Having just escorted two gray squirrels to a heavily wooded area at least five miles from here, I was somewhat amused to see this article which discusses what other gardeners do when pests eat their way through the yard.

Does the relocation do any good? I wouldn’t keep doing it if I didn’t see some improvement. But the trapping has to be ongoing. For a couple of years, we didn’t have nearly the numbers formerly seen. But last year, there was a bumper crop of acorns, and we are seeing the results of successful squirrel parenting.

Right after the tomato plants went in, big three and four-inch holes would appear next to the root balls. The raised beds are lined with wire mesh to keep out the gophers. When I looked up from my desk, I’d see the squirrels digging, and they seemed to favor the areas right next to the plants. I gave up on plans for seeding basil and cilantro. Pots of pansies on the fence were trampled when they used them as soft landing areas.

For a long while, they didn’t go in the traps. As posted earlier, a raccoon did, but the squirrels stayed away. Then I changed the bait.

I’d been using stale peanuts. But there was a bag of toasted walnuts that had gotten old. Plus a bag of ancient macadamia nuts. And the bag of really stale Tostitos.