Jon:

If you are in a location where using a rifle is safe and close neighbors do not object, it is a very effective option against squirrels. However, squirrels are pretty skittish when they see a firearm aimed at them, and you have to have a shooting location that prevents the squirrel from viewing you fully, such as a window or behind the curtain of a sliding door. I shoot from behind a curtain, and use a bird feeder loaded with sunflower seeds to bring them in range. Full-bore 22's are not required, even shorts, since you can bring down a squirrel with a quiet, low velocity .22CB, which has a low powder charge but a full 28 grain bullet. Or you can use a pellet gun with a velocity of more than 700 fps. A low-power scope is helpful in either case.

There has been a lot of discussion about squirrel control on this forum recently, and you can access it with a search. You will find other options, such as peanut butter/plaster of paris balls, snares, etc., but nothing so ultimately effective at reducing the breeding population as hot lead. It has worked for me here, and my squirrel population is now negligible. I now have more trouble with groundhogs, and have to trap a bunch of them every spring and early summer.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

When I first bought my acreage, I had squirrel, rabbit, and mice problems. After getting cats, the problem began to deminish and now I have not seen any of the mentioned pests for several months. I have seen a big tomcat chase a squirrel and follow it up a tree. I have seen my cats eat numerous young bunnies and even full grown rabbits. I am not sure if the full grown rabbits were road kill that they found. I would say that big cats will help, but I have noticed that they also eat garder snakes, frogs, birds, and other beneficial animals. I feed my cats enough to keep them healthy and strong, but not so much that they get lazy like my parents do at their farm. I still take precautions and protect my fruit trees and garden from rabbits with barriers such as tree protectors and poultry netting.

Todd

I'm in the city, and I second the "cat" solution with caveats. The neighbors cat comes around evenings and does chase away squirrels. But, when it comes around too often, the cat also chases away the birds. The birds are good to eat the undesirable insects, like caterpillars. Win some, lose some.

If the squirrel has to climb the tree to get to the fruit (as opposed to being able to jump into the limbs from the ground, a fence, or an overhead line) you may be able to use a barrier on the trunk. One poster (sorry I can't remember who) used electric fencing wrapped around the trunk. A serious, loose wrapping of barb wire might work, but would also deter cats, I think.

If you can shoot them please do!

Good luck,

M

I use an airgun for hunting squirrels. A spring-powered air rifle that shoots .22 pellets will kill squirrels out to 40+ yards range, mine has a velocity in the range of 750-800 fps.

Another advantage of an airgun is that it is very quiet, pretty close to silent. Like if you were shooting it on one side of your house, somebody standing on the other side of the house would not hear it. It is a lot safer than a firearm but you still need to observe basic shooting safety when using an airgun.

Shooting firearms is forbidden here. We have had good luck with trapping ground squirrels here. Ground squirrels will climb trees for food, but nest in holes in the ground. Or under the house. And they carry serious diseases that humans can get. Nasty creatures.

We still have squirrels coming in from surrounding area, but the population has been reduced noticeably.