To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Citrus and squirrels
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:53:06 -0400
On Apr 21, 2008, at 7:30 AM, Harrick, Barbara wrote:
Hi all! Has anyone else had any difficulty with squirrels bothering
citrus in containers? I must have the greediest squirrels on the
planet......
Yes, (Although technically my meyers lemon citrus is in the ground
when the squirrels have access to it. It lives in a pot in the
winter, and in my backyard in the summer.)
The first year I put it out the squirrels took all the unripe fruits
and buried them in the woods. (I found most of the fruits.) Since
then, I have caged it when it is outdoors.
Just a warning - last year I was having trouble with the cage blowing
away, and it had no fruit, so I left it unprotected. It was fairly
heavily "pruned" by deer, and something nibbled away a lot of the
bark near the base, mice or rabbits, I suppose. This year I plan to
use the cage again. I do not have especially heavy deer pressure, so
the citrus plant must taste good.