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Old 03-14-2018, 08:26 PM   #4
Rich Z
No, haven't tried that method. Probably worth a try, but the problem could be just the extent of the bamboo grove I'm trying to protect. I would probably need a half dozen or more of them, and from what I have read, I would have to relocate them every few days to keep the squirrels from getting used to their being there. Honestly though, squirrels are pretty smart, and I would think that this wouldn't work for very long before they figured out they weren't going to get hurt by the fake birds.

I tried a couple different types of liquid repellents that I sprayed right on the shoots themselves as well as all around them. One was specific to squirrels, and the other was a general animal "Repels-ALL". Neither of them worked at all. I tried a pepper spray one year, but unfortunately I got downwind of it, and even with just barely a whiff it about took ME out. My windpipe just literally snapped shut. That is some nasty stuff!

Years ago I spoke to a biologist I worked with at FWCC and asked her about how to deal with the squirrels. She told me that nothing works short of killing them. They learn very quickly to stay away from traps in very short order, which I also found out via personal experience. I was only able to catch only one squirrel, and all the rest knew then to stay away from it.

It's a shame, as I actually enjoyed having the squirrels around up to the time they decided that my biggest bamboo was really good eatin'. I have lots of smaller types of "fishing pole" bamboo that they could eat their fill of, but no, they want my Phyllostachys vivax. So war it is.