quendor91

Hey everyone. I thought I'd ask how to repel squirrels from my bananas and other potted plants. What could I sprinkle on the soil that won't harm the banana and keep the squirrels out. Last year, I caught one of those buggers eating the small 1-3 inch pups. I was thinking cinnamon, but I don't know for sure.

Botanical_Bryce

Castor oil is best. I love it. Comes in a hose end sprayer or you can mix a few bottles with diomtenaceous earth and dust everything.

sputinc7

I recommend a pellet gun. Can't stand tree rats in my yard. I love seeing them in the park or somewhere not near my yard. They eat and / or destroy everything I grow. Nothing gets rid of them.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Botanical_Bryce

I have a short squirrel burst but the hawks clean them out

sputinc7

need a hawk...

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

cincinnana

A rat trap and peanut butter works well.......

Irresistible
by Hostafarian,
on Flickr

.I caught this squirrel the other day.

Untitled by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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sputinc7

I tried a rat trap with peanut butter. It keeps coming up empty with the PB gone. I think I need to put it in a box or something so I know they come at it from the right direction.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Kat2

Okay, take this totally with a grain of salt...

Wait, I need to go read my bag and toss some cardboard in the recycle can...

I'm back.

Don't get all excited but the snappy lady at the local feed store recommended this for rabbits, deer and squirrels. I have applied very little 2x; I didn't keep spreading it because I stopped having issues and forgot. (Proudly admit to being a lazy, cheap gardener.)

In all fairness, my lot backs up to woods so maybe animals don't need my land desperately despite the fact that there are 2 rats in my big oaks, yard and even my attic (they hatched a batch before I blocked it). Yes, I do have an armadillo who loves to drop by for a deep dig or 2 every so often in my beds--not the yard--drat--but my gardens. But I was having more significant digging issues (and I can tell the difference in critters) and am not now. That I cuss the rodents out when I spy them may also have contributed to them avoiding my space. I am not a very nice old lady it seems.

This was her recommendation: Farmers Organic - NitrorOrganic Fertilizer - Pallet - Fertilizers - Products Obviously I purchased only 1 bag. PU! I suspect there's blood meal in there. If not that, then some stinky organic component because it doesn't smell at all nice.

Does it work? No clue. But I do know at least it gives something to the plants.

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quendor91

I don't want to kill any of them.

Kat2

If you have chickens, you would happily kill those and minks and coons and skunks and coyotes (good luck with trapping those suckers). If you want to totally control your space you must deter, critter proof, trap or kill. If you are willing to share some of your harvest and animals with predators/thieves you allow nature to take her course and let it be. I'm kinda in the middle right now letting them dig and steal a bit of my stuff but won't be if I decide to raise chickens again. Both creatures have a right to live; kill my pets and you'll not be pleased with my reaction.

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sputinc7

I don't WANT to, either...

They can and will destroy everything in time. As the critters figure out there is food in your yard, and teach their young to find it there as well, Why grow anything? They will destroy it all. I say destroy because a lot of times they only eat some, but tear up the rest...Squirrels are the worst for tearing stuff up for no reason.They are curious critters. They will rip a hole in a watermelon just to see what is inside. (It has happened to me more than once.)
Raccoons, on the other hand, are greedy. they will eat so much they can barely waddle away to sleep after. Nothing is out of their reach, and they will eat almost anything.

For these reasons, they must die. IMNSHO

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

quendor91

I just heard that sprinkling cayenne pepper will repel the squirrels; I think I'll just sprinkle a bit around my banana and other plants.

sputinc7

Whereabouts in central Il? That is where I am from ubtil a year and a half ago...

Squirrels there are 2x as big as here in Fl. and other than digging up potted plants occasionally they weren't much trouble.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

quendor91

Springfield, Il. I don't see too many squirrels around here, just a couple from time to time.
Most are about half the size of a cat. One likes to sit on the window sill outside; caught it napping in the morning sunlight.

sputinc7

I grew up in Peoria, and lived in the Canton / Lewistown areas the last 15 years or so before moving to Florida. Been to Springfield several times. I only know a few people there, though.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

quendor91

Yep Peoria is about 45-60 minutes away. I like our summers. I like winter with snow for a couple weeks, then I'm ready for it to be 85-95 degrees Fahrenheit ha.

cincinnana

Blame your empty trap with the bait gone on ants......mine get cleaned out overnight by the small sugar ants.

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sputinc7

The trap will be snapped, but empty is what I mean..

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Lau

That looks like a possum. The squirrels at my house don't seem to bother my bananas yet. I have dogs so that could be the reason.

Lau

Possums are ugly fence rats that don't runaway when confronted. When I see them on the fence I just knock them off with a stick. That's if the dogs don't get them first. The possums don't even try to run away.

I could do without squirrels, possums and small mice looking for a fruit and vegetable handout in my yard.