North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

The squirrels did in my 4 trees of peach crop in June, then ended the month 
by chewing the little pears from my reliable old tree and throwing them on 
the ground.  My best plum crop ever is waiting and I am wondering if it will 
go the way of the peaches and pears.

The squirrel pressure is just too intense.  I throw barley seed on the 
ground, turn it over, and by the time I make the back stairs to the house up 
to 5 are already working the seed.

Short of trapping and gassing, can anyone think of natural controls for 
squirrels that can be brought to bear?   I've thought of taking a 10' pole 
and mounting it high on a tall alder as an extended naked surface the raptors 
could land on to look the area over.

Locally been told the 3 main predators of squirrel are:

1.   Fisher  ..........  we have fishers here in the area
2.   Pine Martens ............... they're much further north in the northern 
woods of NH and Maine
3.   Red Tailed Hawks ..........  we got plenty hawks, don't know which 
species.

Charlie Paradise
getting gnawed out in zone 5 / Massachusetts