North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[JoanRRosenberg@aol.com]

Don't know where you are, but in NYS anything classified as wildlife is off 
limits to anyone without a Dept of Environmental Conservation permit. This 
includes trap, move, rescue, etc.

My suggestion is to keep the varmints away from the fruit, give them a 
feeding station not in that area, and supply dog food, cat crunchies, bread, 
any  household leftovers.  That will serve as a temporary item.  The more 
permanent fix is to plant squirrel food that is preferred to your fruit/nut 
crops.

If you have oaks, compost around the base with aged horse manure.  You will 
have so many acorns you will go nuts.  So will the squirrels.  If not, put a 
few in, maybe some hazelnuts.  

Another alternative is to fence the area and acquire an outdoor dog for the 
season, bring it in for the winter.  For the fall, it will keep squirrels out 
of the fenced area.

Another alternative is hunting housecats.   Not all cats hunt, but those who 
do, patrol their territory, and the squirrels don't go there. If they do, 
they are cat lunch.