I saw pretty neon colored pellets for a pellet pistol at Wally World.
Sounds like a plan this summer to have coffee by the pool shooting lime green and orange pellets before work, lol.

I disagree with the shooting of any animals. They are acting on instinct. I just think it is inhumane.

A water gun (like a super-soaker) would work just as well, but wouldn't do any permanent damage to the tree rats...er cute little squirrels. You'd just have to sit a bit closer.

Pam - whose Dad sits at the kitchen table beside the glass door to the patio with his pellet gun and "stings" the squirrels out of his tomato pots and flower beds.

I think a water gun is an acceptable alternative. As long as it is plain water inside the gun.

They're tree rats, nasty rodents. Like my voles. I'd shoot them if I could. I don't think I can put up with it again this year- the voles that is. If they're back again (I've already seen one on the move), I will definitely re-think all this wintersowing. I'm hoping that last year was just a fluke. It's just too frustrating to put so much into something and have it ruined by miserable rodents.

Karen

Karen, If you have any used kitty litter you can use that to make an "invisible fence". This seems to keep bunnies and voles at bay. I've also heard that Bounce dries sheets will repel them.
-B

Karen, what kinds of problems have you had with voles? I've only had problems with them eating my newly-planted bulbs (they don't touch the old ones for some reason). I know we've got them all over the place, because I've seen them and because my terriers also occasionally nail one. Do they eat plants, too?

Brandy, I like the idea of an "invisible fence" for the voles. Now I'll just have to locate some used kitty litter...hubby had a great time picking up coffee grounds from Starbuck's and barn litter from a horse barn, I can't wait till he hears this one!!

This is why I like my cat. There are no snakes, squirrels, voles, groundhogs, etc in my yard for long. My cat keeps them away.

Of course, having a cat is a trade-off. The cat will occasionally try to use your beds as a cat box.

greengardener, just curious. A squirrel is a rodent. As is a rat. If rats invaded your home in winter, just doing what they do naturally, trying to survive, what would you do? Keep them as pets?

bigdaddyj,

Well, as I have a cat, who happens to be a good old fashioned "tom cat" and extremely active, that if we did happen to get the occasional rodent, I would not have to worry as he would take care of it before it became a problem.

Not to mention the amount of neighborhood cats who pass through the yard every night (they come over and say hi as they go to their next stop), would take care of the outside problem.

And there are the hawks that like to perch on our garage and watch the bird feeder and other parts of the garden. Happened to see him hovering around the other day, I figure each wing would measure 5' to 6' in length.

So what I am saying let nature intervene and that we should take care of the problems as best as we can, rather than shooting them.

And if I did not have a cat, I would call in a "wildlife relocation specialist" to take care of the problem. They would catch the problems, and move them to a safe location and release them.

Yeah right. A wildlife reclocation specialist. Can you imagine what that would cost for all these voles, chipmunks, tree rats....

The problem? Some rotten creature dug up my seedlings as fast as I planted them last year. Sometimes the seedling was missing, sometimes just dug up and left on top of the soil, dried up and dead.

Last year
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No cats or kitty litter at my house. Neighborhood cats do run around the neighborhood but apparently they're not interested in hunting.

Karen

Karen,

That is a bummer! And I would have to agree with the cost, but then again, I never had to call them in, so I did not think about the dollars. Thanks for opening my eyes on that one.

As for the squirrels, check the link below and scroll down about 3/4 pf the page (at least right now it is), and look at booboobearbeckys post on what she did to control her wildlife problem. Pretty creative! I hope it helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Critter control options

It seems a lost cause as long as they are running free outside. If I did get rid of them briefly, my neighbor's critters would come to follow. Rodents don't show much respect for fences.

As far as making a restaurant for rodents, when hell freezes over! And in my mind, setting out a buffet for squirrels only increases the liklihood of attracting other rodents, like rats. Fortunately, no bears around here. When I had big dogs, I had no critter problem at all.

Karen

Karen,

Veru good points.

You know, if someone ever was able to make weeds taste good to squirrels, birds and the other varmints out there, and make our favorite plants taste bad to them, every gardener would be so thankful and lining up at their door to thank them.

Anyone have any spare time to study molecular biology?

karen - do you think that critter is searching for grubs - we had holes like that and found out it was a skunk digging for grubs - We now have six bunnies, deer, skunks, squirrels and probably moles, rats and possums (for sure, possums).... oh, and three inside cats!

That's why I plant so many plants - just in case a lot get eaten - it's a never ending battle.

Carrie

I don't know what drew them here last year, Carrie. I was hoping it was due to the drought last year, though that was just a guess. Chipmunks were always in my neighbor's downspouts. And after that long drought, after we finally had a rain in fall, a drowned chipmunk was washed out of the pipe from my downspouts and into the street.

Once many years ago (like 20 years) we had a problem but my big dog kept them under control. Never had another problem until last year. I've read that voles eat vegetation rather than grubs, but I really don't have many grubs anyway, but I do have tons of worms since I've been using organics.

I read somewhere online that vole populations tend to increase about every 4 years, then decrease again. I'm hoping that holds true for me.

Karen