Best way to get rid of squirrels?

[cjm3fl]

OK then.
How about a cup of coffee and one of those "This house is guarded by Smith & Wesson" written in Squirrelish?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Didn't see the apartment complex bit. Sort of rules out fence/dog. Chicken wire might work.

[katrina]

Poison is NEVER a good solution. Any animal can get into it and/or a non-offending animal could eat the dead one. Not good, not good at all.

I have no issues w/the gun solution but unless you're out in the country somewhere and it's permissible to fire a gun...that will likely get the police showing up at your door. In an apartment complex...probably not the wisest solution.

Dogs don't always work...I know this because even though I had 3 dogs that all loved to chase squirrels, I still had squirrel problems. We also have several feral cats running around and the squirrels basically laugh at them. With that said, we do feed them along w/the birds so I have a lot of them and I know it's my own doing. Personally, I get a kick out of watching the squirrels so I figure, for me, it's just part of the story of my growing plants outside.

The only true protection is making it impossible for the squirrels to get to the plants. A cage of sorts around them would work. I know someone who built enclosures for their orchids (wood frame w/chicken wire) so the squirrels couldn't get to them. I just deal w/the occasional mess. For me, the birds and chipmunks are more frequently messing w/the orchids than the squirrels. Carolina Wrens and Chickadees (the 2 I think are the cutest!) are the worst! Chipmunks bury things in the pots and pull out medium. Oh, and the Robins like to pluck off buds. I still haven't figured the Robin problem out...they pluck them off and drop them. Strange. Between critters and weather...Mother Nature can be brutal.

[PaphMadMan]

The predator urine type repellents are somewhat effective. Worth trying if you have few other choices.