North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[list@ginda.us]

How natural do you want the controls to be?  One of my housecats takes 
squirrels from time to time.  I've only seen two dead squirrels, and 
scores of dead chipmunks, but he does discourage them from foraging 
when he's outside.  Some types of small dogs are probably even better.

A couple of years ago we had a red shouldered hawk couple in the 
neighborhood, and the squirrels were must more circumspect that year.  
I bet any large hawk would help, not just the red tails.  A tall pole 
is probably a good idea.  A dead tree is even better - they don't seem 
to like points as much as high branches.

Ginda


On Jul 2, 2004, at 2:44 PM, Charles Paradise wrote:

> 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
>
> _______________________________________________
> nafex mailing list
> nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
>
> **YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
> All other messages are discarded.
> No exceptions.
> ----
> To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can 
> be used to change other email options):
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex
>
> File attachments are NOT stripped by this list
> TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
> Please do not send binary files.
> Use plain text ONLY in emails!
>
> Message archives are here:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/nafex
>
> NAFEX web site:   http://www.nafex.org/