DIYbanter - View Single Post

Pat Kiewicz

said:

However, yesterday I went outside and found 3 squirrels feeding on the
remains of what I had left there of the attacked pumpkins. This made me
think: Was it squirrels or were they just scavenging on what was left by
another animal? One of the squirrels repeatedly looked longingly at one
of the suspended pumpkins but didn't try to climb the trellis system,
which is pretty flimsy, evidently too flimsy for it to attempt to climb.
This makes me further suspect that the squirrels may have been the
original attackers. There are a LOT of squirrels around here (Berkeley,
CA). I wonder if squirrels could have eaten THAT much of the
pumpkins,
though. Two pounds or more of pumpkin were evidently consumed.

My concern is for next year. I don't know if these animals are smart
enough to "remember" and come back for next year's harvest.

Pumpkin eaters I have known:

Squirrels (especially to go after the seeds in the fall): small gnaw marks

Groundhogs (will eat them at any stage): large gnaw marks

Mice (rarely, and without much damage): tiny, tiny gnaw marks

Deer will go after pumpkins, but are likely to break them apart with
their hooves as they are mainly after the seeds and soft pulp.

I'd probably finger the squirrels for this one, especially considering
the day-time damage.

You may be at the peak of a population cycle. Live trapping squirrels
isn't too hard.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

After enlightenment, the laundry.