I have squirrels

As a new gardener, I'm trying to approach this growing season with a practical viewpoint. I have squirrels, I know they are there, I see them cavorting in the backyard trees. Now, I have a sense of humor, it's a little warped sometimes, but I don't see myself making one of the "squirrel flingers" posted in another squirrel thread here. I'm not quite that twisted :) Anyway, since I won't be launching them into space, what can I do to minimize their presence? are there certain things they like more than others? I'm planning on starting simple and basic with tomatos, green beans, peas, lettuce, peppers. Oh, and I'd love to hear any funny squirrel stories if you have one :)

Squirrels like strawberries and other fruit, so I would stay away from those unless you have some protection around the plants (I've seen cages around strawberry plants designed to keep the squirrels out). Two years ago I planted strawberry plants for the first time but didn't get a single strawberry out of the crop because the squirrels would eat them while they were still white.

Go rescue like ten cats from the shelter and you'll have no problems with squirrels. :-) Or possums, or raccoons, or poor, pitiful stray dogs you try to entice into the yard for warm food in a foot of snow. :-( Sometimes they work to well. Amazingly, our bird population, with the exception of Blue Jays, who we lose at least three of every year, does quite well.
I have more problems with underground rodents....

I feel your pain. I set a tray of seeds outside for some sun last week and when I went to put them up that evening, every seed was dug out by those little buggars. I also set three pots of daylily starts and they ate the green tops off of those. Thankfully, they are coming back out. I'm getting a BB gun or traps. A BB gun won't kill them, but will hopefully discourage them from coming back around. I also have several strawberry sets, so plan to build a chicken wire cage over them.

I once stopped to talk to some people with a big, beautiful vegetable garden. While I was talking to them, this gigantic squirrel leaning against a branch in a tree next to the garden, gorging on corn, caught my eye. I pointed to it, thinking that they would be just as blown away as I was. They weren't. They introduced me to their obese rodent friend and explained that they fed him all he could eat in a feeder hanging in the tree. I guess the crazy thing was either too fat to scamper off to the garden, or they planted enough to feed him and them, or both.

I mean, I've seen big squirrels, but this thing would have to do two seasons of biggest loser, if ya know what I mean. ;o) It worked for them, though. These people fed their family, the neighborhood, and whoever else wandered along for fresh or canned produce.

You can also call in two good guys "Smith & Wesson"

Yeah, those two guys are personal friends of mine, but they would get me arrested here in town.

Squirrels, can cause problems - ie a friend of mine in Danville said that the squirrels were taking a single bite out of his tomato's and leaving the rest. I researched the problem here (DG) and found that the squirrels were probably doing this to get moisture (we were in a drought then). I put up a bird bath and kept it well full of water for the rest of the season.

I will try to find that thread and post a link to it.
May take some time as I need to leave for work soon.

An upside down laundry basket over plants you are hardening off will protect the plants from squirrels. I place a brick on top of the basket to hold it down.
If mice are also a problem in the seeds------use a plastic bag over the flat
first(allowing some air holes).

I lost an expensive flat of lily bulbs one year to the neigbourhood squirrels and magpies. I lost sweet pea seedlings in my closed-in carport to the mice. Now I tape the clear covers onto the flats.

so, is it better to have squirrels in my trees than bats in my belfry? or could they be the same :)

ha! they sure could be the same.

at least the bats eat mosquitoes.

so, that must explain the buzzing sound I hear frequently :)

Mojo, the water issue is really true, since we put in a large water fountain with a big bath at the bottom our tomatoes aren't bothered. The squirrels will come in for drinks several times a day, and if it is really hot, will sit in the water for a few minutes. No one believes me, but they do.

I'll try that:) thank you. Each weekend I think I can get outside to do something, Mother Nature chases me back inside.

cathy4 - I would love to see a picture of a swimming squirrel! I've already seen one water-ski! LOL

when I was growing up we had an Irish Setter named Trevor. About 100 yards through the woods there was a small creek with some decent sized pools gouged out in the bends. On the hottest of hot days in the summer Trevor would walk down to the creek and find a spot in a pool to lay and SLEEP with his head perched on the bank! Trevor always looked great and you could hardly find a flea or tick on him. I believe one of our neighbors poisoned Trevor in his 5th year. I found him laying under the window to my room one morning with not a single mark on his body or any evidence of an accident.
A beautiful soul and a good friend was lost that day.

BTW - I still back the rescue-cat idea!!

To the lady who would like a . funny story about squirrels well I was picking out some pecans .When I got through . I just took the hulls out to the edge of the yard and just slung them out .well the next day I was sitting at the dinning table picking out some more pecans.I keep hearing A taping and could`t figur out where it was coming from. I looked down at my pateo door and there standing on my step just tapping on my door was A sruirrel. Iguess he was wonting some more pecan huls. well needless to say I put my hulls in a garbage bag from then on and carried them to the regycle place . I am with MR Smith and Weaston my self but I cant hit the side of a barn with one BUTI sure can hit one with my Sons 410 shot gun. I would recomend that gun to any one

Ah, these posts explain why their were two squirrels in my open garbage can which was to catch rain water! I now have proper covered rain barrels. Now I will make a point of leaving water for them. On each occasion the squirrel in the garbage can water was very dead! I suspect they went for the water ,but then could not climb back out.

Lack of water isn't a problem for me since I have a 750 gallon fish pond. I just get tired of the little buggars digging in my flower pots.

Several years ago, there was a squirrel that would actually come down the tree and take a pecan out of my hand. It was pretty cool, but little did I know I was creating a monster.

Bo, my Aussie loves to chase them long my back fence.

we have a golden retriever that does the same during the day but he's not an outside dog so the squirrels have plenty of time to cause mischief.