Fredfig  7a..NC.

I had the same problem but also had coons at night . Both hate being sprayed with water .
So picked up 3 Scarecrow brand motion detector sprayers that work on 9v battery and am only dealing with wasps now .
Amazon.com for apx $47 each

John

Havaheart type live traps work pretty well as squirrels may be very intelligent but they are greedy little b^%$#@*s.
I like them stuffed with bacon and a sourdough stuffing. A nice gravy and corn bread.
I know a lot of folks don't like to kill things caught in live traps but if it's too hard just drive them over to someone you don't likes house and release them.
I'm in Virginia also and this state seems to have endless numbers of the darn things. I trained my dog to kill them - they are the only thing he'll kill.
Good luck.

I'm listening to all these solutions because we have plans to move to acreage for our vineyard, figs, olives, citrus, guavas, pomegranates etc.
 
Acreage=wildlife! 

I'm liking the squirrel killing dog.  How did you train that dog to do that?

Also like the pellet gun. 

Suzi

Fred and others,  what brand/model of pellet gun would you recommend?  What is the range?

rat traps work very well,,,,, peanut butter is the bait of choice.

A felony huh. All fun and games until someone goes to JAIL!

I've noticed how often the birds of prey show up when the shredders/mowers get going around here.  Usually when I mow the six acres at least 4 sometimes a dozen or more critters jump out and scurry across the fields to find protection in a bank of trees around the perimeter.  Every once in a I am paying attention when one gets snatched up by a bird. 

I don't have an issue with anything stealing my figs here, yet.  My thought is once I do, I'll leave a daily carcass of freshly dead something for them to come and eat.  Hopefully, seeing their foes in the air and on the ground will keep the unwanted critters away.

Do owls have pheromones?

~james

rewton, I have a pellet gun that has been effective out to about 60-75yards... now that was a very lucky day I think. more reliable range for pellet guns that fire 1200 ft/sec would be under 50 yards. outside of that its a toss up due to pellet drop and wind. I'll tell you what though, I wouldn't want to get hit with my pellet gun at 75 yards, lol. I have a crossman Remington Vantage 1200 for about two years now. I bought it for 140, comes with plastic adjustable sights and centerpoint scope with windage and elevation adjustments. we have tons of fun with it during BBQs, and my oldest daughter is learning how to shoot with it (she is 8). soon I'll take her to the range to shoot with a 22lr rifle, shouldn't be too foreign to her.


here is a pic of my pellet rifle

they do make quieter rifles now for about the same price. look for the Gammo Whisper (I think). they're just as good for squirrels!!

Rewton,
Various brands and prices. The main thing you need to look for is one that has a rifled barrel and the fps (feet per second). You want fps over 1000. The effective range on most of the moderate priced guns would be 30-35 yards. Prices can go from $40 up to $2000. A $100-$150 dollar model as described by ctfigs would work great.

Dfoster,
The problem with poison is it is non selective, and the potential for multiplied mortality. Example: mouse eats poison, crow eats mouse, dog eats crow, buzzard eats dog. They all die.

Seriosly, I'm glad someone pointed out the dangers. I would hate to think of being responsible for killing the neighbors dog.....

Dfoster,
Lol, I got to thinking about after I posted and thought to myself that at one time or another I wouldn't have minded if any of the critters I listed had turned up dead.

If you have the room NWFlorida has a decent idea and I plan to heavily plant my property line with fruit's they like so hopefully they'll get full and leave my main crop alone.

The Purple Martin Forum has some recommendations on varmit guns. You'll have to do a search.

http://www.purplemartin.org/forum/index.php 

I dunno.  For less than the price of a pellet gun you can purchase a havaheart trap.  I have thrown rocks at roadrunners (they eat lizards) and ground squirries both.  I hit a roadrunner a couple years ago.  It was one of a pair.  They both ran off, but I never saw them as  pair again after that.  Only the one.  I hate roadrunners.  But I feel bad about crippeling and killing  one.

A neighbor of mine years ago  shot at a stray dog with a pellet gun(she said to scare it).   The pellet penetrated it's chest and it died right there on the sidewalk.

Those of you that are doing commercial farming...have at it.  I understand if it's your livlyhood, you gotta do what you gotta do.

For me...as much as I love my figs and as much as I hate varments, and being in a neighborhood of mostly 1/4 acre lots, if my current problem escalates, I will trap and release.

My hubby used traps a few years ago. Seemed like we were inundated with them . He did some research on them and it seems they have a 3 mile radius return. So if your going to trap and release make sure you release them farther than 3 miles!
Problem is with the vacuum you create , more will move into the area. that may talk a while though. It did seem to "thin the herd" though. LOL
Good luck!

A THREE MILE radius return?  I had no idea.   Thanks for the info.

Just looked out the back window and there was one sitting on our block wall overlooking my compost pile.   Hunting lizards, I think.   So now I'll go lob a couple of rocks at it to scare it away. 

As for creating a vacume.  I've only seen two here at our place.   I am hoping you are wrong on that one.  Or that I can somehow maintain that vacume.  I hear they can have a litter of 5 or 6.  Want to get rid of them before that happens.

Intersting...and frusterating at the same time.

Uh oh!  I live farther than 3 miles from Dave!  YIKES! 

Actually, a whole state away;-)

Send me your address, Suzie.   I'll see what I can do.


I am reminded of Nick, my friend from Lake Havasu, where I got cuttings for one of my unknowns.   (We got another card for our camera today btw. I hope to post some pics of it and my hedge soon).

Anyway...Nick is in his late 70's, very much an Italian, but transplanted to Canada decades ago.  Lake Havasu is his winter home.    So I was over at his place helping him prune trees one day, and I noticed a wild rabbit in a cage.  "What's with the rabbit" I asked.  

Nick replied "Oh...he come to eat from my garden. I trap him.  I keep him for awhile and let him think about it.  Then let him go."

Nick told me he put a lttle spray paint on one of their hind paws sometimes so he could recognize them later.   He swore they almost never returned, with the exception of one squirrel.   Nick said that squirrel kept coming back and chattering at him, perched on a telephone pole for over a year.    He knew it was the same one because...that one he sprayed some red paint on it's tail.

Now...I wouldn't be painting wild critters with paint, nor would I keep them penned up any longer than necessary.  My intention is to find a suitable spot somewhere nearby and release them unharmed.  But it is a funny story.

OK first to Suzi -
my dog was very easy to train - but he's a herding dog (Australian Shepherd) so very smart. All I did was yell "kill that b#%^#$d" every time I saw a squirrel. This dog goes everywhere with me - the doctor's, shopping, etc. so he's very tuned in. I'd love to take credit for training him and the neighbors are always asking for advise - but the truth is these dogs train themselves. This is my 7th one and they have all been the same. I have trained dogs in the past - but honestly - these self-train.

For gun owners,
Ammo to consider = Colibri powderless .22 cal. Very quiet and can even be shot in the house if you have mice (although .22 shot shells are better). The bullet is powered by a 20 grain primer and will kill squirrels out to 100 feet or more. But - unless you know guns don't consider. At 500 feet per second is like a .22 pellet gun, but if you have a .22 then you don't have to go and buy a pellet gun just to shoot squirrels. Not appropriate for most folks living in city - thought I'd post though for all those folks pushing pellet guns.

Just FYI,
It turns out that the more research that gets done the more we learn that animals "home" and will return to where they were taken from. This is why, for example, if you pick up a box turtle in the road and take it somewhere "safe" and release it you are condemning it to spend probably what life it has left trying to get home. Best to just put it on the shoulder of the road in the direction it was pointed.
So, if you feel you can't harvest the squirrels as food and aren't willing to murder them (it's not murder if you eat them) - tell that to Hannibal Lector - then release them as far away as possible but do take the responsibility of knowing it will be invading other squirrel's territories and will be in danger and will then do whatever it can to get home. How much of a favor you're really doing it is a big question. Just saying.