Did a squirrel do this? Grrrr

[Carol Dee]

the coral peony I was happy to see return, it now has an upside down milk crate protecting it.

Tulips nipped of at the head. Left to lay untouched .

Almost chewed off.

Random holes dug.
Does this look like a squirrel did it? What can I do besides cover them

 

[baymule]

Squirrel for supper.

 

[so lucky]

It looks like something a squirrel would do. Do you have rabbits or other rodent types around? Or a 3-year old neighbor?

 

[Nyboy]

Wow your soil looks dry. Mine gets those cracks around August. Sorry maybe time to adopt a cat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Carol, I've never had anything do something like that so I just don't know. I'd think some kind of mammal, not a bird or some type of bug like beetle or cutworm. That does not look like cutworm to me but the extension agent said it might be a beetle when something was doing something similar to my young tomato and pepper plants. I personally think my problem was a rabbit or a rat. if it wasn't for that tulip damage a bird would be on my list. Edited to add: Marshall might put gopher on the list of suspects.

My list of suspects would be squirrel, ground squirrel or chipmunk, rabbit, or rat. I'm not sure a rabbit or rat would dig random holes, the others might, but the random holes may not be connected. Down here random holes often means an armadillo, but I think you are too far north for them. Skunks will dig random holes. I don't like groundhogs but that just doesn't quite feel like a groundhog. Can you show those photos to a local master gardener? Can you dig up that ground and smooth it to maybe get some tracks?

Other than a fence to protect them? You might try a hot pepper spray or something along those lines. Those are ornamental, not vegetable, so you don't care how they taste.

I've not had much luck with coyote urine for groundhogs but some people claim coyote or fox urine works for some critters. I found some at a True Value hardware store. It's not cheap.

That stinks. War has been declared but the cowards didn't do it in the open. They deserve to be destroyed for those bad manners.

 

[jackb]

I got tired of planting my onions only to have the squirrels dig them up, so I decided to take action. I bought this trap on eBay for twenty dollars, delivered. In the last six days 14 squirrels have been trapped in my back yard. They have been relocated about two miles away; if they have a homing instinct they will have to swim a lake, navigate the open area of a golf course and cross several busy roads. Now, things are nice and peaceful.
jack

 

[Ridgerunner]

Jack, I once took over 50 squirrels out of my back yard in less than a month, using BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) as bait when I lived in suburbia. I'd take them out and others would just move in. I read you need to take them at least seven miles to keep them from coming back but I think someone is just throwing a number out there. I took them further and released them in the middle of nowhere on the Mississippi River levee. It was almost certainly illegal but I figured the boys out there would enjoy it during hunting season.

 

[jackb]

I read online that some Ph D spent months researching this subject. He found some did home back, but a good percentage just stayed in the new area, if it was early enough in the season. Most were taken by predators and road kill. So far, the onions have remained planted. I keep the trap baited, as I go passed the lake pretty much ever day. I know they don't like open spaces, so the golf course will be a hazard for them also. Last summer they destroyed our screen house so it they persist I am not going to be so humane.

 

[majorcatfish]

does your problem happen during the day or night?

 

[jackb]

If that question is for me, I put a trail cam in front of the onion bed so I know the squirrels are digging them up. They have been caught in the act and stand convicted. As for the screen house, they climb the screens and perch on the roof. It is only a seasonal canvas affair, they poke holes in the canvas while climbing and ruin the screens. I know for certain the one in the photo will not be back to collect his cache.