the squirrels are getting it all

[pinkytoe]

We have two large loquat trees loaded with fruit this year. I noticed yesterday that in only one day while I was at work the squirrels had picked almost all the fruit, taken one bite of each and thrown it on the ground. Now they are in the pecan trees eating all the new leaf shoots. Six of them in one tree!! They will no doubt get the tiny pecans when they start to form. If I dare to put out bird seed, they are after it like gymnasts hanging upside down and swinging. Every vegetable I have planted has holes dug around it from them. They have just gotten out of hand - any solutions to keeping them out of my yard? The dog just ignores them.

[iris lily]

yes, the evil Tree Rats will do exactly that. They've been decimating our crops for years now. DH has an ongoing battle with them. He catches them in a Have A Heart trap and then dispenses them to Tree Rat Heaven.

A Good Squirrel Day is sending 3 of the nasty little buggers off.

[IshbelRobertson]

Whilst I feel sorry for you - imagine what it's like here... Our native red squirrels are being decimated by the larger, voracious American greys. They carry a virus to which they are impervious, but our smaller, native reds are susceptible. The greys have taken over Southern England and hold sway there, except for small colonies of reds in places like the Lake District.

We are next!

[Tweety]

The trouble with eliminating them is that their neighbors move in to the newly vacated territory and you are right back where you started with a new batch. You have to teach them a non-lethal lesson so they stay around but leave the good stuff alone.
A BB gun was my solution. They only have to be hit 2 or 3 times with a nasty but non-injuring sting for them to realize that they really don't want to plunder your goodies. I enjoy seeing them eye my bird feeders from a distance while twirling their tails in frustration, then dashing next door to rob those feeders and leave mine alone. The lesson usually lasts about 6 - 8 months.
However, it doesn't work with rabbits. You can hit those miserable creatures with the BB, they jump straight up in the air, then come down and keep right on on munching.