Darn squirrels

Usually it's their digging that annoys me, but today they decided to drop green (thus heavy) pine cone's on some of my shampoo ginger and snapped several of them. Plus several of the more bit size pieces are shredding by banana leaves. How exactly does one stop a squirrel from throwing pine cones (or pieces of them) all over your yard?

I haven't found anything that can stop-or even slow down-tree rats. They've started picking my unripe citrus and eating a bit of rind, then dropping it. That's never happened before.

I swear every year they find a new way to be a pest. I don't even try and feed the "birds" anymore - it was pointless.

i hate squirrels... and armadillos and mosquitos

Keonikale:
I think they actually AIM those pine cones at any human target below! I think the only thing you can do to prevent them dropping stuff on your gingers is to move the gingers or cut down the tree!! Trust me - as Stonos says - you will never get rid of them. They adapt, like the "Borg" in Star Trek.

Pound for pound, the smartest animal on the planet IMO.
Deb

LOL the Borg. Now every time I see one I'm gonna think about that.

They are smart little suckers, I'll give them that.

Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.

All your potted plants are belong to us? What you say?

My Mensa member tree rats come up with actions that astound me all the time.Last Spring they decided that their favorite treat was Hyacinth flowers.They ate all the flowers and left the bulbs alone.Now they have dug up all the bulbs and left them on top of the soil to remind me to fertilize them so that they will have their Spring treats.

By the way,they are not native to the Americas.They were brought over, by boat by early settlers from Scotland and Ireland.

Note to self when time machine is created. Sink the boat with squirrels. Sink the boat with fire ants.

Oh yeah! Fire ants are the first order of business in the time machine. LOL. I am itching as we speak from fire ant stings that are 3 days old!

Downscale: Your hyacinth story sounds too familiar! Spring before last, they waited for each tulip to open, then systematically ate every petal.

I keep birdseed in glass jars with metal screw lids(because they chew through plastic or wood containers). These are on the back porch. Last week, a squirrel actually managed to unscrew the lid. I found the lid in the garden.
Yesterday, they did it again, I still haven't found the lid.

LOL, I use to love watching them outsmart my mom at the house when I was a kid. We even had one of those rotating corn cob spinners (sorta like this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WCMW9DKML._SL500_AA280_.jpg), but they eventually figure out how to stop it from spinning and were able to get the corn. Took them a few days, but they never give up.

Last year I thought I had them with small twine used to hold the feeder, they couldn't jump down to it or up to it from a tree. So they just chewed through my twine taking the whole feeder down. Argh

I used to have the squirrel "Bungee Jumper", It was a riot watching the squirrels bounce around! Got a lot of those little buggers here, But, They never get to my feeders because I put a 4" round, 6 1/2ft PVC pipe over my bird feeder pipe and the squirrels can't climb it! I made sure the feeders and pipe were not close enough to a tree or branches so they couldn't jump off onto the feeders either, It has worked quite well!!

I just never see squirrels at my house. I guess I should feel lucky.

Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karin: Only if you have plants in pots, or if you have bird feeders. :) When they're not digging in the former or raiding the latter, I like to watch 'em. Of course, those times are rare.

Thats for sure! Though really cute antics a lot of times, They can be very destructive! I have to chase them off constantly from chewing on my shed! And they are always digging up the garden ! Here's a few pics...

Finding the right spot in the garden...

Planting the nut...

Then theres the ones who like to take the Huge nuts...

#2..

Of course, They can be real cute too...

I have a privacy fence like the one IRIS shows in her photos. On one bird feeder I alternate sunflower chips with safflower seeds. The other two birdfeeders are for the goldfinches and they have nyjer seed. I have one container with a plant in a flowerbed, but my pet rabbits are the only ones I see in it from time to time. No squirrels here!!

Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IRIS....laughing myself silly over your pictures!!! Thanks for the lift:>

I love watching them try and climb a tree with those huge hickory nuts in tow. Or even funnier, a pine cone - well, until they drop it on my plants anyway. They are still bombing away, but haven't hit anything else yet.

Funny pics, Iris. :)

I have to say in my city days I enjoyed the squirrels. They are fun to watch but what I'm doing now is not squirrel friendly.

greenthumb_NC, Be happy that you don't have them, They are quite destructive little fur balls! Though I must admit, I really do like watching the shows they put on sometimes!

tggfisk, Your Welcome and glad you enjoyed them!

keonikale, I know what you mean! I have this brug that I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for to bloom, The other day, I was watching two youngster squirrels playing away on the fence like a couple kittens, It was so halarious watching them untill one fell off the fence while being chased....My jaw dropped, My eyeballs doubled in size!! ...Yup, The little bugger landed right on my brug and pulled it over!!!! At that momment, I must admit, I didn't think they were so funny anymore!!
But, things like that happen, Especially with squirrels around so I learn to accept the good with the bad.

DebinSC, Thanks!

CoreHHI...Uh-Oh!

Few pics to share..


Always in the bird-baths!

So much for the "woodpecker box".......

Up to no good again! ~Just look at that smile!

Ugly...In a cute sorta way...

Just wishfull thinking...........

LOL. Funny!