Literally hundreds of discussions on squirrel control scattered all over the forums here - even a FAQ - and a search will pull up all sorts of suggestions for you.

The suggestions range from providing them an alternate source of moisture since it is the water they are after to get a dog to hot pepper concoctions sprayed on the fruit (I sure don't recommend this one), to BB guns or 22 rifles. They readily climb fences. There are also commercial repellent sprays sold but they have to be re-applied frequently.

Personally I have found over the years that when they have ready access to plenty of water they leave my tomatoes alone and living here in the woods I have LOTS of squirrels. ;)

Dave

I second giving them a water source. It works for birds too. Make sure the water is clean and fresh (the birdbath needs to be emptied and cleaned daily), and you should have a lot less damage. I have a lot of birds and a lot of squirrels (there's an oak and a hickory in my small yard) and zero squirrel damage to my tomatoes.

They have plenty of water from several sources nearby, including a "clean" bird bath within 20 feet of the bed. We live among massive oak trees and feed the birds and squirrels at some distance from the garden. I've tried light weight fencing and they laugh at me. I can't shoot them due to the close proximity of neighbors. I don't want to use a smelly repellant because the bed is near my door and I don't want to smell it either. I might try human hair. Has anyone tried cat hair? A friend has a Persian that sheds a ton and I'm sure she would be happy for me to take some of it off her hands. What about the Irish Spring soap trick? Does it work for squirrels?

Oh, and yes I did do the search for squirrels and read many of the posts, none of which seem like they are the answer I'm looking for. I was hoping for some new insight before I invest in sturdier fencing/cage. Maybe this is an age old problem that doesn't have any other good solution. Maybe somebody has figured it out that's willing to share.

Sandy

Sounds like your squirrels decided they like tomatoes. Sorry about that! I hope mine never develop a taste.

Squirrels are ingenious about getting to food. I have to keep the seed for my feeders in galvanized pails held closed with bungee cords. I know it's only a matter of time before they figure that out and I have to come up with something else.

Good luck!

Giving them water is the advice? Wow...
~Try pepper flakes ontop of dirt
~Try squirrel cage with a tomato inside it.
~Try "food" not water nearby...sometimes bird food will work but be prepared to spend a lot of money to keep squirrels well fed. Plus this option will attract more nearby
~Get a cat
~Get a dog
~Build a 5 foot gated fence...I noticed people whom have this rarely have squirrel problems or have to cover the top

Past 3 years my dog has chased so many squirrels that it has gotten boring for him and they never come around anymore...The squirrels finally got the hint to take a detour to the other side. LOL

I have a six foot gated fence and a very large dog. The squirrels laugh.

www.metacafe.com/watch/3033693/squirrel_relocator/ -
You might have to cut and paste. I posted this one time before, its still funny. Tree huggers dont look.
Plant em if you got em.
Sam

Has anyone mentioned a BB or pellet gun yet? Squirrels have been a problem in our house rather than in the garden (chipmunks were tearing up the garden though). I kill squirrels and chipmunks whenever I see them anywhere in our yard, guess what...no more damage. Only problem is that after a while, more will come so you should have the gun ready throughout the year...

Sandy... those buggers are crazy persisent. And I have struggled with them for years. I don't think that offering them alternate sources of food or water will disuade them. It might only encourage more to come over. And really...bb guns? I don't know about all of you, but I have a job I have to go to. I can't sit around all day waiting for visitors. I finally bit the bullet (so to speak) and built a tomato cage this year. It cost a little money to do it, but I have not lost a single tomato this year. Not even a tooth mark. I'm actually giving away tomatoes because we have too many to eat ourselves. Here's pix from one side of the yard (well not quite a yard, LA doesn't offer much of those)...

Top is covered in mesh and clipped around the center support. Bottom has hinged screens.

Here is the result

Best of luck!!
Don

Squirrels... 2 years ago, just the mention of squirrels made smoke billow out my ears and my eyeballs roll back in my head. They'd take one bite out of EVERY SINGLE TOMATO IN THE GARDEN. Why not eat one completely before biting into the other 50???

They still annoy me but they aren't nearly bad as they used to be. And I did find throughout the season they did stop getting into the garden - could be I did start spraying the timbers of the wood in the raised bed with skunk off...

I live on a lake - plenty of fresh water... I do think they are curious little creatures (to say it nicely) that will get into anything - they pull my flowers out of the soil (there's no purpose to that - I can see!)

Good luck...

For me, a product called Repels All (at Home Depot) has indeed repelled squirrels. Might be worth a shot.

Posted by susan2010 6 Massachusetts (My Page) on Sun, Jul 18, 10 at 20:18

I have a six foot gated fence and a very large dog. The squirrels laugh.

Same here 4ft fence and dog and the squirrels tease the dog, it is fun to watch but it does not deture them, I have found the ultimate cure to be the pellet gun and lead poisoning. the cure although many may not agree with this method it is very effective.

I have 2 dogs one a very good hunter, killed many squirrels, rabbits possum birds, and a fence. Repellent worked but got expensive because you have to reapply after rain and it STINKS. Tried everything. I have a neighbor that feeds the darn things pnuts, raisins, and carrots less than 10 feet from my garden. Nothing worked till my hubby started getting up an hour early with the bb gun at first it was just a little pellet gun and it was funny to see the little buggers turn around and chatter at you for shooting them in the behind, now it is a co2 powered pistol and they are dead so far so good and hubbyÂs aim is improving lol. I hated the thought of killing something and not eating it but them little creatures tore out so much money over the past few years something had to be done. I even had them tear out all of my flowers planting their pnuts from next door. They get in my garage and steal my insulation they are just horrible and destructive, I donÂt mind sharing the garden but they donÂt play nice so now neither do I.

tallented1 I too was against killing any animal and not using the meat but squirels and rabbits are so prolific around here I just gave up and decided I would take some of them out as payment for thier companions stealing my hard worked produce.

cetompkins I agree with your thinking...I don't like to kill without using the meat and/or pelts but when it comes to pest control, that rule gets dumped along with the carcasses of squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, whatever is a threat to my stuff.

However I did try eating squirrel a couple months ago, just to say I've tried it...and now I just throw all the rest away (not worth the effort to get the meat)

If you do eat the squirrels (and probably not recommended in urban situations) be careful what part you eat,

Here is a link that might be useful: CJD and consumption of squirrel brains

We have a lot of (urban) squirrels and this is the first year we are growing a fair amount of tomatoes. We have always left water for them, and I've cut back on the feeding because I thought that would draw more to the yard, where they would find our vegetables. It'll be interesting to see how many of the tomatoes they get, some that were not staked well enough are practically on the ground, so nearly every tomato is well within their reach. I started from seed and we had a ton, so we just planted them all. We figure if we sacrifice 2/3 of the crop to the squirrels, we'll still have enough. Actually, even on this small urban plot, that's sort of been our philosophy - the local animals will get their share whether we like it or not, so we don't stress too much over it, we just eat what's left!

What drives me crazy is when they take a few nibbles out of each one.

If you are looking for a market for squirrel pelts, someone is marketing the worlds strongest beer. They put the bottles ($1200) each in stuffed squirrels.

Sam - LOVE the squirrel relocator!!
Do not try brushing hot sauce on the tomatoes - it burns them. You can sprinkle ground cayenne pepper in the squirrels walkways (for us it is fence posts/tops, and along the shed towards the spilled birdseed, and in the spilled birdseed) although you have to reapply after rain. The hot pepper does not bother the birds, but the squirrels hate it. If you are going to have to re-apply something, the ground hot pepper can be cheaper since you can buy it in bulk at BJ's or Costco. We have also caught 2 in large rat traps on our deck when they finally started digging in the plants on our deck, knocking things over and breaking them.

I just used hot pepper wax spray on my tomato plants a few days ago. I purchased the spray intended for animals not the one for bugs. This particular spray is red pepper oil mixed with a special parrafin wax and it stays on the plants for about a week unless you have a hard rain. The squirrels did come back the very next day and ""taste"" several tomatoes but evidently the hot pepper got the best of them and they have not been back since. I use the powdered red pepper all around my garden but the squirrels jumped from a neighbors fence onto the tomato plants avoiding the walkways. In my garden -so far- the red pepper is working. BTW - I sprayed the plants until they were literally dripping wet.

DL

There is a huge oak tree next-door that provides a haven for those critters. They have been so busy taking my strawberries and peaches they have not started on my tomatoes yet, but I thought I'll chime in.
Tulle (fabric commonly used for bridal veil) draped over hoops seemed to help but at 108" width it's too short to cover most fruit trees.

Solar high voltage wire has been doing a great job so far. I have been zapped a couple of times when I forgot to switch off, but it was no more than a little jolt you get from static when the heater is on. Apperantly it is strong enough to sacre critters(including rats) away. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and awaits the next discount coupon at Harbor Freight.

I had a terrible time with squirrels last year - I was about to give up gardening as it is so intense in the city where the squirrels are unchecked by any natural predator, and no nearby water either.

Then I accidentally got a terrier. Shelter said he was a german sheppard mix when we adopted him, first vet visit - vet said terrier, and whoever his mother may be (think the shelter had her) this guy is a terrier through and through.

Last year, I had my tomato plants all protected, hot pepper around bed perimeter, wrapped the tomato plants in burlap and/or 1/4 inch fencing...the would tunnel underneath, and when I got really secure-the ate one tomato through the burlap.....

Now that Mr. McTerrier is here - those toms are just hanging out in the sunshine. No probs with the squirrels at all.

I would never have voluntarily gotten a terrier as they are too intense and emotionally needy, but I have to say - this guy is pulling his weight around the place. Can't ask more of an animal than that.

Sorry I deleted the pic by mistake....(Taking baby steps now)
Tulle - worked to some degree

Solar Zap wire - so far so good

A couple of folks mentioned they did not like to waste meat.

When I was a kid my uncle made squirrel stew once for supper. It was the best stew I've ever had. I would not care for the brains, but would use the meat.

A decent air rifle is the best. They make very little noise upon discharge, so that you wont alarm neighbors if you live within close proximity. They can be fired through a hole in your screened in window so that you wont be seen walking about with a gun if that is frowned upon in yer neighborhood. Also the squirell is just another food source like the one you are trying to protect. Its not the best of meats but its ok to eat.

A decent air rifle is very accurate upwards to about 50 yards.

I've been fortunate that the squirrels haven't dined on the tomatoes (yet). They have a fetish for baby eggplant (Hansel, never Gretel) and Jimmy Nardello peppers. Last year, they snagged some ancho peppers that had ripened red and that stopped the pepper thieving but not the eggplants. They would climb right up into the plant and harvest what they wanted.

Next year, I'm going to plant black pearl peppers in the front of the garden and see what they think about that. I hope I get to witness that very first bite and all that screaming they are so good at. lol

Can anyone chime in on this idea?? How about spraying the tomatoes with a dish soap/water solution? Im thinking of doing this to keep squirrels away.

diclemeg - I found it helpful in previous years, but you have to be diligent about reapplying.

I just discovered this devastation to my tomatoes this evening! Does this look like rodent/squirrel damage? I would love to hear others' opinions!

I have to have electric wires around my garden to keep out bear and deer so last year I decided to try to keep out squirrels too.
I have a small raised garden and put hardware cloth around the bottom (welded wire in 1/2 inch squares). Right above that I put the first electric wire, followed by 3 more spaced farther and farther apart. The only animals that got in there were chipmunks, and not very many of them. They actually buried some sunflower seeds in the garden that grew to blossom without having their buds eaten off.
This year I have my tomatoes in containers and the squirrels haven't bothered them yet. I feed them separately away from the bird feeding station and they drink often from the birdbath which is near where they eat.

sleeloo,

That's not how squirrels do it, in my experience. They take the tom off the vine, and then don't eat that much of it. They are attracted to it, but don't really like it.....

Someone else had similar damage - attributed it to rats I think.

possums? racoons? are these possibilities? I think racoons like them...

Thanks, t-bird. It's helpful to know that's not typical of squirrels. Someone really devoured my tomatoes, that's for sure. One of the possibilities someone at Johnny's Seeds threw out was wild turkeys, and I have no shortage of those. I didn't realize turkeys had a taste for tomatoes. I haven't seen a racoon in a really long time and I've never seen a possum in my area. Sighh... It really is heartbreaking.

Other than shooting the poor buggers there are 2 solutions to your problem.
1. Buy a good squirrel trap, e.g. made by Havahart. For about one week hold the trap doors open with some string and keep putting a handful of peanuts on the feeding platform every day, better still a couple of times/day and sprinkle some outside. The squirrels will get used to the trap and when you actually set it to trap the animals you will be amazed how quickly you can start to relocate them. Unfortunately, you must relocate the squirrel at least three miles from your location, even further if you are in a heavily wooded area, otherwise they will be back. Make sure the trap you buy is larger than the squirrel/chipmunk traps sold at Big Box retailers, e.g. designed for rabbits, otherwise lots of squirrels will escape. If you already have a small squirrel trap putting a small stone on each of the open doors helps to close them fast/stops squirrels from escaping. I found that trapping squirrels, leaving them in the trap for a couple of hours and releasing them into their neighborhood (watch them run in horror) helps a great deal if you leave the trap in sight. It definitely serves as a deterrent for squirrels that were trapped before.
2. Somewhat more finito, bury a 10 Gal. container into the soil, create a platform/use a second platform to create a base 15" below the rim of the buries container and keep spreading light colored sunflower seeds onto the base. Again, the idea is that squirrels will jump onto the base and feast on the seeds. After one week, remove the base, fill the bucket with water 15" below the rim and cover the water with light colored sunflower seeds which float. Get a net and get ready to fish out many drowned squirrels. As a European we like squirrels and think they are cute so please try version 1.

Just plant a walnut tree...soon you'll never have to worry about them eating your toms...but you'll also never get any nuts.
I have tons of happy squirrels in my yard who feast on nuts all summer long. I like the idea of a bb gun but I would feel like crap if I killed one. I know, I know....

If you trap the little buggers, don't bring them 3 miles to my place and let them go here. I don't want them.

Kill them yourself, because I have my own pests to kill and don't particularly want to take responsibility for your pests that you are too cowardly to deal with yourself.

I didn't realize I was going to start such a discussion when I posted this question! Some great ideas have been given and I really appreciate all the comments. It was just too funny earlier this week when I gave a talk on fall vegetable gardening to a small group (captive audience of mostly non-gardeners) and the only question I got was how to keep squirrels from eating all the tomatoes!

Sandy

Anyway you can - dispatch them! If you take them 3 - 5 - 10 miles away you are only causing a problem for someone else. Electric fence kits can be had for cheap and if they are put up correctly they work very well.

I gave up trying any humane solution when 90% of my green unripe tomatoes were removed over about a week. The squirrels literally decimated my tomatoes. Any tomato larger than a golf ball was fair game. In years past only about 20% (give or take) of the ripe tomatoes were taken. I resorted to very inhumane removal. Yeah, I always thought they were cute - until they crossed the line.

What did I do?? Let us just say the squirrels do not 'live' here anymore.

DL

I'm not sure if it is my dogs that have kept the squirrels away from my tomatoes, but I'd guess no. The squirrels just wait for the dogs to come inside, and then they run into the yard to eat under the birdfeeders. (And they run like hell when they hear the back door open, signaling the return of the dogs.) I'm sure they'd do the same thing if they got a taste for tomatoes. Plus, I have to protect my tomatoes from my DOGS just as much as from anything else. They, espicially the golden retriever, just pick off all the tomatoes and eat them until there are none left. I just thought I'd point out that getting a dog is not exactly the most ideal solution to this problem.