I doubt it very much if this will be a solution to hungry squirrels. I tried every thing and nothing works except one. I bought a squirrel trap. I trap them and I have a long hard rubber gloves. I examine the trapped ones. If female I let her go just in case she has babies. Males are put in another cage and they travel 35 miles away to some Federal wooded land and I leave them over there. I did not eliminate the entire herd but I reduced their number by 15. That the best I can do. Also I have Rabbits who are destroying my cucumber and vegetables and I am thinking to do he same thing. It is very time consuming but I am out of less cruel solutions.

IMO there is nothing cruel about destroying vermin. Just make it as quick and painless as possible and the death you cause will be much kinder than what the animal would have experienced sooner or later.

Your doubt about the effectiveness of tall grass is based on absolutely nothing except frustration of past failures that have nothing to do with my suggestion. I have my doubts as well but am interested in peoples anecdotal observations in the context of my suggestion not analysis based on zippo data.

I agree. A gun is the best solution. Just one shot to the head and its game over.

I've killed every one that's entered my orchard this year except one. It's small, quick and clever and always seems to see me the moment I see it. When I'm home I go out with my small shotgun a few times a day but somehow this one is living a charmed life of ripe peaches and poor marksmanship.

At least it doesn't reduce my crop significantly except that it will probably keep me from the handful of nectarines left in my trees.

The problem with this kind of control is that it can take entirely too much time. I actually think the best solution is adequate open space and a good dog.

I used to shoot 'em but its too time-consuming since you have to think about checking 'em out too many times. Also I'd get in a very bad mood if they were too far away for a good shot. So I now use Kania traps. They are lethal traps so all squirrels go to squirrel heaven. All it requires is a daily check.

Scott

Squirrels, birds and rabbits all seem to enjoy it after I mow and come out to play in larger numbers. There may be something to this, but I would suspect it's only in the "mild deterrent" category. For some people, mild deterrent may be enough, especially if there are ample predators to keep the population in check.

Without predation, it seems the rodents will just multiply until they are forced to use all the resources they can get... like your trees.

foolishpleasure -- it will be much easier to install a vermin-proof fence around your vegetable garden. Once and done, minus any annual repairs.

I will point out to those who don't know that I manage scores of orchards so my anecdotal observations sometimes are based on wider experience than those who manage just one. In the case of unmowed stretches of grass being a deterrent I'm speaking of instances where sites within a quarter of a mile from each other are being compared where in the mowed site all the fruit has disappeared and the other not any fruit has been removed by squirrels. Both sites will have an active population easily observed in the tall trees on edge of either lawn or meadow.

I think you're right. Squirrels don't like tall grass at all. I've never seen them bounding through tall grass. I've also noticed squirrels won't enter traps as readily when there is tall grass around them.

I think it will work. My only question is will it increase the load of some insects, since I've noticed moths seem to hide in taller grass. But since you're already managing sites with tall grass, I'm sure you would have noticed if those sites had more insect damage.

Foolish Pleasure,

You can tell if a female squirrel is nursing pups. Lift up the trap and look at her teats. If she is nursing, the fur around her teats will be matted in a circle. Then you can decide whether or not you want to drive Miss Daisy.

Olpea, I believe that tall grass contributes to pest pressure- not just catfacing insects but fungus as well, but the pressure is not enough to equal the problems caused by squirrels. It just leads to uglier fruit- not loss of crop.