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nafex - [NAFEX] Ginda's disappearing apples

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  • From: Haighal@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Ginda's disappearing apples
  • Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:24:07 EDT

Ginda asked about missing apples over a month ago but I've just joined the list so here's my late answer to her question about what form of wildlife filched her apples.  I believe raccoons are only interested in ripe apples.  If the apples were unripe the culprits are almost certainly squirrels.

 

I manage a lot of home orchards where squirrels are a huge issue and this was a moderate squirrel year where I’m located (a couple hundred miles from Ginda).  Squirrels have the ability to vertical leap about 4 feet and they can climb the cylinders of roof flashing I staple on to the trunks to keep off coons and possums.  Someone recently claimed that spraying the aluminum cylinders with the anti-sticking spray used in pan cooking will stop them from climbing.  We’ll see.

 

I had some success spreading paste formula tanglefoot above my cylinders over tape so squirrels couldn’t climb without getting that horrible stuff all over their bodies.  In some sites it didn’t matter and the stuff was spread around by very hungry squirrels who took the fruit anyway.  In other sites feeding stopped immediately.

 

I expect next year I will be experimenting with the plaster of paris x peanut butter balls suggested by one contributor.   I am very interested in any other suggestions about squirrel control that aren’t too time consuming.  On most sites shooting is not an option.





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