Live trap them, and put them down. Relocating will only pass the problem on to someone else, or be putting a squirrel into another's territory, where hostility will ensue. The easiest way is to shoot them. If you're the kind of person to kill stuff, then you could try & provide food and water for them. They'd much rather eat sunflower seed, peanuts, or corn, and drink fresh water, then have to eat tomatoes. I have plenty of squirrels in my yard, and they never bother my tomatoes or anything else, except of course my bird feeders. Typically, tomatoes, especially green, aren't very tasty, and the main reason animals, including birds, eat them, is for a source of water. I can tell you this about varmints, which squirrels are: If you take a passive approach, you will be disappointed, because repellents and deterrants only buy you time, not a solution.

Joe

Use the forum search and the term 'squirrels' for lots of discussions with all sorts of control tips.

Dave

terrier!

Mine is available as a rental, $25/day. He has also been trained stay out of raised beds (1' high) to go after cabbage moths, and to leave fire flies and bees alone......

I think the visual distinction of fire flies and cucumber beetles is too fine for his vision....not sure about smell though....will ponder this....

my parent report decreased squirrel activity lasted for about 10 days after his departure (4 day visit)

t-bird has it figured out.

My Jack Russell keeps all unwanted creatures out of our yard and garden. I will put her up against any cat, any day. I no longer have mice, moles, voles, squirrels, rabbits, cats or other dogs hanging out.

The last squirrel I saw was a couple of years ago. It managed to run up a maple tree and was stuck there for 10 hours while "Butterscotch" waited patiently at the bottom. Then my husband came home and "removed" the squirrel.

well - to be fair to the cats - they are just in it for recreational activity.....

terriers were bred for this.....and only this! If I see a squirrel anywhere near our yard, on the fence, etc. I open the door and call out "Squirrel!"....he rips out there fast as his little legs can go and shags out the whole yard.....I've seen him run about 5-6 feet up a tree trunk before gravity wins. He's only about 18" at the shoulder....

Now - on walks, he's suppose to ignore them. That's a little more difficult for him!

His hatred of Racoons is frightening! He totally loses his mind if he sees them. I want to get a pet door so he can shag out the yard all night long, lol. I could even plant some corn then!

Since posting this I've tried a couple things. Sprayed liquid fence around the perimeter and around my garden and it did seem to tone it down a lot. Also been using a big rabbit/squirrel trap. Haven't caught any rabbits, but caught probably 8 or so squirrels. Instead of releasing them, I let them die in the cage. That's been the thing that works the best. You try to be humane about it, but they just keep coming back...

At least now I can enjoy my cuk's, zuk's, and tomatoes!

there is also humanity in killing - letting a creature die of dehydration and hunger when you could give a quick clean death is abominable.

Trust me, it's a pretty quick death in 110 degree sun in the desert without water. It's not like he suffers for days.

sounds like torture to me

I read somewhere about a woman who was arrested for animal cruelty after drowning a squirrel she had caught in a live trap. I think she was quoted as saying it was the quickest most humane way she could think of to kill the squirrels. I don't remember if they actually ended up convicting her or what.

It does raise an interesting question of how to kill the squirrels after you have trapped them. What is humane? I agree with those who have said it doesn't sound like a particularly humane death for the squirrels to be left in the cage until they die. But on other hand, 100+ degree heat with no water is probably going to produce a faster death than commonly accepted methods such as poisons and glue traps.

Not sure there is a good answer.

Pellet gun.

Unfortunetely there's nothing I can do about it. I set the trap out in the evening (check it in the morning and it's still empty). When I get home from work at 5-6pm, they're usually dead already. It's not my fault the get in it sometime in the late morning/afternoon and die by the evening.