Cover a few strategically placed strawberries with hot chilli powder, tabasco etc, after the squirrel has tried those he wont be coming back for more.

Chili powder, as hex mentioned. You could also steep some in water, then spray the plants.
A pellet/BB gun isn't very loud. That is what I used on rabbits when I lived in the city.
A dog (maybe a cat)

Of the 3, I favor killing them.

Thanks hex and grizz,

I'm going to try sprinkling the red hot pepper powder around maybe will need the spray idea with it if you guys think it's worth a try. I saw a lot of videos (Example on youtube of squirrels eating doritos with no problem, one even ate a whole bag full after opening the bag, so I didn't take the remedy seriously since I hardly thought the cayenne powder would be more effective with a juicy strawberry, and would probably just taste better...

The problem is Yanker (I named him) has destroyed enough property and food and months of effort, that it feels like it was all done for him to eat and I'm pissed with wrecked the production behind him, and there aren't any good strawberries left to entice so it would be generally applying that everywhere.

I think I'll have just one more run so he can't do any more yanking and would like to secure the net pots too somehow, since the da*ned tree rat will for sure be back tomorrow pulling out more when there are no ripe berries to trash in plain sight. I never imagined a squirrel would actually pull plants out of a hydro setup, so it must think it's digging??? for hydroton. It yanks them out by the body somehow so roots get damaged and even if I catch it on time, I cn't really repack the months of growth the plant had which is busted up and lifted some from all the yanking.

Pellet guns are too risky around the hydroponic tubs, glass and other stuff out there since my only way out is opening a door which will tip him off. There are lots of squirrels here, killing them is not feasible since the hydro garden is in prime territory and another will replace it immediately - there is major squireel mess when the giant grape vine gets completely plundered by them. That said, you're right since this one has discovered the strawberries and only once before did I have a squirrel attack in months, I'd better take him out before he tells his friends about it. I'm thinking complementing the pepper with a a "110" that first I'll have to spring for.

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 20:24

A good safe way to control squirrels is with an air rifle. What you do NOT do is take pot shots at squirrels whenever you see them. That's how you break things or hurt people. What you do is setup a little feeding station for the squirrels in front of a solid fence, wall, or bale of straw. Use bird feed or cracked corn. When the squirrels are reliably feeding there, set up an ambush and start shooting them. For instance, open the sliding glass door and sit and wait with the gun pointed at the feeding station. You may have to wait a while. When he comes for the corn, kapow. If you miss, the pellet harmlessly hits the backstop (fence, wall, etc).

Thanks nils, that would probably work much better than my idea when thinking about popping the squirrel. just need to get this one squirrel which has developed a taste for strawberries suddenly and unexpectedly, now the forth day in a row and it attacked again, I lost yet another plant yanked out and he took one nibble out of each smaller green berry he could find, further frustrating me. I just want him though, because he is the only one that has developed the vice of destroying my property, labor and food. Last night I sprinkled paprika red medium heat pepper all over and it made no difference to the damage, though it remains to be seen if he comes back. I didn't have any super hot cayenne in the closet. It is difficult here in Florida with mosquitos and bugs to leave the sliding florida glass door open waiting for him and the orientation of everything really makes that the only reasonable way for a clean shot. Plus he comes at sunrise when I am busy with other things.

I finally decided what to do which is a little hydroponicy. I'm making a slippery tube trap which will be a piece of 6" PVC drain pipe about 4 feet long inclined by the strawberries which I have in tubs about 17" high. The bottom will be capped and the inside greased and have a few strawberries stuck in it with peanut butter, the first one nudging out right on the plants he is destroying. Since he is causing so much damage he has to go, it is illegal to catch him and put him elsewhere here. I'll make squirrel burgers out of him for Earth Day to be sure nothing goes to waste, a friend has a recipe. This pest is way better than grain fed, so it's gonna all be part of the pesticide-free rataponic home-ecosystem. Oh well. Thanks for all the help. This is serious since I have heard that these rodents have cleared gardens of developing and ripe tomatoes, my new project.

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 19:44

I redid the paprika en spray form yesterday. The gray squirrel scaled the tubs this morning and took the few small berries that were blushing they he left. He leaves his calling card of smeared dirt covered leaves that dry and rain microbe rich Florida soil in the system. His other calling card is bite marks in the green ones that are trying to get big but he doesn't find sweet enough yet. I'm working on the trap today, but I'm completely beaten and he's won this season.