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trekaren

Suggestions needed for cute little furry pests

trekaren
11 years ago

Each year, my foursquare box starts out lovely. Then the chipmunks come. They tell their friends, and tell more friends, and soon, I have very few healthy plants.

I want to find a solution that is organic and friendly for edible plants.

The last two years I have tried the following, based on tips from other sites:

* Cat fur (I demat my kitty and put the fur around the box) - No help at all
* Cat litter clumps (I set them underneath the foursquare box) - no help at all
* Garlic juice (from the garlic jars) - this seemed to work but had to be constantly reapplied after a couple of rains/waterings
* Deer Netting - the little critters figured out how to go under the edges and get into the box, plus it makes it sooo hard to manage the plants - since I also have trouble dealing with the netting.

Any other ideas that have worked for you?

Comments (4)

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    This year I am going to grow habaneros for the lovely orange fruits. and juice them, i'll spray my apples, cherrie sweet/sour, figs, gooseberries, peaches, pears, plums, pawpaws, and persimmons. I am also looking to put up cat perches where cat can hide in striking range. a few dead chippers will do the trick A last trick is to make a tunnel out of hard wood with a swinging metal flap that swings both ways such that the lower edge is 3" high.. Tunnel should be one animal wide. Feed the chippers in an enclosed cage that this door leads to. Have a very specific feeding time. After about a week start lowering the door slowly until it is too low to swing back and the animals are yours. Carefully place your cat in the enclosure with the chipmunks and you and the cat will be best of friends.
    --------------AND ITS ORGANIC TO THE TEE---------------

  • trekaren
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    :-) Thanks for your suggestions. My cats would love you!!!!
    It is interesting you mention Habaneros. I have tried chopping up the hottest peppers on the capsaicin scale from the store, and tossing them throughout my bed. But it seems these chipmunks like spicy foods. Is the key to 'juice' the peppers up?

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    They will be able to smell and sift trough the chopped green and eat what they want but they cannot remove the juice. There is a chance that they cant taste the heat that we do but i don't know. I will know at the end of this summer.

  • Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
    11 years ago

    I had problems from some furry creatures last year. Could have been cats (my own, perhaps), could have been raccoons (I swear I heard them cackling in the garden the night after I used fish emulsion) could have been squirrels. Several of my plants were dug up and lying on the ground when I checked them in the morning. I went out and bought a jar of cayenne powder and sprinkled it over everything. I don't know for sure that it drove them away, but they did leave my plants alone for a couple weeks. I had to reapply it after a heavy rain.