Author Topic: Squirrel attack on Dawn Redwood (Read 3943 times)

JUNEBUG 88 · « **on:** January 26, 2009, 02:38:57 am »

Squirrels are eating the bark or at least stripping all the bark off my 30' tall Dawn Redwood tree. I tried spraying in milder months with pepper spray but that will not work during Winter. Besides I can not get to the whole tree and squirrels can climb to the tree from other trees nearby. There are numerous critters doing the attack and I can not trap or shoot them all. If it can be saved what can I do?

They are even taking chunks of bark off the Chinkapin Oak tree.

It is not like they are starving either since they raid our bird feeders daily. Sadly, I think the Redwood tree may be too far gone to save since the white wood is showing in several spots and all outer bark is off? It was planted in memory of our dog.

Base of tree:

Top of tree:

WDH · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:44:27 am »

Maybe the squirrels are getting some type of mineral or nutrition from the bark. Short of eradicating the offenders, I do not know what you can do.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2009, 07:16:08 am »

Obviously you saw the squirrels at the tree. But, around here it's porcupines that do that number on them. They seem to take bark off main limbs and bole. One winter they were chewing some buts on my planted spruce.

Often a squirrel will come visit the debarking sites on a hardwood and lick the sap, such as on maple and birch.

thecfarm · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2009, 07:28:33 am »

I've seen porcupines do that too,but never that bad.You have some hungry animals in MI.I've only seen like 3 feet at a time gone.Wish I could be of some help,but a 22 is my solution.It really does look like hedgehog to me too.They eat around the limbs to get every morsel of bark they can.Should be easy to see the path of a hedgehog in the snow.

Ironwood · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2009, 10:54:10 am »

Find something to make it taste bad w/ out poisoning the tree. Ironwood

Stephen_Wiley · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2009, 11:57:41 am »

I realize that I am only seeing what you have shown in the above pics (my response may be different seeing opposite side of tree).

The amount of 'white exposed' wood is not enough for me to warrant loss of this tree. So I suggest, you still attempt aggressive measures to disparage the critters.

Have you tried Tanglefoot or other sticky substance; may consider buying some repellent with predatory urine; also try spreading human hair at base of trees.

VT_Forestry · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2009, 12:46:50 pm »

Invest in a pellet gun

We've been having problems with squirrels at home chewing on the wires of our cars in the driveway. The pellet gun is powerful enough to kill em but not enough to go through a tire or damage the cars at all. If nothing else, it slows them down enough so they clear the cars and put themselves into .22 magnum range

Leave a dead squirrel or two at the bottom of the tree, that should discourage them from coming around haha

beenthere · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2009, 01:43:30 pm »

Quote from: VT_Forestry on January 26, 2009, 12:46:50 pm

................ Leave a dead squirrel or two at the bottom of the tree, that should discourage them from coming around haha

I've been thinning out the squirrel population here, just taking the gray squirrels and leaving the larger fox squirrels to build up their population. When I pop a gray and a fox squirrel is nearby, it doesn't even flinch when the gun goes off. Guess they know it wasn't meant for them.

However, the other gray's high tail it outta there right quick.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** January 26, 2009, 03:45:33 pm »

We do have plenty of gray squirrels in NB, mostly in the towns actually. Out here in the country I might see one or 2. The reds keep them at bay and seem more aggressive. While the grays are more docile and passive.

JUNEBUG 88 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:03:19 pm »

Fox squirrels are definetly chewing the bark, when they venture down the tree the dogs get sent after them. There are too many branches to get at trunk high up without breaking a bunch of them to put tanglefoot on the tree. What poison/irritant will affect squirrels, but not the tree?
I wish the the numerous red tail hawks around our house would help get rid of some of the squirrels. We also have 2 Cooper Hawks but the squirrels just laugh at those birds as they are too small to bother a squirrel.
The squirrels are not starving as they are also raiding our bird feeders.

okie · « **Reply #10 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:50:06 pm »

Squirrels are very good eating

, thats the only way I know of to get rid of em for good.

nomad · « **Reply #11 on:** January 27, 2009, 12:47:49 am »

Make the best gravy in the world! The meat is very tasty, too. Bit of a pain to skin. Why would you wanna feed the dogs the really good stuff?

What poison/irritant will affect squirrels, but not the tree? .22 longs

John Woodworth · « **Reply #12 on:** March 27, 2009, 09:02:57 pm »

I have the same problem with gray squirrels, the are building nests with the bark, I have trapped them and taken them out in the woods and every time I think I have them all along comes another pair. They also devestate the lawn digging and burrying their food, sure can be fun to watch though at times.

WDH · « **Reply #13 on:** March 27, 2009, 10:30:12 pm »

Remember, man the predator can be a good thing in the natural system. Otherwise, squirrels will take over the earth. Look on the bright side, if the economy totally tanks and we have to resort to living off the land again, at least you have a ready supply of squirrels

.

Left Coast Chris · « **Reply #14 on:** March 27, 2009, 10:56:45 pm »

In another post EricC was saying that out west here Fishers were imported to kill porkupines and they also wipe out squirrels. If you can't import a Fisher maybe a good sized weasel would take out squirrels?

Some of the posts about eating squirrels bring back fond memories of the college days.

I had three room mates who were a little rough around the edges for some refined city girls that lived next door. We thought they were plastic, snoody and completly out of touch with reality. We tried giving them a chance and they would do things with us only until something better came along then they would stand us up. That got a little old so on a duck hunting trip a Gray Squirrel appeard so we decided to shoot him and play a trick on the girls. We skinned it and mounted it on a rotating spit barbecue. Skinned out it looked exactly like a cat. When they came over we got one of them to take a taste then told them it was one of the cats that hung around. They were frantic and never returned. That really felt good....

tyb525 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 27, 2009, 11:32:46 pm »

We have black squirrels around here which are killing off the red ones.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2009, 05:02:36 am »

Pine martin are what you need for them darn squirrels. Here they favor old stands beginning to break up where they can run on downed trees to catch squirrels.

Ironmower · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2009, 05:48:15 am »

Can a squirrel detect "predator" urine?

LeeB · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2009, 04:56:58 pm »

I don't know about that, but they can tell camo from orange. They will crawl all over you when you're wearing orange and you won't even see one if you wear camo.

Tom · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2009, 05:44:32 pm »

And, ............ Whatever you do, .......don't take one to Church!!

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #20 on:** March 28, 2009, 05:55:13 pm »

I always got a kick outta that song.

jrdwyer · « **Reply #21 on:** April 02, 2009, 01:33:22 pm »

"When they came over we got one of them to take a taste then told them it was one of the cats that hung around. They were frantic and never returned. That really felt good...."

Great story.

We only seem to have squirrel problems with trees during dry spells when they will chew on the bark of maple or oak for a source of water. They will go so far as girdling a good size branch. The answer in this case is a bird bath.

Have any cats with front claws? I am not a cat person, but we have several at our home and then are outside cats with claws and can climb a tree pretty quick when chased by a big neighborhood dog. No problems with rabbits in the garden either.

Modat22 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 02, 2009, 01:58:09 pm »

You could convert a clay pidgeon thrower to a "Squirrel cannon" and have a little fun disscouraging them or shoot them at a neighbors house.

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Author Topic: Squirrel attack on Dawn Redwood (Read 3943 times)