Squirrels - Orchid Board

HighSeas · #1 07-31-2013, 01:18 AM

I had a giant basket of Catts hanging from a tree in the front yard. In preparation for moving it into the orchid house being built, I decided to go ahead and repot. It was more than I thought it was. While repotting, I realized that it was blooming again....two nice buds forming.

So I split the plant into three nice big plants and repotted anyway. The buds continued to grow.

UNTIL A SQUIRREL GOT INTO IT!

I'm so mad.

I later walked over to take a "look-see" and there were NO buds....In fact, the entire pseudobulb and leaf...GONE. I found it up a little higher in the tree....

That means...Janet's getting a pellet gun.

Anyone else have a better idea?

james mickelso · #2 07-31-2013, 01:31 AM

Yes. A .22 or 410 shotgun. Please use environmentally safe ammunition.

ALToronto · #3 07-31-2013, 10:00 AM

A super-soaker water gun (from Wally World and the like) will also work well. Here up north, squirrels behead any tulip they see, and they don't even eat the flowers. Water from a super soaker won't damage the orchids as much as pellets can.

Island Girl · #4 07-31-2013, 10:06 AM

Damn squirrels

orchidsarefun · #5 07-31-2013, 10:35 AM

my cats do a great job of keeping them away.

You could try giving the tree a collar - there are a few types on the internet..

nikkik · #6 07-31-2013, 01:56 PM

If you hang the disposable pie pans near your plant it should keep them away. They don't seem to like the reflection or the noise. Plus, they're cheap, you either get them for free if you buy a pie (good excuse) or you can pick them up at the dollar tree.

It keeps them from eating my strawberries which are outside of my fenced yard. Normally, my dogs keep the squirrels away!

RJSquirrel · #7 08-01-2013, 06:53 AM

Be nice to them squirrels and send them on a flight. Free air fare for flying squirrels. See em squirrels do got wings!!!

squirrel Launcher!!! - YouTube

poor little squirrel bounced off the tree hit the fence crashed into the dirt face 1st and forget about food

DocRN · #8 08-01-2013, 09:59 AM

Remember.... squeeeeeze the trigger.

fotofashion · #9 08-05-2013, 02:51 PM

We had the squirrel problem eating DH's tomatoes. Solution? A Hav-a-hart trap. After trapping a couple of the little stinkers the problem was solved. It is funny, we have a lot of squirrels so the word must have gotten around. That was a couple of years ago and we have had no repeat of the problem.
We now have a couple of cats, too. One is a feral we feed, the other our "official" cat, indoor, outdoor type and I think they help with the squirrel problem.

Bud · #10 08-05-2013, 04:22 PM

I read a thread in here advising to put a couple of cups of pig's or cow's blood in a pot of soil and put it beside the orchid it likes to eat or hide nuts in.
you can ask your local grocer (they have it in a plastic bin frozen together with entrail parts on the meat section)
I have two 6 inch pots with blood on my fire escape....squirrels(brown, grey and black furred ones) in Manhattan can climb up to the 7th floor of the fire escape and hide peanuts on my orchid pots. They are as big as the rats on the sewers and subway rails. My treelined street is their home. They do not eat my orchids but they like to uproot my plants to hide nuts.
For a couple of years now, I don't have squirrels bothering my plants anymore.
*save your bullets and gadgets