Help! I've Got Squirrels... And I Can't Get Rid of Them!!!

Just read an article in my recent "CountrySide" magazine, with poor people like you, plagued with grey squirrels. For their veggies, they sprayed all their veggies with a hot pepper spray (sadly it has to be redone after each rain). they made a hot pepper tea simmering "habeneros" in water, and added a little "Sunlight" dish soap. (Iwould be inclined to use an organic dish soap) this all washes off when you harvest & wash your veggies, and doesn't hurt your soil. But it deters them. Just an aside here, you might really enjoy "Countryside"...it's a magazine of modern homesteading and small stock journal. It's sorta like "mother earth" mag and printed on the same non glossy paper, that if you don't like the mag. you can use it for mulch. The ink is non-toxic, too. There is also a wonderful web. www.H.E.N.com (www.HomesteadExchangeNetwork.com) with lots of wonderful forums, with lots of great tips.

I have had simular problems but ours is with regular squirrels here in Pennsylvania. There are a few things that they don't like that you may plant one of them is peppermint. You can plant this around your garden and use it year round. The only thing you need to do iss keep it in check, it grows easily and spreads. The squirrels and other varmints don't like the smell of marigolds either. When you can find them out of their holes put moth balls inside. That will keep them from returning. They may build else where but if you keep doing this, they may give up and go into someone elses yard. Good Luck and I hope this helps.

You should do several things. Spray your plants with a pepper spray. I've given the recipe away in other discussions if you want to search for one you can make. Apply it every week or 2 and after every rain. Don't plant peppermint that spreads by rhizomes. It is very invasive. You will have that stuff growing every where and never be able to get rid of it. Plant Ricinus. It is where they get castor oil. The rodents don't like the smell of the roots in the soil. Use mole spray. Get something organic so you can saturate the soil without polluting your plants. Also spray it in their holes. Hopefully the smell will make them go away. Put mothballs in their holes. You can also make a border around your garden. I just thought of this. If you have the space plant a wall with something like habanero peppers. LOL that might keep them out after they get a taste of that. Last but not least. You can get a trap and release them into the woods away from civilization. The local humane society might be able to help you with the traps. Good luck.

Finally got around to looking up what a California ground squirrel is. It doesn't look as ugly as I thought it would. It's horrible that these little creatures are doing so much harm to your garden. After some research, I found out more about these creatures and, hopefully, how to get rid of them. California ground squirrels' main predators are rattlesnakes, eagles, red foxes, raccoons, badgers, and weasels. I realize these options are unrealistic, but they may give us a clue on how to eradicate them. Find their main entrance to your garden and take a 12x12 piece of aluminum foil and attach one end to anything so it bangs around. Maybe a stick that is a few inches in the ground. This is assuming you know where the entrances are. This should sound somewhat like a rattle and scare them away. Another idea I came across, which is somewhat extreme, uses male urine. Spread the urine around the perimeter of your garden. The testosterone in the urine is supposed to deter the squirrels as well. You can always try "deer scram". (www.deerscram.com) Rodetrol is a naturally organic poison you can try as well. Good Luck.