mike

I noticed that my bananas started growing good. I noticed that something has been eating my new growth. I noticed whatever it was it has gotten worst over the last two weeks to the point that the new growth has been eaten down into the stem. Some of the new leaves on other plants that managed to emerge have been eating to the point that they are just hanging down by the stem. Today while looking out the window I observed a squirrel eating my plants. I never had this problem before but I am pissed. It’s time for war. When did squirrels get the taste for banana plants? Beside my pellet gun any suggestion on how to solve this problem?

Abnshrek

a 410 Shotgun works wonders :^) Beeman pellet gun can gut them if accurate. A 22 short will do the same as pellet gun only better. :^)

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sbl

I think when they get over-populated they start eating things they don't normally eat. My suggestion--get a scope for the pellet gun and put the cross hair right between the eye and the ear--pull the trigger.

Gabe15

Maybe spray something bitter or something that you find they don't like eating on them? Chili water maybe? I sprayed a plant whose leaves kept getting eaten by pigs with a neem oil spray and they haven't bothered it since, but it hasn't been that long.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Richard

Actually, they may be tearing it apart for nesting material. Rats do the same thing with eggplant leaves.

A Wilco bait station with just a few grain of millet bait works really well. The squirrel will die from the bait, but injest so little that it will be completely broken down by its stomach acid.

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mike

Shot gun or twenty two would be good but my neighbors might get upset. Pellet gun and I have some extra pepper spray that I am going to try also since I cant be home all the time. They are not messing with nothing but the new grow so I am beleaving it is for food and not nesting.

Abnshrek

If your just looking to save the plant and shoot the problem later you can mix up cayenne pepper in water and spray the plant. It works for pigs, dogs and will keep armadillos out of your flower beds too :^)

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Nicolas Naranja

I used to put cayenne pepper in the bird seed to get rid of squirrels, birds can't taste it.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

Lagniappe

Some of the yards on my street have up to 7 squirrels on the lawn at any given time. The kids hunt them all year, and the adults hunt them in the woods behind The houses during the season.....but they are still all over this neighborhood. My neighbors dog catches them all the time (He kept count for a while, and stopped over 30), I've seen hawks take a few, an owl land on one, and I'm sure the snakes take their share. But THERE ARE STILL hundreds of grey squirrels around my neighborhood! What's more, they've cleared much of the woods over the last few weeks to build a new subdivision, so I should forget about a fig or tomato harvest this year. little devils.

sbl

I counted 20 in my yard at one time (100x150 ft)--that was when I declared war--they were digging up everything I planted--whether it was in the ground or in a container! Hurricane Ivan cut the population a lot and opened up the tree canopy for hawks to keep them down for a couple years, but they have definitely started to bounce back.

I use a trap and get some, but many of them are trap wise, so the pellet gun is still needed.

Lagniappe

Forgot to mention, all of my container plants have oak trees in them, because the squirrels bury acorns and I never see them until they've sprouted.

jeffreyp

I've used rodent poison before though a pellet gun is the most gratifying.

Dean W.

There is a repellent spray you can use.

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