[Sca-cooks] fruit trees- DON'T POISON

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> It might be possible, though, to poison the squirrels, if you're okay
> with that, although that can get into repercussions as well.  Or maybe
> trapping them, like you would set a mouse trap for food-eating vermin
> *inside* one's house!
> --sue

Do NOT poison!!!! Not only is it a very painful way to kill a critter,
there's no telling what else might get into the poison, or what might catch
the poisined critter, and be poisoned in turn. Rob and Margali lost a couple
pets because the idiot next door poisoned, and their critters caught and ate
the poisoned animals.

If a .22 or a shotgun isn't an option (and I doubt it is for Huette), then
there are a couple other things you can do, depending on how much you want
to spend.

First off, nowadays, most of the bug exterminator outfits have teams that
will remove problem animals from your property. What they do is trap them,
and move them elsewhere. It does, however, cost you.

A less expensive option is to get live traps, and catch the critters
yourself. Best bait is peanut butter.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/search/search.asp?r=ad%2Fother&s=SEARCH&a=search&k=live+trap

Sportsman's Guide generally has a combination of best prices and good
service on the 'Net- good company to deal with.

If you do get a live trap, make sure you have handles that don't require you
to hold the cage itself- a pissed off squirrel will bite. You can make your
own easily with a bit of wire.

Once you've got the squirrel, the local game warden will come take it away
for you, and release it elsewhere- or, if you want to release it yourself,
it's easy enough to do- take along a broomstick, wherever you want to
release it, and use that to open the cage. The squirrel will go about it's
business, without bothering you, as long as it has some room to get past
you.

Advantage of having your own cage is that you can use it whenever the
squirrel population gets too big.

Warning- you may catch a skunk. If you do, it's not a disaster- all you need
to do is cover the cage so it can't see out, and see you as a threat to it.
Throw some fabric over the cage, move the cage where you want to release,
and open the cage, as you would for a squirrel. Stand very still, and the
skunk will bumble away about its business. Collect the cage, and go home ;-)

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....