Small birds can enter the squirrelnator traps, unfortunately. I use a small transparent plastic tray that almost reaches the top of the trap and put a flat rock on top of the trap right over the bait tray. The birds will eat the seeds I use to lead squirrels into the trap but can’t enter the tray. If you spread the sunflower seeds in tall grass where you place the trap, it takes them quite a while to find all the seeds and I believe their movements attract squirrels.
No squirrel issue here but plenty of mice! I wired mouse traps on the scaffolds and got a bunch
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With bait?
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A bit cruel, however. I’d rather just snap their necks in a spring trap.
Worst animal to kill by drowning that I’ve ever experienced is a raccoon. I once threw a live trap with one into a pool of clear water. What I witnessed still leaves me a bit queasy when I think about it. They are very intelligent animals that understand water enough to hold air in their lungs as long as they can.
Drowning rodents is much quicker, with their high metabolisms and lack of adequate storage capacity in their lungs, but it is still gruesome. I appease my conscience by trying to give them a more merciful death than our sweet mother nature has in store for them.
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I met a man at NAFEX a few years ago that was using extremely hot peppers mixed with some greasy stuff , like crisco I think ?
Painted on tree trunks, maybe on plastic wrapped around the tree ?
Sorry don’t remember all the specific details, what I do remember was him bragging about how effective it was at keeping squirrels
Off his trees.
The squirrels would get the hot pepper grease on their paws and it would set them on fire he said they didn’t come back.
So might be worth a try ?
My plan is to just plant enough trees for the squirrels and me,
And “ I “ eat the hot peppers 
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The problem with anecdotes is that people so often misread their own experiences. I once tried a disgusting mixture formulated with habanero seeds to discourage squirrels from eating fruit via taste, and that failed. It is possible that this man has found the holly grail of squirrel exclusion, but more likely he just painted his trunks on a low pressure year. A starving animal is not likely to be deterred by stinging feet. Squirrels are pretty tough, but I may give the idea a try as I’ve not heard of that idea of exclusion.
I’m sure I can find a deal on bulk habanero seeds. My wife was in the hot sauce business when I experimented last time and the stuff was lying around the house for experiments she was doing. Her actual products came out of a factory.
Well admittedly I have not tried this hot pepper crisco deterrent.
I can believe it would work.
Capsaicin , the active ingredient in hot peppers is soluble in alcohol and oil. So making a proper , very concentrated extract with oil ( crisco .,etc ?) using the oil as a Carrier. Placing it to where the squirrels would have to get it on their feet, if there feet started to burn like fire , I assume they would lick there feet, getting it in their mouth ?
I am assuming using the hottest peppers, verry concentrated.
Not talking a little hot sauce ,… but really HOT. !
And greasy so the cannot get it off.
Not stinging feet , but feet on fire !
I believe if applied properly ? In strategic locations , it would be a effective deterrent. ?
I love hot peppers , I put them on / in most everything I eat.
But if I was to put say 5 times my normal dose in a bowl of food ,I could not eat it no matter how hungry I was.
And pepper spray will turn the most determined aggressor…
And I will never forget my first experience processing hot peppers with out wearing gloves,won’t do “THAT “ again !
I personally have no issues with squirrels, I like having them around and wish them well.
I believe a good deterrent , is better than lethal means.
Sorry for my rambling ,as this is pure speculation on my part.
And testimony from one person at NAFEX that it works very well.
So … ?
Unless you have Mexican squirrels…
It may be worth trying ?
We are in perfect agreement.
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If you guys are going to try this you might want to use pure capsaicin extract , I have some and its rated at 6million scoville units.
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Years ago, when I first moved into my current house (2001) I was a fan of feeding the birds. The squirrels however were little jerks who quickly became so much of a nuisance that I felt I had to deal with them. I added 50% hot pepper flake to the birdseed and suet cakes.
My (then) wife and I used to leave for work at the same time. It was a cold quiet morning (the day after I had laced the birdseed) and as we left for work we were surrounded by the sounds of squirrels crying/moaning from the surrounding trees. My wife immediately turned to me and said “what did you do?” She was quite upset and told me I could never do that again, we couldn’t become the people who made the squirrels cry… we couldn’t be those people…
It really was an eerie sound, almost like babies crying echoing from all directions around us…
Scott
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My squirrels loved it. No problem on a whimper. I don’t miss them either!
I’m going to say squirrel. You can see the upper and lower jaw marks where it was trying to grab hold and pull it off. My peaches were all about that same size. I haven’t ever noticed them stripping a tree of peaches that size before this year. Usually it is just before they are ripe like we like them. Now I just have pits all over the place. The whole reason I am on this thread too. I think I am going to buy a tube trap while I still have pears.
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Get at least 2
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I bought a tube trap and caught 5 so far. Have noticed fewer scurrying around, at least around my trees. Still more in the lots neighboring (very small suburban yard)
Had it placed on the fence right next to that peach tree so hopefully it got the ones that were developing a taste.
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FWIW I bought two Squirrelinators a couple months ago. They work perfectly. Cleaned out the very local population of ~8 almost immediately. Since then there have been waves of 1’s and 2’s moving in to check out the now empty territory. So long as I keep the trap baited, I keep catching squirrels. Total so far is roughly 15-18; I don’t keep a careful record.
As an example, I saw a squirrel in my backyard mulberry tree two days ago. I baited the trap with feed corn. 4 hours later he was caught. Caught another big male the next day in the front yard.
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That’s how I address the squirrel and mice problem this year. Finally, I am able to enjoy tree ripened fruits. I really look forward to persimmon harvest this fall. Hopefully they will never learn to destroy these clamshells.
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