Thread: Those damn squirrels!

Squirrels are fast.
My ex's sister had a lurcher. Ugly dog but fastest thing in the park. It used to tease big dogs by getting them to chase it.
Then one day it chased a squirrel. Squirrel straight up tree. Dog straight into tree. All kinds of bones broken and massive vet bills. The poor thing never fully recovered.
Don't mess with squirrels.

I am sure you have seen mooring rope rat guards at one harbor or another in your nautical life. I am sure any sheet metal shop could fabricate these at modest cost. This would work if all trees within the Venn diagram of your yard are protected.

Interesting I haven't seen any squirrels that color in Thailand before. They usually seem a bit darker.

Something put a hurting on this sad looking bunch of bananas.

Brother in law was having to much "fun" over new year and left them to long.

Originally Posted by mudcat

I am sure you have seen mooring rope rat guards at one harbor or another in your nautical life. I am sure any sheet metal shop could fabricate these at modest cost. This would work if all trees within the Venn diagram of your yard are protected.

That's a good idea would work for the wifes pawpaw trees I think

Originally Posted by mudcat

I am sure you have seen mooring rope rat guards at one harbor or another in your nautical life. I am sure any sheet metal shop could fabricate these at modest cost. This would work if all trees within the Venn diagram of your yard are protected.

That looks a great idea Mudcat. I found an old plastic bin lid which I was going to modify but I can't find a papaya tree suitable. I need an isolated tree as with the others the squirrels just leap across to nearby mango trees which they use as bridges to escape to safety. These damn squirrels are surprisingly athletic when there's a pack of barking dogs chasing them.

The only tree I found where this may work was this one, but I can't see any self-respecting squirrel wasting it's time climbing this... it certainly isn't one of the gardener's finest efforts. Sometimes I wonder if I should actually call him a 'gardener'.

Originally Posted by Mendip

These damn squirrels are surprisingly athletic when there's a pack of barking dogs chasing them.

The only tree I found where this may work was this one, but I can't see any self-respecting squirrel wasting it's time climbing this... it certainly isn't one of the gardener's finest efforts. Sometimes I wonder if I should actually call him a 'gardener'.

There are only 3 things you need to do.
1. Call him your gofer!
2. Let you Missus worry about the papaya trees, when she has none she will do something about it (whinge, kill the squirrels, buy them at Makro).
3. Teach the dogs to climb trees.

Problems solved.

Originally Posted by ootai

2. Let you Missus worry about the papaya trees, when she has none she will do something about it (whinge, kill the squirrels, buy them at Makro).

I didn't even know Makro sold squirrels.

Between the Deer and Wild Boar in the freezer section Mendip

^ Thanks MM... I rarely go down that aisle.

Oh, along from the duck throats, surely you've bought them before?

Fasten the Rat glue mats around the tree trunks.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Oh, along from the duck throats, surely you've bought them before?

Originally Posted by CalEden

Fasten the Rat glue mats around the tree trunks.

I thought you'd be recommending hand grenades, Cal?

Anyway, it's very difficult to defend against attacks from above. I watched this incoming b@stard enter one of our front mango trees via the electricity wires this morning. The mango tree is full of blossom and I reckon he was doing reconnaissance for when it fruits.

Originally Posted by Mendip

I thought you'd be recommending hand grenades, Cal?

Of course, hand grenades would be more exciting and damaging too! Too many tree stumps than you have time to remove!

get a rat trap,it works every time,just put a bit of any fruit in it,then the wife wife will do the rest,taking them for a walk,or if there are any cambodeians working nearby they will bar-ba-que them.

I took this very Shutree-esque picture of our white squirrel today while sat inside, looking out of the window.

If you look very closely at the tree trunk to the immediate right of the left-hand Spirit House you can see his tail as he disappeared up into the mango tree foliage.

I can't say I'm too optimistic about this guy's long term future. I watched him take a short cut across the corner of the garden instead of sticking to the top of the wall which would have taken him on a 3 metre longer route. As they say, he has to be lucky every time... our seven dogs only have to be lucky once.

Originally Posted by Mendip

If you look very closely at the tree trunk to the immediate right of the left-hand Spirit House you can see his tail

Got it! Great shot.

All this rain we've been having has produced a glut of papayas.



And bounty time for the squirrels...



This tree is just about still standing thanks to the gardener's efforts.



It seems that the squirrels are getting fussy and have so much choice that they now leave the seeds.

I took a walk around the garden earlier during a rare moment of dryness between all the rain, with the pack of course in attendance.

Yogi suddenly took off, quickly followed by the rest and a beautiful yellow squirrel just escaped by running up the long gon tree.

A bit of investigation revealed this. The squirrel seems to nibble off the skin and spit it out before getting into the middle of the papaya.



Another treat for the chickens.

stealing the food from the squirrels. poor beggars.

^ It's the exact opposite. These damn squirrels are eating more of our papayas than I am.

They just wait for the perfect ripeness, then come at night and nail them.



This papaya must have been twice the weight of a squirrel and it's been demolished.

The chickens know what to expect.

Originally Posted by Mendip

This papaya must have been twice the weight of a squirrel and it's been demolished.

The chickens know what to expect.

Same problem here. I need to get myself some chickens.

^ You mean some "splendid cock"

Originally Posted by Shutree

I need to get myself some chickens.

I'm sure with Mendip's new found DIY skills he could come up with some contraption to scare them off

Originally Posted by Reg Dingle

^ You mean some "splendid cock"

I'm good. Only a flock of chickens needed.