Omg!! So sorry! I'd totally freak. I have been leaving our beagle outside and know that he's standing guard for me. Critters don't get anywhere NEAR my jugs. After reading your post i tossed a couple of dog treats out to him!

I had friends over for Easter and they had 3 kids, who played outside. They had a good old time in my back yard. The next day, I noticed they had trampled some lupine I had planted out. 6 plants in all. 4 of them were smashed and I had to actually find them in the dirt. They only had one or two true leaves. I thought they were goners. I put them back and hoped for the best. It looks like haven't skipped a beat. You can't tell the 4 that were smashed from the other 2 that weren't smashed. Tough little buggers.
Duane

Ellen, I feel your pain. I have always prided myself on controlling the squirrels in my yard by feeding them. I put out nuts for them near the back fence to keep them from my plants, but this year, they are really viscious. They have dug up lots of already established bulbs that are emerging for summer: tulips, lilies and just leaving the bulbs around the garden. I have been moving quite a few perennials and invariably, the transplants are dug up the next day. But I was really teed off this week, when they dug up one of my two rose bushes that I had WS'd (it took two years) using seeds from my dentist's bushes. And they did not eat it - they just dug it up and left it lying on the ground. It was just leafing out for the summer, so I hoped that the roots were still intact and covered it. It seems the rodents are really a problem this year because of the early warmth, their early mating, and needing to feed their offspring before we have very much in the gardens.

What is up with the squirrels this year? The darn ninja squirrels got into my containers, dug up my onions and STOLE my horseradish! I found the root on the opposite side of the yard. They are really being naughty this year. AND there are alot of them.

Northerner,
sorry for your rose bushes (2 years!) I hope they make it.
Yes now I remember reading that bec. of no-winter at least in the northeast, the squirrels are really nutsy this year.

I never had trouble like this before. Just an occasional digging around.
maybe I should feed the poor things.

Ellen,
A little roughing up of roots can actually stimulate more root development. In fact, professional growers transplants small seedlings multiple times on purpose to encourage that kind of growth. Think about when you transplant a root bound plant. You actually trim off some of the excess root to encourage more central root growth.

DON'T feed the squirrels! That will just allow more babies to survive to have more hungry babies next season who will require even more food and cause more damage. Some of the digging up of entire plants may be ground hogs or wood chucks rather than squirrels, so don't give them all the blame. I've heard that planting bulbs under some open wire mesh will keep them from being dug up. Daffodils and their relatives are generally left alone because they contain some poison chemical. Tulips, hyacinth, and everything else beautiful you can think of, are delicious, apparently. Good Luck!

Martha

I was having the same problem with one squirrel who has even gone so far as to chew young trees in half for no apparent reason. Red pepper powder kept him off for a while but when I put out sprouted pecan and hazels and acorn pots he went nuts and wrecked a dozen more pots. You wont see him any more!

Ellen! I totally agree with docmom! DON"T feed them!
I've been battling squirrels for the last few years. My neighbor opens her back door and throws hands full of peanuts out for them, which is a nice thing to do, I guess. However, they bring the peanuts over to my flower beds to bury them, anywhere there is freshly dug up soil. I can't tell you how many plants they destroyed last year.
I agree that "roughing up" the roots could sometimes be a good thing, BUT you have to catch the uprooted plant before it has been exposed for long, or in the sun.
This year I am having to put plastic netting over everything. It seems to be working, so far, but it just makes extra work for me.
I had a groundhog last year, but I live trapped him, hopefully he is gone for good.
I could go on forever. I really HATE squirrels.
Shirley!

Guessing one of my neighbors here is feeding them. Keep finding peanuts buried in my garden beds and deck boxes. Though fortunately the resident hawks the city released a couple years ago to control the pigeon problem has cut down the squirrel population considerably.

Plastic knives and forks placed strategically around new seedlings works pretty good at keeping things from being dug up. I have also had good results with plastic bird netting over raised beds. Though I have had neighbors inquire about the forks I was growing - lol.

~StLGirl

~StLGirl,

I have not heard of the plastic fork and knife thing to protect seedlings - could you elaborate please? Do you bury the forks with the tines facing up and away? I seem to have a bigger problem right now with chipmunks.....

Mary

Here is a link to pics of what I am talking about.

-StLGirl

Here is a link that might be useful: forks in garden

StLGirl! Thanks for that tip! I have lots of clear plastic forks, and will try this idea as soon as it warms up around here! I'm starting to pot up seedlings for a plant sale, hopefully this will work with those too!

I used to have cats out there, from my cat-crazy neighbor, and what I didn't realize was that the cats kept the squirrels away. When that neighbor moved and took all the cats with her, my squirrel problem started.

I'm not sure which is worse!
Have a good day!
Shirley!

You can also put the tray flats over them or try any type of lightweight basket with large holes.

The green golf driving range plastic baskets ($1 at thrift store) worked well until I began using them to carry eggs from the coop to be washed inside.

I've reused the metal frames from moss baskets & plan to use them again over strawberries. It looks scruffy, but ripe strawberries are worth it.

I haven't tried it, but a gal in front of me at the restaurant supply a few months ago bought cayenne pepper for keeping the squirrels away. She said it works well & was worth the $8 for the large container.