genielady, I hope your bananas aren't suffering too much. I don't understand why your neighbor traps them AND THEN RELEASES THEM? What would be best is to get a heavy brick or something in the trap and sink it in the river with the squirrel. Short of getting a full time outside dog, or being a better shot, I don't know what to say. If you ever do get better with the BB gun, aim for the eyeball. It kills them instantly.

Get a cat or two for outside. Problem solved.

i recommend the cat solution as well.. and its lots of fun watching the squirrels tease the cats, too

gardenguy...
as mostly a lurker here, i generally enjoy reading your posts... HOWEVER.. not anymore. Never thought to be reading a response such as the one you just posted.

I can't believe the comments about poisons, bb guns and drowning. I would think that anyone who is active in a garden forum would also like animals. I'm not going to start an argument in a banana forum of all places. I'll just say that the animals were probably there a long time before people, and don't deserve to be poisoned, shot or drowned. A cat is one thing... because the cat will probably never catch any of them... just scare them off.

Wow, I never knew people could take some things seriously. Never had a squirrel problem here, so I guess it's easy to think about hating them when they constantly eat and destroy plants.

I'm sorry squirrels have decided to go after your Orinocos. I was having trouble earlier with them stripping the "bark"(last year's tattered remains) off my basjoos, which they've never done before this year. I wonder why they are finding bananas attractive targets this year? Could it have anything to do with the really warm winter? I'd really keep trying the pepper and maybe mix in garlic or some other really spicy extract. You might even try something with Habanero peppers, though do be careful how you handle them. Good luck!!

I suggest getting one of those motion activated sprinklers. I also had trouble a couple years ago with squirrels eatting my bananas. I didnt go the auto sprinkler route...just sprayed em with the hose. If you cant watch all day for the little.... creatures I think the motion sprinkler is the way to go. It will give then a blast of water when they enter the sensor zone and voilla... they run away. After a while they wont even come back. Good luck...

The problem with that is that we have an acre lot, so that is a lot of perimeter to cover with a motion activated anything. Good idea, tho, for a small area. I have planted these bananas all around the perimeter of the back yard. They seemed to like the ceyenne pepper mixture, by the way. The other peppers, i might give them a try. They are rodents, tho, and for some reason, they have multiplied in this area like rats in a city. I talked to neighbors all over this subdivision yesterday and they all commented on the growing squirrel population. Some have them chewing holes in their soffits and nesting in their attics. The Link below shows the plants in the past and today. I just came in from my "rounds". I did notice the mocking birds were chasing the squirrels all through the trees. Maybe there is hope for a little while.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Bananas

genielady, there is also the ultrasonic option. This device emits a very high frequency, annoying animals to the point which they flee.

http://www.mysimon.com/Garden/9000-10974_8-0.html?sdcq=dnatrs-amazon_marketplace-pest_control-electronic_repellents/dflltrail-Amazon%20Marketplace~Pest%20Control~Electronic%20Repellents

Thanks. If the Deer-Squirrel-Rabbit repellent that I purchased today at Home Depot ($16+) doesn't work, I'll try that as a next step. This stuff smells like Tobasco Sauce diluted with soap. I'm declaring War on these Rodents. Seriously, tho, I can't believe how blatant they are being. They take one bite of the new shoot, and throw the rest down on the ground, with me standing right there!

you really have my curiousity up. each year i battle something chewing or cutting new leaves as you can see from an earlier posting that i put up. i looked at the photos but would really like a real close up one of the damage. i have never thought about squirrels being a possibility. so you have actually seen them chewing the leaf? whatever damages mine does not do it to a leaf that has unfurled. it might happen to a 4 inch new leaf coming out or a 4 foot leaf getting ready to unfurl. please answer questions and let me know if you can post a close up of the damage....thanks

Islandtim,
Yes, its damage just as you describe. Its the tender new center of the plant as it emerges that tempts them. If the leaf has had a chance to unfurl, they don't usually eat that, but they do break it by climbing on it to get to the new center piece. I have seen them do it on more than one occasion. So has my husband. We are in amazement that they are so brazen as to come up near where we are doing things in the back yard and break off a piece of the plant and start eating it. There used to be a few wild cats in this neighborhood, and the squirrel population was a lot less. Now, no roaming cats and an overpopulation of squirrels. Ditto on the deer overpopulating. But its the squirrels that are turning my hair gray.
http://bellsouthpwp.net/h/e/herr1174/Bananas/DSCN5337.JPG
http://bellsouthpwp.net/h/e/herr1174/Bananas/Orinocos_May_3_2006_1.jpg

can you put the new photos in a link that i can click on? i may go trapping this weekend...thanks

dog poo - or even human pee around the base of the bananas should keep them away.

we had a problem with cats, but after my dog set his scat around the cats haven't returned - they can smell the dog from a long way away and ren't sure if he's in the yard or not.

It should work with squirrels - something to do with fear of carnivores.

as for human oee - it keeps foxes away from chickens - they can smell the human and don't come near.

another trick I saw on a TV show was to put clippings of human hair (unwashed for a week so it really smells of humans) into an old pantyhose and hang those in the tree - - the smell of people should put them off.

a chilli and garlic paste might work too - if you paste it on the upper leaves or trunk that might discourage them

cheers from tony in paradise (sunshine coast, australia)

Just want to let you know you aren't alone. Squirrels started doing the same thing to my banana trees last year and are back this year. People at the garden centers don't believe me. They jump from the fence or climb up the tree and cut the new shoots coming out of the middle. I've tried the different (very pricey) repellants too and pepper/garlic spritzes. Good luck. Let me know if you find a solution.

Try one of these. You will scare off the squirrels and water your plants!

Here is a link that might be useful: scarecrow

I have found something that keeps the squirrels away from my bananas and cannas. I had gone to Home Depot and purchased a $16 spray bottle of "Deer Away" or something like that. It worked, but one bottle for me only goes around once, and if it rains, too bad. So I researched the ingredients and came up with a concoction of my own that works.

so do tell what is in the concoction, or are you thinking of going commercial with it? :)

genie lady and i have been e-mailing on this problem. i have a recent post concerning this. the best thing is to purchase some traps and take them over 5 miles away or make sure they can't return. i have caught 20 of the squirrels now and have only lost one leaf in the past two weeks. this is better than loosing 12 leaves in one night to the squirrels. it is a strange thing as i know at least five people in my area who have squirrels and have had no problems. i think it only takes one to figure it out and then the others learn. it has been a problem for me for years and i think i have now solved the problem. it does seem to stop later as the diet changes....tim

Have any of you with squirrels triend giving them an alternative food source? A bag a peanuts would be cheaper then buying traps and relocating the squirrls.

it might be cheaper but would not be effective. as stange as it is, just let one get the taste of your new growth and you will be buying traps too.

maybe I will try eating a new shoot. Maybe the squirrels are on to something here. :)

No, I have no desire to go commercial with it. It works as good as that Hav-a-Hart Deer Away, tho. Take a couple of eggs, beat them up really well, put into a tall plastic cup like you get from Subway. Add some water to almost fill the cup, add lots of ceyenne pepper, lots of ground up garlic cloves, lots of Hot Sauce like Texas Pete. Cover it, and let it bake out in the sun for a day or two til the eggs get putrified. Then Strain all of that really well and put in a spray bottle and spray your plants. I spray the bases really well and hit the newly emerging leaves somewhat. Keeps them off the plants for as long as the $16 stuff does, which is usually about 4-5 days.
But I have now resorted to traps. WE have caught the ten mean ones and I see one in the trap this morning, so that will be 11. We take them downtown in our little town to the park by the river and release them. People feed them down there.

If the spicy solutions, scarecrows and predator pee don't work you may eventually go back to the bb gun suggestion. If you do, you'll want to check out this website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scary Squirrel World website

How do you know it was the squirrels that eat them? (I assume you saw them.)

What does the damage look like? Just wondering how you tell if its deer, bunnies, squirrels or ???

s.

Yes, I have stood within 3 feet of them and watched them tear off a newly rolled up leave and chomp it and throw it on the ground in defiance! They have no real fear of humans in our subdivision. Our yard is fenced in with a six foot wood fence all the way around, and my bananas are planted along the fence line. Squirrel damage to my plants are shown in these two photos at http://bellsouthpwp.net/h/e/herr1174/Bananas/

Here is a link that might be useful: Banana plant damage

you should get some marbles.
and then throw them at the squirrels.
yahhhh boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
i hear candy bars work well.