This is a selfish post.  I'm going to track the damage that local squirrels are doing to my plants for 2011 and (hopefully) the result of my battles against them.  Hope nobody minds.

On 3/27, squirrel(s) Ate all the leaves off my MBVS on 3/27, dug up my Negronne and Col de Dame.  Negronne not looking so good, MBVS is probably dead if it can't send out another shoot from the pencil-thin single branch stub left.  Col De Dame had half the root base gone and 1/4 of the soil missing from the pot.  One of my Italian Honey was totally dug out of the pot and laying on the ground.  They also dug up a lot of the soil from my Strawberry, Fico Preto, Native d'Argentile, Scott's Black and Sal (Gene).

On 3/28 they managed to get past my netting and attacked my Sudliche Weinstrasse, broke off one of two branches and dug out the entire top 2" of roots.  They re-dug my Native D'Argentile, it's down to about 1/4 of the roots at this point and had to be repotted and tamped.  They did moderate digging in my Beall, Excel (which is supposed to go to a figfriend), Black Madeira, another Fico Preto and Uknown Voiture.

I thought I patched the hole they got into.  Today, 3/29, I went out.  Native D'Argentile is hit again with new potting soil.  Dug out completely.  No roots left.  They partially dug out 143-36, Foxcroft, Strawberry (again), Conadria and Bethlehem Black.  They did moderate digging on my 2-3gal Raspberry Latte, GM#1, Kadota, Gino's Black and Flanders.  Flanders was actually pretty rough.  I also found a 6" tall pecan tree growing in my Bethlehem Black today.  Nut was fully intact and it had an 8" taproot on it.  I tried to fortify (again) the small patch they seem to have come in through.

So far I'm looking at 2-3 likely dead trees, 2 that could go either way, and 1/3 of my collection has been dug at.

Jason,
That is heart breaking! Last Summer I was at war with chipmonks. I managed to trap them all before they did as much damage as you have had. Right now
I see an army of Squirrels outside, (the figs are still in storage), and they better not attack. I wonder if several cats wil help? I have no answers for you, just sympathy.

Peg 
CT Z6

my neighbor behind us has 8 feral cats.

that's less than 50ft away.

not helping.

This may seem counter-intuitive but is there anything you can plant for them to eat? They are coming anyway, and if nothing is there it seems they like to dig up your plants. They haven't touched any of my trees/bushes roots and such here in San Jose, they take my navel oranges and my neighbors avocados so I guess that keeps them fed. I planted an Illinois Everbearing Mulberry this year and birds/squirrels are supposed to love it. I'm hoping they'll eat that instead of my other fruit...(although I hope to get some off it too...)

Jason, I truly feel your pain!  I had no choice except to place rat bait chunks out near my trees.  Peg is right too!  Last summer it was chipmunks!  So far I don't see any chipmunks....yet.  And I'm going back to HD to get more packs of the rat baits,  Yesterday I repotted 10 of my .8 gallon trees and guys what I found inside?  Huge pecans buried by none other than those stupid squirrels!  Each pecan had started to root!  So, get you some rat baits!  cheers,

I think the squirrels are on a personnel vendetta against you.

It feels that way, Rafed.

Jason,
Are you sure it is Squirrels? I hate them with a passion, and pay my son for each one he kills, but I have never had them mess with plants themselves. Fruit, vegtables, bulbs, yes, but the actually plant not that I am aware. Maybe I have been lucky. Did they actually eat any part or just pull it up and gnaw. If they are that hungry to eat fig bark you might have luck with the "bucket of death" approach. I won't go into detail but you can google it and I know the general fruit forum has some posting on it.

Positive.  We have chipmunks nearby, but chipmunks don't bury pecans, and they stay to an isolated area - the closest pecan trees are easily 75 yards away.  This type of digging is common of squirrels.

I respect the fact that they want to farm and bury, but there are dozens of other pots they can bury things in other than my figs.  There is also a ton of other food nearby, including mulberries, immature nanking cherries, assorted other things. 

I still haven't gotten the scope sighted out on my two new pellet rifles.  I'm going to head to the store tomorrrow to get some rat traps and set those up - that way I can target specifically the one (or two) squirrels that are hitting my 'fig pen'.

I swear want to take a machete to them and hang the parts around my fig trees to warn all their buddies.

Jason,
Drop me a line on what you loose and I'll see if I have an extra to send to you.
In the meantime here is some light reading.  http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg0911021522891.html

Will need a few weeks.  Call me naive, but I repotted every last one that was dug up.  I'm hoping that all the clouds and rain the last couple of days plus soaring cold wet air kept the roots viable on the ones dug up and still having root nubs.

I had about 2gals of leftover 80/20 perlite/3B mix leftover from rooting and poured it about an inch thick on the remaining pots after re-tamping the potting mix down.  They don't seem to ttack as much with a layer of perlite on top (or seem to pick the pots with less perlite).  Hoping this helps for the next 12 hours, maybe the rain will ward them off ... but once that storm passes ... traps will be loaded with PB sandwiches and placed inside the fig penitentiary.

Actually as I read closer it seems they are just using your nice potting mix to bury things  and uprooting the current resident fig in the process, and not so much in eating your figs plants, and I have that problem as well. I tried the POP BonBons during that Fruit forum thread that Cathy posted, and do not believe it works as most folks concluded. The "bucket of death" can be effective, particullary if you  have sunflower seed normally out, and you remove the normal seed source and replace with your BOD for a few days.

They've only eaten the leaves and stems off of three or four plants.  they usually chop them off like a beaver, for no clear reason (unless they think it's going to compete with the seed they're placing?)

Sorry for the damage Jason.
This year I am going to trap one squirrel during the strawberry season and keep it in the trap in the strawberry patch so others may stay away (I hope).

In your situation, I'd say get 'em any way you can and debate the merits of your solution once their little carcases have assumed room temperature. They sound too sneaky to count on them showing up when you're ready and waiting with your pellet gun, but I wish you the best of luck!

Jason. Squirrels love peanut butter. Slather some on a log, rock, telephone pole, etc. Grab yourself a big glass of iced tea & have a comfy set in your favorite lawn chair. Make sure you have a clear view of all the baited sites. Add a healthy dose of patience. 

When those cute little rascals come down to have a taste of peanut butter, feed them a tiny piece of led (about .177 to be exact). I hear they really love the lead :-) ! Once they've had a belly full they don't ever come back! It will bring you a great deal of satisfaction as well (would me anyway). Also, if you're up for it, you will have a nice store of fresh frozen meat come next winter.

I had a specific youtube vid in mind for you for inspiration but I can't seem to find that one at the moment. It was a compilation of backyard "shots" that clearly demomstrated someone else's love for these fine little furred critters. The whole video was played to one of the tunes from star wars - the one that was always playing when Darth Vador was on the scene. I guess the squirrells were feeling the full wrath of the dark side! The music is very fitting.

Anyway, there are a number of good vids on utube that show folks carrying out there vengence on squirrells with pellet guns.  

@Bill, I've seen that video.  I think that person was using a .22, though, and they looked more like groundhogs than squirrels (although the description said it was squirrels....)

The one I'm thinking of cited a pellet gun being used. Definatly squirrells too. Picking them off on telephone poles, from trees, etc. Must be a popular choice for background music :).

Don't recall if it was 22 cal pellet or not. He may have been using one of thosed pre-charged pneumatic air guns though. Many of them are every bit as powerful as a rifle. Not that it takes much to pop a squirrell though. 

I have my air rifle and the ultimate weapon, the ever watchful terrier.

Squirells love fig wood,and Rose of Sharon,wood here.
They cut it off as fine as best cutting tools will do.
They eat a lot of fruits kind,but not a lot of woody plant.
Only the ones that are made of edible sweet wood.

I think that's what I bought for $33, the Remington Airmaster 77.

Today, 3/30, I thought I patched up the mesh enough to keep them out, if not, I hoped the perlite on top would deter them.  It only made it more obvious it/they attacked my only two Voiture, a Hobart, Black Socorro, Deleon, and my only remaining Black Jack (gave the other away to a fig friend a few months ago).

I hoped to get to the hardware store yesterday but didn't.  Taking the day off from work tomorrow to make it happen.  Traps and PB sandwiches will be waiting for them just in time for lunch.  I'll refrain from posting pictures.

The only fig that seemed really disturbed was one of the Voiture, same one attacked by some chewing insect this year.  It was pretty flimsy because a lot of root mass was removed from the squirrel digging (same as others).

Fredfig,

What kind of terrier is that?  It's so cute and looks sort of like a shaved down yorkie, but with an undocked tail and tipped ears.  So cute!

noss

I'm very sorry about everything what going on..
I know this is sound crazy, but my husband all the time asking me if I see them in yard..
Yes, I do..They eating mulberry all day long on top of my huge tree with the birds..As long as they staying away from my figs I'm Ok..
Thanks God around my property I see few foxes and cats.. And huge birds..Seems like they all love to eat them...
But..I think you need try to catch them and relocate, or find another way..
Very sorry again..

@Olga. You made a very good point when you said "huge birds". I think this is exactly why I have never seen a squirrel in my yard. We have too many Red-Tail Hawks, Owls, & other predatory birds. I see one or more of them almost every day.

This, coupled with the fact that my property is surrounded by open farmland, must be what keeps the varmits in the woods. My house is like an island set away fom the woods. I know there are squirrels in those nearby woods too because I've seen them. The little varmits just don't have enough cover around my house and it's too treacherous a trip to cross the open fields to get here even if there was. Suits me just fine.

Ok, hopefully this picture shows up, I'm posting from my BlackBerry and it's a pain in the ass.

I'm in Savannah for the weekend, before I left on Thurs they hit four more trees with minimal damage. So I rigged up the attached - I figure this will let me target the specific individuals that are getting into my trees.

I called home yesterday evening, still no activity yet.

Rat traps are set with peanut butter and tied to a post so they can't run off with them. Three total (one is hidden in the background by the power pole).

[IMG]http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/file?id=1107897[/IMG]

Still no luck trapping anything, but 4 days have gone by with no damage now....

Those motion sensor, water repeller doo-dads look like a pretty good idea. Just might work. Takes the fun out of shooting them in the head though. 

I do like your rat trap idea Jason. Sounds like you've put the fear into them for now anyway. They could just be consulting with their fellow squirrel scientists right now. Trying to figure out how to diffuse those big things that go SNAP!! on their heads......

I wish you the best in your 'squirrell wars' Jason. Cue the battle scene music!!

I think I mentioned in another thread, I tried the motion sensor water thing.  It didn't work.  They eventually figured out a way to get onto my deck and do damage to my seedlings.  You can only cover so much area with it, just when you think you have it tuned right, they still manage to find a way in.  I also had problems with them being able to hide behind things on my deck (fooling the sensor), and if you ramp up the sensitivity, the slightest breeze can set the thing off, and your water bill is skyrocketing.  It wouldn't be good near my figs; I would need at least two of them, and the nearby nanking cherry bushes would undoubtedly trigger them constantly.

Still getting by with no damage thus far.  None of the traps have been triggered.  I haven't seen a lot of activity from them lately.  Not sure what's up, but I'm not complaining.

Maybe the squirrels have been reading the forum and realized you're serious about this!

Indeed ;)

In all honesty, it could just be that my parents' dog scared the bejebus out of them, and now they're (temporarily) afraid to come into the yard.