Squirrel Eating my Hops Plant!

[bellyboy2]

Yesterday I noticed quite a few wilted leaves and broken vines on my Mt. Hood plants. Today I found a FAT squirrel just munching away on my hops. Has anyone ever heard of this or do I just have a mental squirrel?

 

[TrainSafe]

It sounds like your squirrel has a lead deficiency.

I have a 22 caliber solution for that problem.

 

[slomo]

Agreed, I use to have a squirrel problem until I deployed my New York style rat traps, and my red rider. Now my garden is at peace.

 

[JasonInBTR]

.177 HMR.....does a squirrel good.

 

[Hardtack]

try some deerblock netting ,

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004RA0N/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

we use it on our vegetable garden it works for squirel,rabbit ,birds and even them pesky ground hogs.

 

[RugenBrau]

If your live in town and are unable to go with the lead poisoning method you can pick up a live trap at any Tractor Supply store. My cat does the job for me

 

[rutsah]

While I approve of the trap and lead procedures outlined above, I may just throw in that if you let a stinky beagle hang out around your plants (works on veggies too) critters seems to stay away.

 

[Fletch78]

While I approve of the trap and lead procedures outlined above, I may just throw in that if you let a stinky beagle hang out around your plants (works on veggies too) critters seems to stay away.

My two beagles are plenty stinky, but the squirrels are brave and come right back out when the beagles go inside, same with the rabbits. Luckily I have an organic farm next door, I think that's where they feed themselves, they haven't eaten my garden yet, but the squirrels will clean a peach and a persimmon tree in about a day. SWMBO won't let me shoot them.

I actually have a bigger problem with the beagles trying to bed down in anything nice and mulchy, and dig up anything composty/organic in the soil. I had to get radio collars to electrocute them off the garden.

 

[rutsah]

I just leave my stinky hound on a line... shocking them?! Could be your pests are a braver lot than mine, I have been cleaning live traps out for a few years now on this property.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Like others, get a pellet gun/.22 and have some fun. Solve your squirrel problem and you can get a little fun out of it too.

 

[jsguitar]

Look up Mr.Mcgregors fence. Its basically a green rabbit fence, a short green plastic chicken wire and the most important part, an electric fence. You can put one together yourself with a dog fence type charger, aluminum fence wire and the aforementioned fence material. It works! They don't jump over even though they could for some reason. They inspect the little fence and then get a little shock and don't come back. Safe for kids.

The problem I have is birds nipping the tips off. They either think they're worms or their trying to use them for nests. Annoying.

Oh yeah, the problem with trapping them is that you'll have to be driving them off somewhere after work everyday! No fun.

 

[BenjaminBier]

neighborhood cats are getting to mine.... they dig up the rhizomes and leave behind turds

 

[rniles]

neighborhood cats are getting to mine.... they dig up the rhizomes and leave behind turds

That used to happen to my garden. I laid down chicken wire and let the plants grow through it ...the cats like to scratch and they don't like doing so on the chicken wire. ..and chicken wire is cheap.

 

[rollinred]

neighborhood cats are getting to mine.... they dig up the rhizomes and leave behind turds

This is when you must deploy the shotgun.

A .22 won't work in this case.

I always enjoyed getting the squirrels with my .22-250. They fly about 30 feet sometimes. I know, I am like a squirrel terrorist.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

This is when you must deploy the shotgun.

A .22 won't work in this case.

I always enjoyed getting the squirrels with my .22-250. They fly about 30 feet sometimes. I know, I am like a squirrel terrorist.

I second your methodology.