Squirrels are so sweet, aren’t they? With their fluffy tails and tiny paws and cute cheeks? The way they chase each other up and down the telephone poles and across the fencetops? Their adorable nibbling action?
Yeah, that’s what I thought too.
Until they took over my herb garden.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d found evidence of interfering wildlife the first morning after my container garden had been transplanted outdoors. That day I tidied the small mess, hoping that once we got the containers up onto their stands it would discourage the critters from getting involved again.
Not so.
Every day I head downstairs to see what damage has been wrought, and almost every day I grimly sweep up the dirt and straighten the poor mistreated plants.
I’m not sure how much more stress the plants can take, or how long it’ll be before the beasts dig them up completely.
Little creeps.
I don’t really know what to do next – whether to bring the garden indoors again (not at all what I’d hoped would happen), or fashion some sort of mesh cage around the containers (that’s hubby’s suggestion, though I half suspect it would do no more than slow down the menaces), or something else entirely that just hasn’t occurred to me yet.
Any thoughts?!
siouxZQ May 31, 2012 at 5:36 pm
We put out food for the birds – nyger for the finches, crazy chicken wild bird seed, black oil sunflower seeds, nectar for the hummingbirds and peanuts for the squirrels.
We have lots and lots of feeders, including a hanging basket on the porch (we put seed in it) and 2 window feeders in the living room … right behind my head.
We keep the seed in 3 tin garbage cans.
The squirrels go after the feeders and took some time to learn to jump in the hanging basket. They have now mastered the window feeders by climbing up the siding (with sounds like chalk on a blackboard) and leaping over the the feeder – usually with success.
When we don’t fill all the feeders fast enough, I can hear an odd banging outside.
Picture it it … tin garbage can with a sitting squirrel reaching down, gripping the edge of the lid and yanking up suddenly – over and over. Hilarious to watch, the squirrel’s own weight won’t allow him to open it – never mind the lock top!
The only safe feeder is the hummingbird one
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:17 am
Good grief, they are tenacious (and smart) little critters, aren’t they?! I have a feeling they look at my herb garden as a delightfully-scented playground! Grrr…
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
siouxZQ May 31, 2012 at 5:38 pm
** that was FINGERNAILS on a blackboard, not chalk …
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:20 am
I knew what you meant!
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
Elaine Kehoe May 31, 2012 at 7:05 pm
You could try scattering some mothballs around the plants. Or sprinkle them with hot red pepper.
Or you could borrow my dog. She’d have those squirrels running for their lives!
Elaine Kehoe recently posted… Blogging for Fun: Focus on This
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:18 am
That’s what I need – a dog stationed on the front porch to keep the herbs (and us!) safe!
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
Elaine Kehoe May 31, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Oops, scratch that first suggestion–I’m not sure mothballs would be a very good idea with plants you’re going to eat. Try the pepper–it should wash off the herbs easily, but you’ll probably have to do it every day.
Elaine Kehoe recently posted… Blogging for Fun: Focus on This
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:18 am
I like the pepper idea – thank you!
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
sandra tyler May 31, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Do task me. My squirrels just knock the whole damn window box off the railing. Too smart for us.
sandra tyler recently posted… Overheard
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:19 am
Ack! Rotten little critters.
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
Susan
Twitter: susandusterhoft
May 31, 2012 at 11:44 pm
I don’t have a problem with squirrels; my problem is with snails and slugs. I’m constantly putting out bait for to eradicate them. It’s a never ending battle, one that I have to tackle daily. So far, this year I am winning. I hope you win in your battle too!
Susan recently posted… Guilty Pleasure
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 11:19 am
It’s always something, isn’t it?! Glad you’re winning the battle this year.
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs
a.eye June 1, 2012 at 11:40 am
I don’t know what it is called, but my dad found this baggie in a gardening magazine that has a scent to it that keeps squirrels at bay. I tried it at my old place and it worked wonders. If you don’t want that, a mesh/wire cage around the items would be good, too.
a.eye recently posted… Kids say the darndest things
Dawn Storey
Twitter: ABCsalad
June 1, 2012 at 12:34 pm
Oh, good to know! I was thinking of going to a garden centre to see if they had any suggestions – I’ll ask about that sort of thing. Thank you!
Dawn Storey recently posted… Squirrelled Herbs