greene said:This is a random idea, untested.
I have read that squirrels don't dig in an area where the gardener has placed orange/citrus peels, coffe grounds and/or human hair. Also, squirrels avoid areas frequented by dogs or cats.
So, here is my idea. Go ahead and place a layer of netting over the seed head. Then add another layer of netting with some citrus peels inside, or human hair, or cat/dog hair. Spread coffee grounds around the base of the plant.
Hope someone can test my idea to see if it will work.

Good thought. Thank you for the idea

[quote="RickM"]Kari, when you say 'netting', are you referring to what they sell that has openings that are at least 1"x1" square? If so, there is no way that will keep out a squirrel.

Instead, try using nylon netting that you get at the craft/fabric store. It's a fine mesh. The squirrel will have to actually tear through the netting to get at the seeds. But, the netting also allows air and water to pass through with ease.

I now cover all newly planted areas with this netting. It keeps out both squirrel and deer.

Below is a picture of what I'm talking about. It also comes in a wide variety of colors.



And with spring coming, you may be able to get it on sale/clearance. When we had a fabric store closing in our area a couple of years ago, I bought up all of the black, brown and dark green.

Definitely look into this.

Philipwonel said:I know 😁!!! I know 😁!!!
You need something they can't climb !!!
About ?😕? 2 foot long piece of sheet metal or plastic. That you can wrap around stalk. It will need to be completely slick. There widdow claws cant get a grip on , also , tall enough so they cant jump to top. Im guessing 2 feet high ???

I'll bet a dollar to a penny !!! 😁
😎😎😎

Bed is in a Community Garden so I am restricted there.

Well !!!! I Tried...
😎😎😎

Live trap them in cages; drown the suckers.

I like your thinkin @yardenman Only one thing i would do different ! If there tree squrills. I would eat em ### YUMMY 😜###
😎😎😎

We've had squirrels forever. The worst they ever did was dump seed out of the hanging bird feeder and raid the suet in our plug feeders. We broadcast seed on the ground now and all the creatures are happy. We have grey squirrels though. The reds are more destructive.

Philipwonel said:I like your thinkin @yardenman Only one thing i would do different ! If there tree squrills. I would eat em ### YUMMY 😜###
😎😎😎

Too much trouble.

@shadegardener - I'm having trouble trying to visualize how you attached the slinkies. Any chance you have a picture that you could post?

I happen to own a very nice slinky. Back in the day when some of us still programmed mainframe computers, my group shared a slinky. Whenever anyone was in deep thought, you'd look up to see them pacing the aisle, slinky in hands. (If the slinky was in use, we also had a yoyo.) Frees the mind or loosens the cogs or whatever. But if it frees the feeders from the squirrels, sounds good to me.

tx - don't have a pic at the moment. If you have a single-hook pole, you can slip the slinky over the hook and over the curves, encasing the pole inside the slinky. Attach one end of the slinky on the hook edge of the curve with a piece of wire. If you have a double-hook, you'll have to wind the slinky around the pole and then lift one end of the slinky up to the joint of the two hooks and attach with wire. Did I explain it clearly?

The trick with the squirrels is to use a barrel AND a flat baffle. Stops them cold!






No squirrel has gotten to my feeder in 10 years.

@Yardenman - I have a baffle and it works quite well. Now I have another baffle and a barrel but my newer poles are too skinny for them. Really hate to get a new pole right now. But anyway, the baffles and barrels do work great.

@Shadegardener - yes, that was a better explanation but one thing. Don't you have to tie the slinky down at the top and bottom? And what do you use to tie or attach it with? Those little squirrels are so clever that I bet they could untie shoelaces! Also, how far down the pole does the slinky need to stretch? Just as far as an ordinary old-fashioned one would stretch?

McCannon said:We've had squirrels forever. The worst they ever did was dump seed out of the hanging bird feeder and raid the suet in our plug feeders. We broadcast seed on the ground now and all the creatures are happy. We have grey squirrels though. The reds are more destructive.

We have mostly red squirrels but I think they've gotten too fat from eating all the seed that we provide to be very destructive . When the bird feeder is getting close to empty they sit on our deck railing and look into the kitchen window. Ziggy keeps trying to catch them, but they apparently aren't too fat to escape him...

Our greys aren't fat. They spend a lot of time chasing each other up and down and around the trees. I happened to look out a front window yesterday and there were 5 of them racing down the driveway before climbing the trees out front.

tx - you only need to tie off the slinky at the top. Use a piece of wire for that - wire will hold up to the weather. The bottom - we've never attached the bottom of the slinky - the more action there is to the slinky, the less likely the squirrels can master it. If you feel that the newer slinkies are too short to do the job, you could attach some sort of weight (maybe some metal washers?) at the bottom of the slinky to stretch it out a bit to over more of the pole.
Here, the red and gray squirrels are much more active and don't seem to be fat. The fox squirrel - bigger and fatter - doesn't move around as quickly or as much.

Just kidding about the fat squirrels... the way they run around they must burn every calorie they can possibly consume!

shadegardener - having been offline here for awhile gave me some time to further cogitate about the slinky squirrel situation. And I was finally able to realize and laughingly visualize how this get-up would work. Definitely worth a try.