Wow! All along I thought it was squirrels or chipmunks and bunnies BUT I THINK ITS RATS! Ugh! The tunnels I’ve read about in the comments, YES… I was wondering about that but assumed the critters mentioned above {crying}! Now I don’t want to deal with any traps eeek and expletive… I don’t want to no thanks. I’m going to cover my tomato’s and get a fake snake. I had a king snake around but haven’t seen it in a month and now the big holes in the ground so again, netting and a fake snake and hopefully that works! What about apple trees, dwarf peach tree and pear trees? Have anything about that? I’m in Georgia.
My dogs tend to tear up my garden so I normally keep them out. Last year I found a huge tunnel system under my tomato plants. Made the dogs sleep outside with the garden gate open. Next morning I find the biggest rat (dead) I've ever seen in my life sitting right outside the backdoor and a couple of dogs looking at me with some serious prideful looks. They got steak that night for dinner. They tore up a few kale plants but it was good trade.
I like that part of the morale of the story is that dug up kale plants are a fair trade for dead rats. I wonder what plant would have made that trade NOT so good *LOL*
I just wanted to thank you so much for posting this video and for your advice about the traps. We immediately went to ACE hardware and bought 4. we put peanut butter on them and put them about the raised bed and the compost. The next morning we had a rat. the next day we had another rat. and the third morning we had another one. three nights, three rats caught and no harm to our new garden that is just beginning. before these traps, rats were eating our tomato plant leaves. So a huge thank you to you!! Linda
My rats must be smarter. I too went to ACE and got traps. They somehow where able to trip the traps, eat the peanut butter, and ate more or my tomatoes.
This was so helpful today. I’ve literally cried over the tunnels the rats have built in our backyard. We have tried so many different things and maybe, just maybe we won’t be out $1200 for an exterminator. That was our next step. The October ice storm in OKC left huge piles of limbs and entire trees cut into pieces in our front yards. It was like putting out the welcome mat to vermin! The city didn’t pick ours up until the second week of January. By then the vermin have spread throughout our beautiful neighborhood. I’m glad you don’t let the naysayers keep you from telling the truth. Living with critters and a garden can be messy and unpleasant at times.
First, I found your openness and honesty, in your thoughts and methods Refreshing!!! My problem is Squirrels. Mostly Red Squirrels, just eyeballing the garden all summer, but when tomato's start ripening, all bets are off❗❗ I actually sprinkled some cayenne pepper, healthy dose, directly on a tomato that had a small chunk chewed out of it. Next morning, the stem and a piece of skin was all that was left. Ever since then, the 410 came out. It's a bit noisy, but very effective. For those that say "There must be laws against that" NOPE, I live in a mostly rural area, I have a hunting license, and there's No Closed Season on Red Squirrels ❗👍❗ What do I do with them? There's a family of Owls that live out back, that appreciate the offerings I provide. OK, off to set some rat/mouse traps with some peanut butter, will see if I can't deter them a bit to save on ammo, and see how many traps go missing this year 😲. For those that still consider this cruel. When your mechanic calls you and informs you that the reason your car wouldn't start, is they found a nest in your engine compartment and a main wiring harness had been chewed through and needs to be replaced. Some harnesses are $500 and up. I am a retired mechanic, and those harnesses aren't any fun to replave. Betcha change your views on feeding the Squirrels when ya get that phone call❗❗❗ TYFS, Mark
Living in rural western NSW Australia we are in the worst mice plague we have seen for a long long time! Having subscribed to your fantastic informative videos my wife and i keep referring to your suggestions/ instructions and having tried some of these with a bit my prior but limited knowledge and we have managed to overcome most of the gardening problems we have been faced with in our first attempt to have a fairly large garden area we have made by converting our backyard from dead grass and weeds after long previous drought to highly productive veggie garden we are proud of thanx to your informaion and tips. We so appreciate it. Everyone that visits comment or praises us for our work. We find the smaller plastic mouse traps with most successful !
Of all of the small rodent traps I have used, similar to the old style mouse traps, IS the black trap you showed!!! It is absolutely the best!!!! Really easy to use, easy to set without risk to your own fingers, and the "jaw" has "teeth" so not only does it catch the rodent but it hangs on to it if it doesn't instantly kill it, which it does 99% of the time, but should it not be instant it will hold on to until it dies, you find it to kill it, or you release it into a dumpster or feed it to your cat or dog!!!!! Oh and the sticky glue traps work really good, but the mouse starves to death or stresses out and then dies., but you can catch multiple and then I throw them in a bag to suffocate them and throw them in a dumpster. I like the bucket method as well, and I simply throw the deceased mice/rats in the dumpster! Mice and Rats especially and to an extent squirrels but not as bad, carry a multitude of diseases which they can pass on to you via their urine and/or feces. People don't realize if they are present, you can step on a urine patch or feces, but the hidden risk comes from the mice walking in their urine and feces, which they do constantly and then they track that contamination over every surface they walk on. So, you could place an apple and/or your hands on a counter that looks clean, but they walked across, so now your food is contaminated and so are your hands. If you put a finger in your mouth to lick something off, or you rub your eye with that contaminated finger...if that mouse was carrying any or all of those diseases you will be a very sick person and could potentially die!!! They can also cause damage to electrical wiring in one's home which could cause a fire which could cause loss of property but even worse could cause death as well!! So, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET RID OF RODENTS IN YOUR HOME AND/OR AROUND YOUR FOOD SOURCES, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!! AND MOVING THEM INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM PUTS OTHER PEOPLE AND/OR ANIMALS IN DANGER!!!
This is great. I had squirrels digging in my soil around my peppers. I put chicken wire flat on the soil around the peppers and that has seemed to do the trick.
Try fertilizing them with fish emulsion, the stink will help repel squirrels. Also ghost pepper sauce diluted with water to not kill the plant with the salt repels all mammals.
Birds and tomatoes. Save (or buy) red Christmas ornaments. Dollar Tree bargain stores have them before Christmas and thrift stores such as Goodwill have them after the holidays. Then in the spring just as your tomato plants are about to start putting out fruit, hang your shiny red Christmas ornaments among the plants. The birds will think they have struck gold but when they peck, they won't get juice, just a beak full of ... nothing. Once they learn that there is no reward for their efforts, they will leave your real tomato fruit alone for the rest of the season.
Never had a rat problem in our garden but rather a few field mice in my greenhouse at initial planting time each year so i have used the black traps (but mouse sized) with peanut butter as well. Works perfectly. There is no way for pets or birds to get into the greenhouse so they are protected. For squirrels we have walnut trees, maple trees, and other nut trees they can work on, away from the main garden. For our blueberries (1000 bushes), the birds can be a problem so i put a sign on a few of the bushes that are reserved for them (kidding). We get such a big harvest because we are fully no sprays, that the yield is at least 50% greater than those using sprays, and our loss from birds is minimal. Bears can be a problem but with our dog around and with our horse manure composting nearby, they stay away. We also have a pond, and a man-made creek and a natural creek that gives most of our 'pests' a natural home, and also attracts natural predators like owls, hawks, and eagles. BTW, we have bats to control the mosquitoes above the pond and koi and goldfish to control the larvae. Work with nature as much as possible.
@@julietteyork3721 Bats are great at controlling blood-sucking mosquitos. They do keep the night flying pests under control. We have a bathouse on our garage for them, but they prefer to roost behind the shutter of our upstairs window. I see them flitting around above our backyard at night, very acrobatic when chasing those nasty bugs.
@@julietteyork3721 Closest that one ever came was maybe 6 feet above me. And that was probably my fault for standing up from a sitting position. When my daughter was little, she had to research something that she was frightened of...so she studied bats and learned a great deal about them. They became a fascination instead of a fear. She likes the little fox faces and the whole sonar-hearing that they use to navigate.
I started feeding two cats on my front porch, a stray and a feral thinking they would keep mice away from my house and garden. My husband recently took a picture of them both sitting in the back yard beside my garden with a baby mouse sitting between them. They look to be baby sitting the baby mouse.
Thank you! My garden has been overrun by socks. My traps have been less than effective or uber messy to clean. I will employ some of these tactics to bring their population back down.
Have used plastic snakes for years in the garden..I move them around every so often (i also make spinners that move with the wind and have them at each end of the garden on those decorative pole)s. I also put something shiny that moves with the breeze throughout the garden. No problems. for many years. Like the advantage of having water around. Also like to feed birds off my deck. The squirrels like to hang out there to eat the seeds the birds drop and there is water there too. I grease the poles the feeders are hanging from with vaseline. Love to watch them try to climb the pole and slide back down then the have to go to away to clean their sticky paws🤨! Used tulle tied around each the fruits on the fruit trees buy that is too much work. Used tulle (netting)on top of my strawberries.
I have an issue with desert ground squirrels in my garden and have tried various methods of dissuading them. A pellet gun during the day (when they are most active) worked very well for the larger problem of their local population. One secret I discovered is when you insert a dead ground squirrel into one of their den entrance holes, not a single one will ever inhabit it again. Beyond that, I successfully use the standard Victor mouse/rat trap inside my fenced garden but I hammered 3-4 thin nails from the bottom up, protruding sharp tip up, around the bait tray. Huge success. Simply what works here.
I grow a lot of mint around the chicken pen and barn, because I read that mint replies mice. This might work for rats too. Mint is so easy and makes a great natural deodorizer. Thanks for an informative video.
I just planted my first garden in May and thankfully no mice so far; my neighbor has fruit trees that the squirrels fill up on all morning and afternoon 🦋 I used to see mouse droppings in my garage until I started filling shoe boxes with snuggle dryer sheets. They hate the smell (as do I) 🌷
Very timely topic. I have something eating parts of my tomatoes and several of my cucumber plants. I have seen several squirrels in my yard, so I am blaming them. I am going to try putting food in the other side of the yard and but the fountain back in operation. Thanks for all the great ideas.
I am so glad to have come across this video. The squirrels in my yard are really pissing me off. I plant to mix the hot pepper spray and hopefully it works. They have started eating the leaves of my collard greens and kale.
I’m retired from doing commercial pest control. The rats you are talking about are roof rats. I got rid of countless ones in my career. Snap traps were my weapon of choice. One type which I used had a small cup with in the trap. I used to carry smoked almonds and I would pound a couple of almonds in that cup with a small hammer or the back end of a heavy flashlight. The rat would have to work to get that out and pounded nuts would be effective. I also used to carry an essential oil where I used very little on a trap and that was very effective too. But for the average homeowner smoked almonds are great. A trap within a box is essential but overall use it like a runway. In other words don’t leave it in the open but against a wall or if there is not a wall create one with wood or rocks so they have a path to follow. More than just one and make sure little kids do not have access.
California Garden TV same people that think it’s inhuman, live in big cites and shop at their local Trader Joe’s and have no idea where food comes from and the things farmers have to deal with.... Don’t get me wrong theirs people with bad personalities that enjoy the stuff but most farmers I’ve talked to realize it’s not ideal but they’re there to supply their community and do what they need to.
There definitely are some very weird folks on this planet. Like people that have pet mice or pet rats. I see them in pet shops and cannot help but wonder who in the world.... A dead rodent is a good one, get some cats and don't over feed them.
Rodents carry Four Corner's Virus which is more deadly than Coronavirus. It's in their droppings and dried dropping dust breathed in can be deadly. Then there is the little manner of the bubonic plague, etc.
First, thank you for taking the time to share your gardening wisdom and experience with the rest of us. As “newbie” food gardeners, also in SoCal, the hubby and I have spent countless hours watching your videos, as well as those from some of your esteemed YT peers. I’ll be making some of your homemade pepper spray today, for our tomatoes, but I wanted to share our recent experience with the TomCat Rat Traps, as well as the rodent-deterrent experiment we’re currently running. We bought two of the TomCat traps you recommended and staged them near our tomatoes, which we’d recently noticed were being devoured, piecemeal. (Ugh!) But to our great surprise, however, one of the traps DISAPPEARED the very first night they were out. A thorough search of the garden revealed neither hide nor hair of its (presumed) occupant. Weirdly, the trap was just gone. We suspected that a rodent invader might have been caught in the trap and then subsequently taken away by a larger predator, perhaps as an easy meal. Not having much experience with traps, in general, it didn’t seem like that farfetched a concept. What was really strange though, was that the exact same thing happened the very next day. Trap #2, which we’d placed in a different location, also went MIA. As before, we found no sign of a struggle and no hint of any rodent (or any other) remains. We were so perplexed that we’re actually talking about getting a portable wildlife camera and installing it, just to see who’s actually visiting us at night. Have you ever had this happen with your traps? As for our experiment, we weren’t sure if our tomato thief was being drawn to the fruit by its changing color, or by its scent (or both). Whoever is eating them seems to be ignoring the tomatoes right up until they start to ripen. So, in the off-chance that the fruit’s color was the cue, I purchased two yards of organza at my local fabric store. (And yes, I wore a face mask and “social-distanced.” 😷) I got one yard in hunter green and one in turquoise. I chose the organza because it was sheer enough to allow air to pass through it, but still opaque enough to completely obscure the actual color of the tomatoes. I tested this by holding some of it up against bright red fabric while I was in the store, to make sure none of the red was detectable. Once I got it I home, I cut smaller squares of the organza and wrapped the tomatoes that seemed closest to changing color in it. The wrapped fruit is highly visible on the vine, so we can tell immediately if it’s been tampered with...or taken. It’s been 3 days now and we haven’t had a nibble on the wrapped fruit. We’re not ready to “declare victory” yet, of course, since this could be just a coincidence. Also, doing this sort of thing with a heavy-laden vine probably wouldn’t be terribly practical, but I’m curious to know if you think the fabric, either by its color or just by its mere presence, regardless of its color, might be the reason.
1st of all yes I have had that happen with traps. Either it caught them on the tail and they ran off or like you said another predator came in and got an easy meal. The traps have a small spot where you can tie them to something. Which I have done with the trap on my fence. As far as the fabric. I have wrapped T shirts and towels around my fruit when I get ready to go on a trip and it has worked so far.
The reason your trap disappeared was because the animal it caught was too big for the trap to kill it, and it took it away. Always tie your trap down, and position it in a way that encourages the animal to go in head first, not step on it. As they said in Jaws, "We're gonna need a bigger trap". If there is no tie spot on the trap, drill a hole and make one.
I used a motion detecting water sprinkler last year and it seemed to work. There are squirrels and raccoons that hang around my house. Dozens of stray cats also like to use my yard as a toilet. This year I bought two more sprinklers for greater coverage, so let’s see what happens.
Aloha! Great tips! Even though our squirrels have ponds and pools all around my garden, they still take the tomatoes and nibble a a few bites and then leave them on the fence! Also, decimating, squashes, and melons, and corn! Our cat has caught a 4 rats, they still eat my red bell peppers! I'm looking forward to trying your pepper spray! Mahalo!
I use an electric pet fence, 3 strands high, keeps rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, raccoons out. I have a camera on the garden and have seen each of these touch the fence and take off. It’s awesome. These fences are inexpensive, I have about $30 invested.
My pesty squirrels live in my pecan tree so they're already in the yard. Or they come over the high fences from my neighbors - I don't think electrifying those would be a good idea!
NorCal here. I've seen your previous videos about rodents and didn't give it much thought. A few days ago I saw my FIRST rat since I've lived in my house (16 years), so I bought those traps! lol.
An additional recommendation for using rat traps: Rats have a very acute sense of smell so, in addition to wearing gloves when you are setting a trap, if you are re-using a trap scrub it thoroughly between uses to eliminate any dead rat scent. The advantage of the traditional and inexpensive wood and wire traps is that you can throw the whole thing away. Traps, even the wood ones, can be scrubbed clean with a bleach and water solution.
No need to scrub them. They don't smell like death to rats but rather smell like their pals. I've had far more luck reusing traps that have caught a few rats than I do with brand-new ones.
One year I had a seven layer pest control system that culminated in yes....my son being assigned the job to sleep outside occasionally with his friends and his air soft guns. The squirrels still got to them...but we had fun watching the boys be diligently on guard!
I'm at the part where you tell people to stick it and I already love this video. I kill anything that destroys my hard work and I don't apologize for it. Right now I'm dealing with Javelina. I foresee bacon in the near future. Momma, Daddy, and babies are all fair game. I live in the middle of nowhere so I have Javelina, rabbits, birds, gophers, squirrels, rats, mice - Just last night I lost a huge amount of lettuce that was almost ready for harvest. I have a trail cam coming tomorrow so I can ID the offenders and setup a plan to exterminate them.
Wow, I had to look up what a Javelina is.....it looks like a rodent pig!! This would scare me if I saw that in my yard. I wish you success in getting rid of them.
Use to use rat traps on the squirrels. Horribly effective. Catch and release is cruel to the squirrel. They aren’t welcomed by other squirrel groups. I feed and water them. But still lose those tomatoes to nibblers. Grr.
@@martinphilip8998 I'm not sure how I would get one to stay on the trees to trap the squirrels. What did you use for bait? I have no problem just shooting them, in fact, I bought a pellet rifle specifically to shoot at intruders in my yard but would not mind traps while I'm at work. This week I caught a tiny mouse in a cage trap, he was eating my tiny bok choy and asparagus. I felt bad when I saw it trembling but I got over it!
@@deezlittlethingz they find their food on the ground, so they’ll find a trap baited with peanut butter. Nail two of them to a 4by4 and lay it on the ground. Some are not killed instantly and you don’t want them be found by a neighbor. I have a pellet pistol and rifle. Both are match grade. I needed a FOID card to buy the rifle. But I’m 66 and a lousy shot now. I once baited some peanut butter with ground up ambien. The next day I found a squirrel slowly chirping from a low limb. He was scolding me in slow motion. I’ve never tried a barrel of water with sticks and peanuts across the top. They would need a leaping off place near to it as I doubt they would just climb the sides. I have one squirrel that I’m befriending. I’d kill any other though. I call him Peter for the white tip on his tail. One winter I set up an obstacle course for them to get the nuts. “Walk the plank Bucko!” One Thanksgiving my daughter and I discovered that a hawk had killed a favorite squirrel of ours. I told my daughter we could bury it or let the hawk enjoy thanksgiving. Then he’ll just kill another squirrel. She said I don’t care about the other squirrels, this was mine. Lol. Happy hunting. Don’t totally destroy your karma though. ☯️
I have a friend that has tried everything to get rid of rats. I am going to share the link that you provided. Thanks so much! Your channel is awesome and I continue to share with friends that garden.
I live in a delta in the northwest which has a high water table. The norwegian black rat is common here as well as brown rats. A couple of weeks ago I spotted a brown rat scuttling across my fence around where my veggie patch is. I then noticed that my cucumber seeds were being dug up. So it was battle stations. I also find the traditional snap trap the most effective. But there are techniques best used. Firstly, do not get human scent on the traps i.e. consistently use gloves. This also applies to any bait used. I generally use raisins. Secondly, rats are smart and skeptical of something new. So I place my traps without setting them and without bait for a couple of days in the targeted spot. Then I set and bait. My cucumba plants and now seeds must've done a victory dance when I scored with one dead brown rat. The snap trap worked perfectly and crunched the neck for an instant kill.
Thanks for showing the rat traps! We live on raw land in the country, and use mouse traps that are the miniature of your rat traps. They are the only traps we have found to work virtually without fail. So glad to know there are rat traps like them! We need those too. ☹
We use the "Jaws" mouse traps. They are much easier and cleaner. We don't however put any type of bait/food on them. Mice run along baseboards or in your case the base of your beds or your house. We put the "jaws" pointing toward the baseboards and the handle pointing away from the wall. When the mouse runs along it, snap one less mouse.
I will for sure be getting some of those! I also heard (as more of a prevention) to use fabric tulle around the garden! Rodents hate getting their nails caught in it so they don't climb up! it's super cheap and lasts years :)
I tried the tulle for my fruit trees and bird feeders. The squirrels go right over it no problem. Have also tried the pepper spray they don't care about that as well. Had flying squirrels in our roof and tried many ways to get rid of them and tried the traps suggested and worked great. Baited them with peanut butter orange piece mix.
Great video, and some added laughs,you have a great way of sharing. Today the squirrels ate many apricots ..well they pitted them first and left the fruit . All they are after is the pits,I found they steal seeds to. It took me awhile to figure it out but they don't want fruit to rot, seed and pits stored for Winter, they aren't dumb .
Cats go for mice but won't do much for full grown rats. I have been leaving a "sacrificial tomato" which has worked. I probably shouldn't jinks myself since my larger tomatoes are just now blushing. I just haven't made piece with traps. The squirrels get black sunflower seeds and raw peanuts so they don't mess with my garden.
This is my first year gardening in Missouri, I haven’t come across cucumber beetles and squash bugs before. I find if I go out before sunrise the I will find a few squash bugs underneath some plants. I snip them in 1/2 with my snips and put them in the chicken bucket. The cucumber beetles tend to be inside the wilted squash flowers. I pick of all wilted flowers, carefully rip them open and squish the beetles before they can fly away. I have not found any eggs yet but check every day.
Our dog (American Staffordshire) is an excellent ratter, when she can catch them. Unfortunately they're a lot more nimble than she is, but she's always up for the chase. She's awakened me during the wee hours of the morning more than once to go to work. I'm retired, so don't complain, but I think I'll give those traps a go - I'll use the shoebox trick too, to keep her away.
I totally agree with YOU! More expensive, but I say for a regular trap, just throw it away...no clean up. Peanut butter really does the trick👍🏻! I think snap traps are not supposed to be used in my area (San Jose) but then why are they sold here?
Got 'em! I had a rat showing up and eating my romaine and celery the past two weeks. I have the same rat trap, along with some wooden ones, and decided to put it out last night and whamo! Planning on getting a couple more for the other garden areas. Thanks for the advice
I like that rat trap a lot. I will definitely invest in a few. We have a couple coyotes that patrol the property every morning. They seem to keep the rabbit, tree squirrel and rat population at bay pretty well. Ground squirrels are another issue. I do use a pellet rifle to keep them manageable and a Squirellenator trap if the population gets too large. If I hear a bunch of them chirping the trap comes out and it’s very effective. Ironically I use cut up tomatoes as bait and they can’t resist.
The Rat Zappers have worked amazingly well for us, far more effective than any other method. We put Honey Nut Cheerios in them and the mice can’t resist it! Caught over 14 mice within a week in our garage.
I have issues with squirrels and chipmunks uprooting my plants. I'm going to try chicken wire under the mulch. I'll let you know if it works :) Update: I also wrapped the tops of my pots and tucked around the inside edges of my grow bags. It's working great so far.
The neighbor feeds squirrels so they don't eat my fruit, they just dig in EVERY SINGLE POT and bury peanuts in the morning and afternoon. I will have to try this.
I just did the same (wrapped my fabric pots with chicken wire - going a few inches above the edge) and so far (1 week in) great success! My garden bed is a different story - I used a bit of chicken wire to create a border all along the bed (maybe just a couple of inches above the edge) and this worked for 2 days, but then I started seeing holes being dug all over again. Great idea to use the wire inside and lay it on top of the mulch as a deterrent from them even wanting to get in - they seem to really hate the stuff. Thanks for the idea!
I use a trap that looks like a small rectangular cage. It has a door on one end that snaps close when the bait on the other end is moved, thus trapping the rat inside. It doesn't kill the rat but it's okay. My neighbor buys them and feed them to his pet snake. So I made sure they are alive. I also make sure to wash the cage before the next use.
The traps work. They are relatively easy to bait. Finding the right bait can be a doozy. Also, if you have any raptors(hawks, owl, etc), most traps have a hole that you can use to stake them down. Otherwise, you might have traps flying away.
My husband has been using those traps in our raised tomato beds this year (after the little buggers ate about 100 lbs of fabulous heirloom tomatoes last year which he took very personally!). It was working ok until the other day when he caught a SKUNK in the trap. Worse, it didn't kill him, it just got his foot. He tortured over what to do for a couple of hours before dressing in a hazmat suit and going to to try to let the poor thing out...certain he was going to get sprayed. Much to our surprise, the poor thing seemed to understand he was trying to help and although he raised his tail a couple of times, he didn't spray and my husband was able to release him. On an even happier note, he didn't seem to be harmed...he ran at lightening speed and didn't even limp. We're not sure how he wasn't hurt, but we've known for a long time we had skunks out back and they've never been a problem (having worked out a detente with our cats...they haven't eaten any veggies or sprayed in the yard, so we're ok with them being there eating grubs or whatever it is they do). And that brings me to whether cats help with rats... NOPE. We're currently exploring other methods to control the rats... peppermint oil/garlic/rosemary oil granules and sprays, but don't have anything to report yet on the effectiveness of those. If they help, I'll post another comment later.
I have a friend who LOVES "ratties" as she calls them. I don't tell her I'm ok with punishing interlopers...and I put habanero sauce on the bird seed (birds can't taste it) and it totally works!
I've had an all out war with ground squirrels this year. They ate 3 watermelon plants and stripped 5 tomato plants. I've killed 14 of them so far with my pellet gun and I have one left to get still. But I've also added rat traps and that has helped keep them away this week. I haven't caught any in the traps but they have set them off.
Try the Squirrelinator. It's a live trap but if you don't want to release them alive it sounds like you know how to dispatch them. It's very effective!
Def did your homework like me and my husband did lol. Those traps are the best and fairly inexpensive on Amazon. I’ve luckily never deal with rats but mice, squirrels and chipmunks are my arch nemesis. Living in CT with very cold and snowy winters the rodents are always looking for somewhere warm. Being a responsible dog owner I would never use poison other than in my detached garage where I do the bucket trap but with antifreeze rather than water for obvious winter reasons...and a trap combo. I also use a lot of mint oil around the house to deter them. Thank you for the video and the other great advice!
The past 2 winters squirrels have been eating and damaging my kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and collard plants. There was no cut and come again or broccoli crowns and brussel sprouts to harvest. They destroy my sunflowers.
I fed the squirrels and they just kept coming back. That did not deter them. They destroyed my garden entirely, despite the fact that I fed them. They would eat it all and come into my garden for more. I discovered the pepper spray way too late, but I found that it does work.
That trap looks great. I have had mice and have used sticky traps, this looks easier. Luckily, we don't have rodents now. Generally, pet cats are not good ratters, I've had dogs that were good ratters but to honest, I don't want my pets fighting with rats. Rats can be big. I once had a rat and at that time I also had 5 barn cats (don't judge me). I looked into the garage and the cats were all sitting in a circle watching the rat eat their food. At the time, I also had a Rottweiler, she rushed in, grabbed the rat, and shook it, which broke the rat's neck. It was not a good experience.
Yes, you don't want to expose your pets to the filthy rodent diseases. The black trap does work well with mice too, I bought one not knowing what was eating my eggplant and dead mice turned up in the trap, it's wide trigger is sensitive enough to get mice as well.
I was having tomatoes and cucumbers nibbled. I got one of the black rat traps for under $10ca. Caught a big rat in just a couple of days. It was very easy to release the very dead rat into the trash. Thanks for the advice!
Michael Favier It’s the sheer fabric of a brides vail and can be a little more stiff if you buy the cheap stuff. Wrap that around itself a few times and it’s itchy. Little critter’s would never want to climb on it. Like a kitten’s claws on a sweater
Cats are extremely great at rodent control. I’m allergic to cats too, but i got a barn/garden cat that lives outdoors. At first it was so skiddish I wondered if it’ll ever catch one, but after a few months of acclimation to its surroundings and me as it’s owner, my cat totally dominates them!
We have rats that get into the garden and have had limited success at controlling them until last year, when we got traps like the one you demonstrated. My husband is the one who has to deal with any rodent issues (I do snakes, lizards, spiders, etc. but can't deal with rodents at all) so I can only tell you what he's said, and that's that this trap is the best ever. To prevent birds or our dog from getting to it, he just placed a large flat piece of cardboard on top of it behind our raised-bed garden, baited with crunchy peanut butter. Each of the three times he used it, he put it out in the evening and the next morning a rat was dead in it. Rats scurry along a fence or wall just fine with something for them to crawl under.
lucky timing on the video for me! I've been trying to get rid of my backyard rats for a couple of weeks now. so far nothing I've tried has worked, I just set out a bucket trap tonight, lets see how it goes. if it fails then I might try the trap mentioned here
Don't mess with the bucket trap, our goofball boss put one out at work and it caught nothing. On the other hand the black trap in this video has caught mice two nights in a row in my garden. The damage was so bad on the eggplant I though it had to be a rat, but it turned out to be mice, the thing works on mice too and I want to cull the local infestation of the complex. I see them scurrying out of the complex garages. Too may people here are hoarders and have their garages filled with boxes of junk instead of protecting their valuable cars from the elements.
This is the first video of yours that I've seen I just happened to come across it. I am doing my first garden by myself. My late husband and I did one together but he was the expert. However, I want to have a garden for my family and to honor him. So I am delving into a lot of research on how to do this well. So thank you for the great video and I can't wait to watch the rest of them! BTW I live in zone 5b Massachusetts
In my experience, rats are smart and once they see one of them trapped they will avoid the trap. So make sure to empty the trap as soon as possible (preferably the same night before you go to bed) so that other rats don't see it.
I put Victor traps, baited with peanut butter, under upside down flower pots. To release the vermin, I use a metal landscape stake to pry open the trap.
I must say Thank you to you for all the tips and garden information you have passed on to me since I subscribed to your UA-cam channel a few weeks ago. I think that your videos are just wonderful. I have learned so much from watching all the tips and other garden helps. I am an avid gardener, ornamental, fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs. (I even put in another vegetable garden since I have been self quarantined since March). I just love your tropical garden. I have grown many of the same plants, just not to the extent you have, they need to winter inside or in our greenhouse). I am just wondering if anyone has a "best" way to get rid of Chipmunks. They are just the most destructive rodent I have here in Northwest Arkansas. Besides the major squirrel, woodchuck, deer and mole populations, these are just my nemesis!! They are burrowing into All my gardens, sample all the tomatoes, and hot peppers, dig in All container plants(along with the squirrels) and have killed a number of dwarf fruit trees and established azalea bushes with their burrows. Not to mention they eat nibbles out of All of our strawberries. I have tried the hot pepper spray, and lately have been using peppermint oil on cotton balls with limited success. I have the mouse traps, but I am wondering if you or anyone has a better method to get them Out of my gardens. Thanks, Camie
@camiecorbino1178 - I feel your pain. we're having the same problem here in Virginia. I'm wondering if you've found any ways of dealing with chipmunks over the last few years?
You look like my grandson. I love your sense of humor.🤣 I am learning lots. I don't understand why anyone would send you a comment to insult you when you are just informing people what you know, from your experience. I just scroll past stuff I don't agree with or already know from sites on youtube or any place. Life is way to short to be miserable and try to spread that misery to others. I know "you can not ever please everyone every time" so don't even try. Keep up what you are doing for those if us that appreciate what you do.👍😊
🐈 But yes, a simple trap baited with peanut butter has always worked for me. And never feel bad about it, a trap is a quick humane way of dispatching a critter that brings only filth and mayhem to your yard.
I have a squirrel trap and I usually take them to the park a few miles away, however, they are on to me! I have put out walnuts and they aren't biting......except for my plants that is!! How do you put the peanut butter on the trap? Do you just spread it?
Squirrels, chipmunks and moles are a nightmare ... leaving holes throughout the yard and tearing up my hostas and flowers - I like the trap you mentioned and have seen it in other videos. I would like to know if using wolf & coyote urine .... "attracts" that species. Certainly dont want them coming close to the house. (We have a lot of coyotes in the open acreage behind us) Whats your thoughts on this urine hazard?
I thought I had a squirrel problem but now I’m wondering if it’s rats, have you found that they dig up the roots of your plants? Or do squirrels do that more often?
Thanx for the pest video Brian I use those very same traps and have since they came out a couple years ago and have literally cleaned up the neighborhood with them so to speak I’m on 1-7/8 acre not quite 2 but big enough but my next door neighbors have tons of animals with food everywhere and so the rats literally take over and like you I tried it all and had to replace walls and insulation because of rats and mice so these traps are the only way to go thanx for the video now maybe the rest of the planet can help eradicate this horrible little pest
I have found that squirrels are just plain relentless and nothing will work long-term to get rid of them as a nuisance. What I resorted to doing is just like you said, they have a source of food on the other side of the yard. The only time they really even venture toward the house is if their food source is empty and they want me to know!
The way I see it is, It's them or me! I have a dog that loves to catch and kill rats and mice. She has eliminated all of them from my backyard. We had quite a problem before we got her.
Plastic hardware cloth stapled to the bottom of the fence and extending about 1 ft out into the yard held down with landscaping staples has been effective for keeping rodents out of the fenced back yard. But when we added a new gate with plastic hardware cloth on the bottom, they gnawed right through within a week. Galvanized did the trick.
Just saw at Amazon where they have Fruit netting to keep birds and small animals away from the garden. Wonder if it would work with squirrels. I’m thinking of getting the netting and spray the netting with cayenne pepper or some other hot pepper and then put it over the flower. I’m growing a mammoth giant sunflower.
For squirrels I've had great luck with zap traps, they were getting in the garage and using sunflower seeds as bait. Also worked for mice and the occasional chipmunk that tried to move in too. My theory is if they stay outside they're safe, if they try to come in their fair game.
@@betzib8021 You can pick them up at Lowe's or even check on Amazon. There's sometimes refer to as rat traps I've just never had rat problems. They electrocute which is the most humane way.
Hi Brian, having a problem with chipmunks in the garden. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Very pleased that I subscribed to your channel. I spend hours learning so many new things. Thanks, Peter
This year I’m having a lot of issues with Rats I believe. It is frustrating after you go through the work and expense to try to grow your own vegetables for your family. I will try the trap you suggested because I have a lot of tomatoes that they have chewed 1/2 of and went on to another. There’s a out of tomatoes in the trash now. Just part of the struggle.👩🌾
I even went so far as to buy a green house last year with thick plastic …the rats chewed a hole thru…got inside and ate my tomatoes,,,then one died in there so I had to demolish 20 tomatoe plants with fruit all over them. I was pissed so this year …I’m not playing games
I live in a series of connected flats, and for quite a few years, we had VERY unclean neighbours in the flat next door, who hosted several large families of mice and rats. When they eventually moved, the flat had to be totally stripped (including carets, dry wall and ceiling panels), and redone. Of course all those rats and mice immediately moved to the nearest neighbour - me! Mice will take the bait out of a regular-style mouse trap a good dozen times before actually setting it off, and will set if off 7 or 8 times before being caught in it, and yet with only two basic snap style traps I still managed to kill around 30 mice in the first 10 days! Never been able to catch a rat yet (my terrier X has though!) I looked up the kind of trap you are using, and Yay! Someone here in NZ actually caries it! And a way better mouse trap too (I think made by the same company). Guess what the first purchase with this week's pay is going to be! Thanks!
I have a problem with squirrels digging in in my containers. Tried sprinkling cayenne on my plants, but I wouldn't remember to reapply after the rain. I read that you can put chicken wire over when you are planting and plan to try that. Have also read you can put netting over your tomato plants. Has anyone tried either of these methods?
Didn't pay attention first time watching, but then saw a rat for the first time ever in my garden (going for the cherry tomatoes). Bought the trap you suggested & caught rat on the very first night! Will keep setting it up..hope it's not going to be a regular problem.
Good for you for killing the rats! I often feel like doing the same thing with squirrels. It boils my blood when I see people leaving for out food for them.
I got tired of deterrents to keep the squirrels out of my garden. So, crumbled up corn chips, mixed in baking soda and within one day all the squirrels are taking a dirt nap. They loved the chips, the baking soda didn't sit well with them.
Rats are really a problem. They just killed my peach tree. The destroy everything. I'm in high desert Southern California. PLEASE leave link below for rat trap and squirrel spray. I have ground squirrels and wood rats and they even eat my cactus. Thank You
I am also in the high desert in SoCal...I have rabbits, ground squirrels, and desert rats. I have had lots of success with the Havahart traps...I use 4 of them for my garden and my row of fruit trees....I have caught about 20+ squirrels, 12 rabbits and 8-10 desert rats just this season alone... www.amazon.com/Havahart-Medium-Professional-One-Door-Squirrel/dp/B000BQPGQQ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2LR6FA3EC8ZXH&dchild=1&keywords=havahart&qid=1593579605&s=industrial&sprefix=havaahar%2Cindustrial%2C221&sr=1-9-catcorr Once caught I drive them to an open area on the opposite side of the freeway, where there is no houses, just mining operations. I usually thin out my apples and keep them refridgerated and use as bait later on for the remainder of the season...and all 3 rodents like apples, although squirrels and rats go for nuts more readily. Or bait them with both apples and nuts if you have a rabbit problem as well.
I'm also in the high desert with roof rats, squirrels and too many rabbits. The havaheart traps mostly rabbits. For squirrels and rats the large snaptraps work effectively for me. Baited with only cheese I catch a multitude of annoying pests.
Yeticus Rex Thank you for the squirrel bait info. Harbor Freight sells that same style of trap cheaper than Amazon. Plus, you can use their 20% off coupon to get it even cheaper. Just do a search on your phone for “Harbor Freight coupon.” They’ll scan the coupon off your phone.
@@donnsunderland2684 Large snaptraps for Squirrels? I've seen the rat ones, and they are like the one in the video. Are there larger ones for squirrels or do the regular rat ones catch full grown squirrels, too? Plus, where did you get them? I'd appreciate your input.
I am trying cayenne pepper dusting on the tomatoes, to see if that discourages the rats. I have little hope. I usually end up picking them before they are totally ripe, and put them on a window sill.
the cayenne did nothing, but the rats eventually slowed down. But the real hit on tomatoes was the climate and the fires in California. Too hot for blossoms to set and what did set was small and yes, I did pick them early. It was a pretty dismal summer. But the fall garden is in and I am now battling squirrels who want to dig up everything so they can plant acorns, never ending story.......
Dang I set my first two snap traps last night just like you showed here and one is gone. I wonder if a bigger critter came by. I'll have to look around in the AM to see if I can find it.
I have rats, squirrels, and gophers. The squirrels stripped the leaves from the potato plants and the gophers got the potatoes. ALL of my peaches and apples are eaten before they are ripe. If a pepper plant survives long enough to fruit, I at least get some of jalapenos. For some reason they don't eat much of the blackberries and boysenberries. I used to trap squirrels but I have heard that in Orange County you are not supposed to relocate them due to diseases they carry so I will have to deny releasing them in the Yorba Linda lakebed. I like the idea of getting an owl. I have large dogs but they tear up the garden so much going after the gophers that I have to keep them out of it at night. Rodents have destroyed all of my tomatoes so far but thanks to your advice I am getting about 95% germination. So I'll keep planting more. I do have a question about tomatoes as they are growing in the cup. As you prune the lower leaves and add soil, do you add more sterile seeding soil, garden soil/compost, or a mixture?
Do you have any suggestions for compost bins? I have a wooden one that I’m going to shift to a plastic type that is bottomless to allow earthworms and other beneficial bugs to digest my compost. But I’ve noticed a couple of mice/rats coming under my elevated wooden compost box. I want to make sure my new bin will be rodent proof, and I may continue to use my wooden compost box until it breaks down.
GOD BLESS YOU !! ANYONE SAYING ANYTHING NEGATIVE TO YOU HAS NEVER HAD A RAT PROBLEM !!
Wow! All along I thought it was squirrels or chipmunks and bunnies BUT I THINK ITS RATS! Ugh! The tunnels I’ve read about in the comments, YES… I was wondering about that but assumed the critters mentioned above {crying}! Now I don’t want to deal with any traps eeek and expletive… I don’t want to no thanks. I’m going to cover my tomato’s and get a fake snake. I had a king snake around but haven’t seen it in a month and now the big holes in the ground so again, netting and a fake snake and hopefully that works! What about apple trees, dwarf peach tree and pear trees? Have anything about that? I’m in Georgia.
My dogs tend to tear up my garden so I normally keep them out. Last year I found a huge tunnel system under my tomato plants. Made the dogs sleep outside with the garden gate open. Next morning I find the biggest rat (dead) I've ever seen in my life sitting right outside the backdoor and a couple of dogs looking at me with some serious prideful looks. They got steak that night for dinner. They tore up a few kale plants but it was good trade.
I like that part of the morale of the story is that dug up kale plants are a fair trade for dead rats. I wonder what plant would have made that trade NOT so good *LOL*
@@LoveSoLost watermelon?
They brought you a present. Look Dad we got em.
Careful though, your dogs might get disease from those rats.
Thats a hilarious story! I loved it!
Everyone is so sensitive now a days, it’s okay to get rid of rodents that are in your garden!!
I love this video, subscribing for sure!😄
Yep, and pesky rabbits and squirrels.
I just wanted to thank you so much for posting this video and for your advice about the traps. We immediately went to ACE hardware and bought 4. we put peanut butter on them and put them about the raised bed and the compost. The next morning we had a rat. the next day we had another rat. and the third morning we had another one. three nights, three rats caught and no harm to our new garden that is just beginning. before these traps, rats were eating our tomato plant leaves. So a huge thank you to you!! Linda
My rats must be smarter. I too went to ACE and got traps. They somehow where able to trip the traps, eat the peanut butter, and ate more or my tomatoes.
Do you live in a spread out rural area or a more built up area?
This was so helpful today. I’ve literally cried over the tunnels the rats have built in our backyard. We have tried so many different things and maybe, just maybe we won’t be out $1200 for an exterminator. That was our next step. The October ice storm in OKC left huge piles of limbs and entire trees cut into pieces in our front yards. It was like putting out the welcome mat to vermin! The city didn’t pick ours up until the second week of January. By then the vermin have spread throughout our beautiful neighborhood. I’m glad you don’t let the naysayers keep you from telling the truth. Living with critters and a garden can be messy and unpleasant at times.
First, I found your openness and honesty, in your thoughts and methods Refreshing!!!
My problem is Squirrels. Mostly Red Squirrels, just eyeballing the garden all summer, but when tomato's start ripening, all bets are off❗❗ I actually sprinkled some cayenne pepper, healthy dose,
directly on a tomato that had a small chunk chewed out of it. Next morning, the stem and a piece
of skin was all that was left. Ever since then, the 410 came out. It's a bit noisy, but very effective.
For those that say "There must be laws against that" NOPE, I live in a mostly rural area, I
have a hunting license, and there's No Closed Season on Red Squirrels ❗👍❗ What do I do with them? There's a family of Owls that live out back, that appreciate the offerings I provide. OK, off to set some rat/mouse traps with some peanut butter, will see if I can't deter them a bit to save on
ammo, and see how many traps go missing this year 😲.
For those that still consider this cruel. When your mechanic calls you and informs you that the
reason your car wouldn't start, is they found a nest in your engine compartment and a main
wiring harness had been chewed through and needs to be replaced. Some harnesses are $500
and up. I am a retired mechanic, and those harnesses aren't any fun to replave. Betcha change
your views on feeding the Squirrels when ya get that phone call❗❗❗
TYFS, Mark
Video starts at 6:21 for rats and 9:18 for squirrels
Thanks. Swiftly losing my patience. I need solutions, not apologies to people without actual problems.
Almost 10 mins before the solution is given? REALLY?
Also, you didnt explain how to use the urine, that would have been helpful.
LAME.
@@user-sw4qd2up2s "You" meaning the guy who did the video or the commenter you're replying to?
Living in rural western NSW Australia we are in the worst mice plague we have seen for a long long time! Having subscribed to your fantastic informative videos my wife and i keep referring to your suggestions/ instructions and having tried some of these with a bit my prior but limited knowledge and we have managed to overcome most of the gardening problems we have been faced with in our first attempt to have a fairly large garden area we have made by converting our backyard from dead grass and weeds after long previous drought to highly productive veggie garden we are proud of thanx to your informaion and tips. We so appreciate it. Everyone that visits comment or praises us for our work. We find the smaller plastic mouse traps with most successful !
Thank you! I have been fighting a losing battle against rats! Can't tell you how timely your video is, thanks again for the great advice!!
Of all of the small rodent traps I have used, similar to the old style mouse traps, IS the black trap you showed!!! It is absolutely the best!!!! Really easy to use, easy to set without risk to your own fingers, and the "jaw" has "teeth" so not only does it catch the rodent but it hangs on to it if it doesn't instantly kill it, which it does 99% of the time, but should it not be instant it will hold on to until it dies, you find it to kill it, or you release it into a dumpster or feed it to your cat or dog!!!!!
Oh and the sticky glue traps work really good, but the mouse starves to death or stresses out and then dies., but you can catch multiple and then I throw them in a bag to suffocate them and throw them in a dumpster.
I like the bucket method as well, and I simply throw the deceased mice/rats in the dumpster!
Mice and Rats especially and to an extent squirrels but not as bad, carry a multitude of diseases which they can pass on to you via their urine and/or feces. People don't realize if they are present, you can step on a urine patch or feces, but the hidden risk comes from the mice walking in their urine and feces, which they do constantly and then they track that contamination over every surface they walk on.
So, you could place an apple and/or your hands on a counter that looks clean, but they walked across, so now your food is contaminated and so are your hands. If you put a finger in your mouth to lick something off, or you rub your eye with that contaminated finger...if that mouse was carrying any or all of those diseases you will be a very sick person and could potentially die!!! They can also cause damage to electrical wiring in one's home which could cause a fire which could cause loss of property but even worse could cause death as well!!
So, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET RID OF RODENTS IN YOUR HOME AND/OR AROUND YOUR FOOD SOURCES, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!! AND MOVING THEM INSTEAD OF KILLING THEM PUTS OTHER PEOPLE AND/OR ANIMALS IN DANGER!!!
This is great. I had squirrels
digging in my soil around my peppers. I put chicken wire flat on the soil around the peppers and that has seemed to do the trick.
Try fertilizing them with fish emulsion, the stink will help repel squirrels. Also ghost pepper sauce diluted with water to not kill the plant with the salt repels all mammals.
Birds and tomatoes.
Save (or buy) red Christmas ornaments. Dollar Tree bargain stores have them before Christmas and thrift stores such as Goodwill have them after the holidays.
Then in the spring just as your tomato plants are about to start putting out fruit, hang your shiny red Christmas ornaments among the plants. The birds will think they have struck gold but when they peck, they won't get juice, just a beak full of ... nothing. Once they learn that there is no reward for their efforts, they will leave your real tomato fruit alone for the rest of the season.
This is such an amazing idea. And your tomatoes are cute to boot.
birds only attack the tomatoes because they're thirsty. birds actually prefer the horn worms that eat the tomato leaves
Never had a rat problem in our garden but rather a few field mice in my greenhouse at initial planting time each year so i have used the black traps (but mouse sized) with peanut butter as well. Works perfectly. There is no way for pets or birds to get into the greenhouse so they are protected. For squirrels we have walnut trees, maple trees, and other nut trees they can work on, away from the main garden. For our blueberries (1000 bushes), the birds can be a problem so i put a sign on a few of the bushes that are reserved for them (kidding). We get such a big harvest because we are fully no sprays, that the yield is at least 50% greater than those using sprays, and our loss from birds is minimal. Bears can be a problem but with our dog around and with our horse manure composting nearby, they stay away. We also have a pond, and a man-made creek and a natural creek that gives most of our 'pests' a natural home, and also attracts natural predators like owls, hawks, and eagles. BTW, we have bats to control the mosquitoes above the pond and koi and goldfish to control the larvae. Work with nature as much as possible.
Sounds like paradise, except for the bats 😏
@@julietteyork3721 Bats are great at controlling blood-sucking mosquitos. They do keep the night flying pests under control. We have a bathouse on our garage for them, but they prefer to roost behind the shutter of our upstairs window. I see them flitting around above our backyard at night, very acrobatic when chasing those nasty bugs.
@@antiquegirl6505
Do they ever dive for your head? I could get used to them if not for that scenario!
@@julietteyork3721 Closest that one ever came was maybe 6 feet above me. And that was probably my fault for standing up from a sitting position. When my daughter was little, she had to research something that she was frightened of...so she studied bats and learned a great deal about them. They became a fascination instead of a fear. She likes the little fox faces and the whole sonar-hearing that they use to navigate.
@@antiquegirl6505
Standing up hardly seems like a “fault”!
I started feeding two cats on my front porch, a stray and a feral thinking they would keep mice away from my house and garden. My husband recently took a picture of them both sitting in the back yard beside my garden with a baby mouse sitting between them. They look to be baby sitting the baby mouse.
😂😂lol 🙃🙃😍
😂😂😂 feeding the cats makes them sleep on the job.
Plant Catnip in your yard to attract the cats, but don't feed them. They will hunt when they are hungry.
Thank you! My garden has been overrun by socks. My traps have been less than effective or uber messy to clean. I will employ some of these tactics to bring their population back down.
So THAT’S where my socks have gone!
Have used plastic snakes for years in the garden..I move them around every so often (i also make spinners that move with the wind and have them at each end of the garden on those decorative pole)s. I also put something shiny that moves with the breeze throughout the garden. No problems. for many years. Like the advantage of having water around. Also like to feed birds off my deck. The squirrels like to hang out there to eat the seeds the birds drop and there is water there too. I grease the poles the feeders are hanging from with vaseline. Love to watch them try to climb the pole and slide back down then the have to go to away to clean their sticky paws🤨! Used tulle tied around each the fruits on the fruit trees buy that is too much work. Used tulle (netting)on top of my strawberries.
I have an issue with desert ground squirrels in my garden and have tried various methods of dissuading them. A pellet gun during the day (when they are most active) worked very well for the larger problem of their local population. One secret I discovered is when you insert a dead ground squirrel into one of their den entrance holes, not a single one will ever inhabit it again. Beyond that, I successfully use the standard Victor mouse/rat trap inside my fenced garden but I hammered 3-4 thin nails from the bottom up, protruding sharp tip up, around the bait tray. Huge success. Simply what works here.
I have learned so much from watching your videos, please don't stop. There is always something new.
I grow a lot of mint around the chicken pen and barn, because I read that mint replies mice. This might work for rats too. Mint is so easy and makes a great natural deodorizer. Thanks for an informative video.
I have both a lot of mint growing in the yard (can be invasive) and rats eating vegetables. I wish mint worked for rats-it doesn’t.
I also tried mint and they absolutely could not care less.
I wonder if a spray of peppermint oil would work
Your so correct mint is a awesome deterrent 🫡
Also I use Carolina reaper pepper traps they keep everything furry out
I just planted my first garden in May and thankfully no mice so far; my neighbor has fruit trees that the squirrels fill up on all morning and afternoon 🦋 I used to see mouse droppings in my garage until I started filling shoe boxes with snuggle dryer sheets. They hate the smell (as do I) 🌷
Very timely topic. I have something eating parts of my tomatoes and several of my cucumber plants. I have seen several squirrels in my yard, so I am blaming them. I am going to try putting food in the other side of the yard and but the fountain back in operation. Thanks for all the great ideas.
I am so glad to have come across this video. The squirrels in my yard are really pissing me off. I plant to mix the hot pepper spray and hopefully it works. They have started eating the leaves of my collard greens and kale.
I’m retired from doing commercial pest control. The rats you are talking about are roof rats. I got rid of countless ones in my career. Snap traps were my weapon of choice. One type which I used had a small cup with in the trap. I used to carry smoked almonds and I would pound a couple of almonds in that cup with a small hammer or the back end of a heavy flashlight. The rat would have to work to get that out and pounded nuts would be effective. I also used to carry an essential oil where I used very little on a trap and that was very effective too. But for the average homeowner smoked almonds are great. A trap within a box is essential but overall use it like a runway. In other words don’t leave it in the open but against a wall or if there is not a wall create one with wood or rocks so they have a path to follow. More than just one and make sure little kids do not have access.
Thanks for the pro tips!
Thank you. What type of essential oil did you use?
@@logicalblueberry from wildlife control supplies the black walnut essential oil a little goes a long ways and it will last a long time
It seem ridiculous that anyone has to explain the sensibility of killing rodents.
Literally got another "you're mean" comment on my old video 5 minutes before uploading this one.🙄
@@NextLevelGardening The only good squirrel is a dead one.
California Garden TV same people that think it’s inhuman, live in big cites and shop at their local Trader Joe’s and have no idea where food comes from and the things farmers have to deal with....
Don’t get me wrong theirs people with bad personalities that enjoy the stuff but most farmers I’ve talked to realize it’s not ideal but they’re there to supply their community and do what they need to.
There definitely are some very weird folks on this planet.
Like people that have pet mice or pet rats. I see them in pet shops and cannot help but wonder who in the world....
A dead rodent is a good one, get some cats and don't over feed them.
Rodents carry Four Corner's Virus which is more deadly than Coronavirus. It's in their droppings and dried dropping dust breathed in can be deadly. Then there is the little manner of the bubonic plague, etc.
First, thank you for taking the time to share your gardening wisdom and experience with the rest of us. As “newbie” food gardeners, also in SoCal, the hubby and I have spent countless hours watching your videos, as well as those from some of your esteemed YT peers. I’ll be making some of your homemade pepper spray today, for our tomatoes, but I wanted to share our recent experience with the TomCat Rat Traps, as well as the rodent-deterrent experiment we’re currently running.
We bought two of the TomCat traps you recommended and staged them near our tomatoes, which we’d recently noticed were being devoured, piecemeal. (Ugh!)
But to our great surprise, however, one of the traps DISAPPEARED the very first night they were out. A thorough search of the garden revealed neither hide nor hair of its (presumed) occupant. Weirdly, the trap was just gone. We suspected that a rodent invader might have been caught in the trap and then subsequently taken away by a larger predator, perhaps as an easy meal. Not having much experience with traps, in general, it didn’t seem like that farfetched a concept. What was really strange though, was that the exact same thing happened the very next day. Trap #2, which we’d placed in a different location, also went MIA. As before, we found no sign of a struggle and no hint of any rodent (or any other) remains. We were so perplexed that we’re actually talking about getting a portable wildlife camera and installing it, just to see who’s actually visiting us at night. Have you ever had this happen with your traps?
As for our experiment, we weren’t sure if our tomato thief was being drawn to the fruit by its changing color, or by its scent (or both). Whoever is eating them seems to be ignoring the tomatoes right up until they start to ripen. So, in the off-chance that the fruit’s color was the cue, I purchased two yards of organza at my local fabric store. (And yes, I wore a face mask and “social-distanced.” 😷) I got one yard in hunter green and one in turquoise. I chose the organza because it was sheer enough to allow air to pass through it, but still opaque enough to completely obscure the actual color of the tomatoes. I tested this by holding some of it up against bright red fabric while I was in the store, to make sure none of the red was detectable. Once I got it I home, I cut smaller squares of the organza and wrapped the tomatoes that seemed closest to changing color in it. The wrapped fruit is highly visible on the vine, so we can tell immediately if it’s been tampered with...or taken. It’s been 3 days now and we haven’t had a nibble on the wrapped fruit. We’re not ready to “declare victory” yet, of course, since this could be just a coincidence. Also, doing this sort of thing with a heavy-laden vine probably wouldn’t be terribly practical, but I’m curious to know if you think the fabric, either by its color or just by its mere presence, regardless of its color, might be the reason.
1st of all yes I have had that happen with traps. Either it caught them on the tail and they ran off or like you said another predator came in and got an easy meal. The traps have a small spot where you can tie them to something. Which I have done with the trap on my fence. As far as the fabric. I have wrapped T shirts and towels around my fruit when I get ready to go on a trip and it has worked so far.
The reason your trap disappeared was because the animal it caught was too big for the trap to kill it, and it took it away. Always tie your trap down, and position it in a way that encourages the animal to go in head first, not step on it. As they said in Jaws, "We're gonna need a bigger trap". If there is no tie spot on the trap, drill a hole and make one.
I used a motion detecting water sprinkler last year and it seemed to work. There are squirrels and raccoons that hang around my house. Dozens of stray cats also like to use my yard as a toilet. This year I bought two more sprinklers for greater coverage, so let’s see what happens.
Aloha! Great tips! Even though our squirrels have ponds and pools all around my garden, they still take the tomatoes and nibble a a few bites and then leave them on the fence! Also, decimating, squashes, and melons, and corn! Our cat has caught a 4 rats, they still eat my red bell peppers! I'm looking forward to trying your pepper spray! Mahalo!
I use an electric pet fence, 3 strands high, keeps rats, mice, squirrels, opossums, raccoons out. I have a camera on the garden and have seen each of these touch the fence and take off. It’s awesome. These fences are inexpensive, I have about $30 invested.
Do you have a link you can share?
Where did you buy? Thanks
If I google "electric pet fence", everything that comes up is $150+ and wireless. I'd love to know what you bought.
My pesty squirrels live in my pecan tree so they're already in the yard. Or they come over the high fences from my neighbors - I don't think electrifying those would be a good idea!
Link please! 🌷
Chipmunks are the Bain of my existence
NorCal here. I've seen your previous videos about rodents and didn't give it much thought. A few days ago I saw my FIRST rat since I've lived in my house (16 years), so I bought those traps! lol.
An additional recommendation for using rat traps: Rats have a very acute sense of smell so, in addition to wearing gloves when you are setting a trap, if you are re-using a trap scrub it thoroughly between uses to eliminate any dead rat scent. The advantage of the traditional and inexpensive wood and wire traps is that you can throw the whole thing away. Traps, even the wood ones, can be scrubbed clean with a bleach and water solution.
No need to scrub them. They don't smell like death to rats but rather smell like their pals. I've had far more luck reusing traps that have caught a few rats than I do with brand-new ones.
Rats ate most of my tomatoes last year. I will try electric fence this year as the traps don't get them all.
One year I had a seven layer pest control system that culminated in yes....my son being assigned the job to sleep outside occasionally with his friends and his air soft guns. The squirrels still got to them...but we had fun watching the boys be diligently on guard!
I'm at the part where you tell people to stick it and I already love this video. I kill anything that destroys my hard work and I don't apologize for it. Right now I'm dealing with Javelina. I foresee bacon in the near future. Momma, Daddy, and babies are all fair game. I live in the middle of nowhere so I have Javelina, rabbits, birds, gophers, squirrels, rats, mice - Just last night I lost a huge amount of lettuce that was almost ready for harvest. I have a trail cam coming tomorrow so I can ID the offenders and setup a plan to exterminate them.
Lol. Awesome
Wow, I had to look up what a Javelina is.....it looks like a rodent pig!! This would scare me if I saw that in my yard. I wish you success in getting rid of them.
Use to use rat traps on the squirrels. Horribly effective. Catch and release is cruel to the squirrel. They aren’t welcomed by other squirrel groups. I feed and water them. But still lose those tomatoes to nibblers. Grr.
@@martinphilip8998 I'm not sure how I would get one to stay on the trees to trap the squirrels. What did you use for bait? I have no problem just shooting them, in fact, I bought a pellet rifle specifically to shoot at intruders in my yard but would not mind traps while I'm at work.
This week I caught a tiny mouse in a cage trap, he was eating my tiny bok choy and asparagus. I felt bad when I saw it trembling but I got over it!
@@deezlittlethingz they find their food on the ground, so they’ll find a trap baited with peanut butter. Nail two of them to a 4by4 and lay it on the ground. Some are not killed instantly and you don’t want them be found by a neighbor. I have a pellet pistol and rifle. Both are match grade. I needed a FOID card to buy the rifle. But I’m 66 and a lousy shot now. I once baited some peanut butter with ground up ambien. The next day I found a squirrel slowly chirping from a low limb. He was scolding me in slow motion. I’ve never tried a barrel of water with sticks and peanuts across the top. They would need a leaping off place near to it as I doubt they would just climb the sides. I have one squirrel that I’m befriending. I’d kill any other though. I call him Peter for the white tip on his tail. One winter I set up an obstacle course for them to get the nuts. “Walk the plank Bucko!” One Thanksgiving my daughter and I discovered that a hawk had killed a favorite squirrel of ours. I told my daughter we could bury it or let the hawk enjoy thanksgiving. Then he’ll just kill another squirrel. She said I don’t care about the other squirrels, this was mine. Lol. Happy hunting. Don’t totally destroy your karma though. ☯️
I have a friend that has tried everything to get rid of rats. I am going to share the link that you provided. Thanks so much! Your channel is awesome and I continue to share with friends that garden.
Thank you!
I live in a delta in the northwest which has a high water table. The norwegian black rat is common here as well as brown rats. A couple of weeks ago I spotted a brown rat scuttling across my fence around where my veggie patch is. I then noticed that my cucumber seeds were being dug up. So it was battle stations. I also find the traditional snap trap the most effective. But there are techniques best used. Firstly, do not get human scent on the traps i.e. consistently use gloves. This also applies to any bait used. I generally use raisins. Secondly, rats are smart and skeptical of something new. So I place my traps without setting them and without bait for a couple of days in the targeted spot. Then I set and bait. My cucumba plants and now seeds must've done a victory dance when I scored with one dead brown rat. The snap trap worked perfectly and crunched the neck for an instant kill.
Thanks for showing the rat traps! We live on raw land in the country, and use mouse traps that are the miniature of your rat traps. They are the only traps we have found to work virtually without fail. So glad to know there are rat traps like them! We need those too. ☹
We use the "Jaws" mouse traps. They are much easier and cleaner. We don't however put any type of bait/food on them. Mice run along baseboards or in your case the base of your beds or your house. We put the "jaws" pointing toward the baseboards and the handle pointing away from the wall. When the mouse runs along it, snap one less mouse.
I'm with you. If it's in my veg garden, it's fair game!!
I will for sure be getting some of those! I also heard (as more of a prevention) to use fabric tulle around the garden! Rodents hate getting their nails caught in it so they don't climb up! it's super cheap and lasts years :)
Also steel wool.
I tried the tulle for my fruit trees and bird feeders. The squirrels go right over it no problem. Have also tried the pepper spray they don't care about that as well. Had flying squirrels in our roof and tried many ways to get rid of them and tried the traps suggested and worked great. Baited them with peanut butter orange piece mix.
Thank you. Some people seem to care more about rats and rodents than other humans...if the rat has to go it has to go.
Yeah, probably the same people who say that their dogs are as valuable as their children. Ridiculous.
Great video, and some added laughs,you have a great way of sharing. Today the squirrels ate many apricots ..well they pitted them first and left the fruit . All they are after is the pits,I found they steal seeds to. It took me awhile to figure it out but they don't want fruit to rot, seed and pits stored for Winter, they aren't dumb .
Well thats frustrating!
Try the squirrelinator trap.
Cats go for mice but won't do much for full grown rats. I have been leaving a "sacrificial tomato" which has worked. I probably shouldn't jinks myself since my larger tomatoes are just now blushing. I just haven't made piece with traps. The squirrels get black sunflower seeds and raw peanuts so they don't mess with my garden.
This is my first year gardening in Missouri, I haven’t come across cucumber beetles and squash bugs before. I find if I go out before sunrise the I will find a few squash bugs underneath some plants. I snip them in 1/2 with my snips and put them in the chicken bucket. The cucumber beetles tend to be inside the wilted squash flowers. I pick of all wilted flowers, carefully rip them open and squish the beetles before they can fly away. I have not found any eggs yet but check every day.
Our dog (American Staffordshire) is an excellent ratter, when she can catch them. Unfortunately they're a lot more nimble than she is, but she's always up for the chase. She's awakened me during the wee hours of the morning more than once to go to work. I'm retired, so don't complain, but I think I'll give those traps a go - I'll use the shoebox trick too, to keep her away.
American Staffordshire? Those dogs are dangerous! Just kidding.... I had one and she was the best dog EVER!!!!
I totally agree with YOU! More expensive, but I say for a regular trap, just throw it away...no clean up. Peanut butter really does the trick👍🏻! I think snap traps are not supposed to be used in my area (San Jose) but then why are they sold here?
Feed the tomato horn worms to your chickens!
Yup!
Or to the hungry cardinals!
Tomato horn worms are very poisonous because they sequester the poison in the leaves of tomatoes. (Humans can eat tomato leaves just fine.)
Chickens will avoid them
Got 'em! I had a rat showing up and eating my romaine and celery the past two weeks. I have the same rat trap, along with some wooden ones, and decided to put it out last night and whamo! Planning on getting a couple more for the other garden areas. Thanks for the advice
I like that rat trap a lot. I will definitely invest in a few. We have a couple coyotes that patrol the property every morning. They seem to keep the rabbit, tree squirrel and rat population at bay pretty well. Ground squirrels are another issue. I do use a pellet rifle to keep them manageable and a Squirellenator trap if the population gets too large. If I hear a bunch of them chirping the trap comes out and it’s very effective. Ironically I use cut up tomatoes as bait and they can’t resist.
I loved having foxes under my shed then some neighbor or other called animal control and this year I'm fighting all the squirrels and rabbits again
So sorry to hear that.
Love seeing the foxes under sheds
What a surprise to hear you describe the little nibbles in several tomatoes as rats, all the time me blaming squirrels. Thanks. And ewww!
The Rat Zappers have worked amazingly well for us, far more effective than any other method. We put Honey Nut Cheerios in them and the mice can’t resist it! Caught over 14 mice within a week in our garage.
I have issues with squirrels and chipmunks uprooting my plants.
I'm going to try chicken wire under the mulch. I'll let you know if it works :)
Update: I also wrapped the tops of my pots and tucked around the inside edges of my grow bags. It's working great so far.
The neighbor feeds squirrels so they don't eat my fruit, they just dig in EVERY SINGLE POT and bury peanuts in the morning and afternoon. I will have to try this.
I just did the same (wrapped my fabric pots with chicken wire - going a few inches above the edge) and so far (1 week in) great success!
My garden bed is a different story - I used a bit of chicken wire to create a border all along the bed (maybe just a couple of inches above the edge) and this worked for 2 days, but then I started seeing holes being dug all over again. Great idea to use the wire inside and lay it on top of the mulch as a deterrent from them even wanting to get in - they seem to really hate the stuff.
Thanks for the idea!
I use a trap that looks like a small rectangular cage. It has a door on one end that snaps close when the bait on the other end is moved, thus trapping the rat inside. It doesn't kill the rat but it's okay. My neighbor buys them and feed them to his pet snake. So I made sure they are alive. I also make sure to wash the cage before the next use.
The traps work. They are relatively easy to bait. Finding the right bait can be a doozy. Also, if you have any raptors(hawks, owl, etc), most traps have a hole that you can use to stake them down. Otherwise, you might have traps flying away.
I use critter repellent from Home Depot. It is organic and it works for me.
My husband has been using those traps in our raised tomato beds this year (after the little buggers ate about 100 lbs of fabulous heirloom tomatoes last year which he took very personally!). It was working ok until the other day when he caught a SKUNK in the trap. Worse, it didn't kill him, it just got his foot. He tortured over what to do for a couple of hours before dressing in a hazmat suit and going to to try to let the poor thing out...certain he was going to get sprayed. Much to our surprise, the poor thing seemed to understand he was trying to help and although he raised his tail a couple of times, he didn't spray and my husband was able to release him. On an even happier note, he didn't seem to be harmed...he ran at lightening speed and didn't even limp. We're not sure how he wasn't hurt, but we've known for a long time we had skunks out back and they've never been a problem (having worked out a detente with our cats...they haven't eaten any veggies or sprayed in the yard, so we're ok with them being there eating grubs or whatever it is they do). And that brings me to whether cats help with rats... NOPE.
We're currently exploring other methods to control the rats... peppermint oil/garlic/rosemary oil granules and sprays, but don't have anything to report yet on the effectiveness of those. If they help, I'll post another comment later.
I use Victor rat traps baited with bits of apple for the chimunks and woodrats that were tearing up my garden. WERE. It works pretty well for me.
Are you saying that trap will kill squirrels?
I have a friend who LOVES "ratties" as she calls them. I don't tell her I'm ok with punishing interlopers...and I put habanero sauce on the bird seed (birds can't taste it) and it totally works!
Cayenne pepper works as well.
@@saprenna good to know! The habanero stuff made for bird seed is CAUSTIC! I wear rubber gloves to use it.
I've had an all out war with ground squirrels this year. They ate 3 watermelon plants and stripped 5 tomato plants. I've killed 14 of them so far with my pellet gun and I have one left to get still. But I've also added rat traps and that has helped keep them away this week. I haven't caught any in the traps but they have set them off.
They get into my attic...furry rats!
Frozen Fish YES! The squirrel population has seemed to explode at our house this year!👎🏻🤨
Peanut butter with apple core
Try the Squirrelinator. It's a live trap but if you don't want to release them alive it sounds like you know how to dispatch them. It's very effective!
Def did your homework like me and my husband did lol. Those traps are the best and fairly inexpensive on Amazon. I’ve luckily never deal with rats but mice, squirrels and chipmunks are my arch nemesis. Living in CT with very cold and snowy winters the rodents are always looking for somewhere warm. Being a responsible dog owner I would never use poison other than in my detached garage where I do the bucket trap but with antifreeze rather than water for obvious winter reasons...and a trap combo. I also use a lot of mint oil around the house to deter them. Thank you for the video and the other great advice!
Totally agree with, your never gonna please everyone, I do take your tips😊🙏
The past 2 winters squirrels have been eating and damaging my kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and collard plants. There was no cut and come again or broccoli crowns and brussel sprouts to harvest. They destroy my sunflowers.
I fed the squirrels and they just kept coming back. That did not deter them. They destroyed my garden entirely, despite the fact that I fed them. They would eat it all and come into my garden for more. I discovered the pepper spray way too late, but I found that it does work.
Thanks. I would think the pepper spray might deter rats too. I’m trying this. Much appreciated
That trap looks great. I have had mice and have used sticky traps, this looks easier. Luckily, we don't have rodents now.
Generally, pet cats are not good ratters, I've had dogs that were good ratters but to honest, I don't want my pets fighting with rats. Rats can be big. I once had a rat and at that time I also had 5 barn cats (don't judge me). I looked into the garage and the cats were all sitting in a circle watching the rat eat their food. At the time, I also had a Rottweiler, she rushed in, grabbed the rat, and shook it, which broke the rat's neck. It was not a good experience.
Yes, you don't want to expose your pets to the filthy rodent diseases. The black trap does work well with mice too, I bought one not knowing what was eating my eggplant and dead mice turned up in the trap, it's wide trigger is sensitive enough to get mice as well.
I had a pit bull mix who caught a rat in my living room (don't judge me) - OK, time to plug some holes in my 100+ year old house.
I was having tomatoes and cucumbers nibbled. I got one of the black rat traps for under $10ca. Caught a big rat in just a couple of days. It was very easy to release the very dead rat into the trash. Thanks for the advice!
tulle is my number one sorce,,, wrap your fruits or plants with tulle,,, it gets caught in their nails and gets scared and dont came back
Oooh, I'm gonna try that!
Woah this is a great idea thank you. Especially the low hanging tomatoes
Sorry but what is Tulle?
Michael Favier It’s the sheer fabric of a brides vail and can be a little more stiff if you buy the cheap stuff. Wrap that around itself a few times and it’s itchy. Little critter’s would never want to climb on it. Like a kitten’s claws on a sweater
I covered mine with tulle bags and the rats made a hole in them and nibbled the tomatoes!😡
I use Cheyenne pepper. Just have to apply often as a perimeter border. Keeps the varmints away from my backyard in general.
Cats are extremely great at rodent control. I’m allergic to cats too, but i got a barn/garden cat that lives outdoors. At first it was so skiddish I wondered if it’ll ever catch one, but after a few months of acclimation to its surroundings and me as it’s owner, my cat totally dominates them!
We have rats that get into the garden and have had limited success at controlling them until last year, when we got traps like the one you demonstrated. My husband is the one who has to deal with any rodent issues (I do snakes, lizards, spiders, etc. but can't deal with rodents at all) so I can only tell you what he's said, and that's that this trap is the best ever. To prevent birds or our dog from getting to it, he just placed a large flat piece of cardboard on top of it behind our raised-bed garden, baited with crunchy peanut butter. Each of the three times he used it, he put it out in the evening and the next morning a rat was dead in it. Rats scurry along a fence or wall just fine with something for them to crawl under.
lucky timing on the video for me! I've been trying to get rid of my backyard rats for a couple of weeks now. so far nothing I've tried has worked, I just set out a bucket trap tonight, lets see how it goes. if it fails then I might try the trap mentioned here
Don't mess with the bucket trap, our goofball boss put one out at work and it caught nothing. On the other hand the black trap in this video has caught mice two nights in a row in my garden. The damage was so bad on the eggplant I though it had to be a rat, but it turned out to be mice, the thing works on mice too and I want to cull the local infestation of the complex. I see them scurrying out of the complex garages. Too may people here are hoarders and have their garages filled with boxes of junk instead of protecting their valuable cars from the elements.
This is the first video of yours that I've seen I just happened to come across it. I am doing my first garden by myself. My late husband and I did one together but he was the expert. However, I want to have a garden for my family and to honor him. So I am delving into a lot of research on how to do this well. So thank you for the great video and I can't wait to watch the rest of them! BTW I live in zone 5b Massachusetts
In my experience, rats are smart and once they see one of them trapped they will avoid the trap. So make sure to empty the trap as soon as possible (preferably the same night before you go to bed) so that other rats don't see it.
I put Victor traps, baited with peanut butter, under upside down flower pots. To release the vermin, I use a metal landscape stake to pry open the trap.
I must say Thank you to you for all the tips and garden information you have passed on to me since I subscribed to your UA-cam channel a few weeks ago. I think that your videos are just wonderful. I have learned so much from watching all the tips and other garden helps. I am an avid gardener, ornamental, fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs. (I even put in another vegetable garden since I have been self quarantined since March). I just love your tropical garden. I have grown many of the same plants, just not to the extent you have, they need to winter inside or in our greenhouse). I am just wondering if anyone has a "best" way to get rid of Chipmunks. They are just the most destructive rodent I have here in Northwest Arkansas. Besides the major squirrel, woodchuck, deer and mole populations, these are just my nemesis!! They are burrowing into All my gardens, sample all the tomatoes, and hot peppers, dig in All container plants(along with the squirrels) and have killed a number of dwarf fruit trees and established azalea bushes with their burrows. Not to mention they eat nibbles out of All of our strawberries. I have tried the hot pepper spray, and lately have been using peppermint oil on cotton balls with limited success. I have the mouse traps, but I am wondering if you or anyone has a better method to get them Out of my gardens. Thanks, Camie
@camiecorbino1178 - I feel your pain. we're having the same problem here in Virginia. I'm wondering if you've found any ways of dealing with chipmunks over the last few years?
You look like my grandson. I love your sense of humor.🤣 I am learning lots. I don't understand why anyone would send you a comment to insult you when you are just informing people what you know, from your experience. I just scroll past stuff I don't agree with or already know from sites on youtube or any place. Life is way to short to be miserable and try to spread that misery to others. I know "you can not ever please everyone every time" so don't even try. Keep up what you are doing for those if us that appreciate what you do.👍😊
🐈
But yes, a simple trap baited with peanut butter has always worked for me. And never feel bad about it, a trap is a quick humane way of dispatching a critter that brings only filth and mayhem to your yard.
I have a squirrel trap and I usually take them to the park a few miles away, however, they are on to me! I have put out walnuts and they aren't biting......except for my plants that is!! How do you put the peanut butter on the trap? Do you just spread it?
@@trevalondon5580 Yep, just spread a glob on the trigger plate..you probably want to use smooth peanut butter, chunky is hard to spread ya know..
Squirrels, chipmunks and moles are a nightmare ... leaving holes throughout the yard and tearing up my hostas and flowers - I like the trap you mentioned and have seen it in other videos. I would like to know if using wolf & coyote urine .... "attracts" that species. Certainly dont want them coming close to the house. (We have a lot of coyotes in the open acreage behind us)
Whats your thoughts on this urine hazard?
So grateful for my feral cat! She is on the job night and day
I thought I had a squirrel problem but now I’m wondering if it’s rats, have you found that they dig up the roots of your plants? Or do squirrels do that more often?
Thanx for the pest video Brian I use those very same traps and have since they came out a couple years ago and have literally cleaned up the neighborhood with them so to speak I’m on 1-7/8 acre not quite 2 but big enough but my next door neighbors have tons of animals with food everywhere and so the rats literally take over and like you I tried it all and had to replace walls and insulation because of rats and mice so these traps are the only way to go thanx for the video now maybe the rest of the planet can help eradicate this horrible little pest
You neighbor needs rat birth control. Contrapest made by Senestech.
I have found that squirrels are just plain relentless and nothing will work long-term to get rid of them as a nuisance. What I resorted to doing is just like you said, they have a source of food on the other side of the yard. The only time they really even venture toward the house is if their food source is empty and they want me to know!
The way I see it is, It's them or me! I have a dog that loves to catch and kill rats and mice. She has eliminated all of them from my backyard. We had quite a problem before we got her.
Plastic hardware cloth stapled to the bottom of the fence and extending about 1 ft out into the yard held down with landscaping staples has been effective for keeping rodents out of the fenced back yard. But when we added a new gate with plastic hardware cloth on the bottom, they gnawed right through within a week. Galvanized did the trick.
Just saw at Amazon where they have Fruit netting to keep birds and small animals away from the garden. Wonder if it would work with squirrels. I’m thinking of getting the netting and spray the netting with cayenne pepper or some other hot pepper and then put it over the flower. I’m growing a mammoth giant sunflower.
Did it work? If it did ill buy one. Lmk
The only problem with the netting is that birds will get caught in the netting... transparent crop covers work best
For squirrels I've had great luck with zap traps, they were getting in the garage and using sunflower seeds as bait. Also worked for mice and the occasional chipmunk that tried to move in too. My theory is if they stay outside they're safe, if they try to come in their fair game.
Where do you get a zap trap
@@betzib8021 You can pick them up at Lowe's or even check on Amazon. There's sometimes refer to as rat traps I've just never had rat problems. They electrocute which is the most humane way.
Hi Brian, having a problem with chipmunks in the garden. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Very pleased that I subscribed to your channel. I spend hours learning so many new things.
Thanks,
Peter
This year I’m having a lot of issues with Rats I believe. It is frustrating after you go through the work and expense to try to grow your own vegetables for your family. I will try the trap you suggested because I have a lot of tomatoes that they have chewed 1/2 of and went on to another. There’s a out of tomatoes in the trash now. Just part of the struggle.👩🌾
I even went so far as to buy a green house last year with thick plastic …the rats chewed a hole thru…got inside and ate my tomatoes,,,then one died in there so I had to demolish 20 tomatoe plants with fruit all over them. I was pissed so this year …I’m not playing games
I live in a series of connected flats, and for quite a few years, we had VERY unclean neighbours in the flat next door, who hosted several large families of mice and rats. When they eventually moved, the flat had to be totally stripped (including carets, dry wall and ceiling panels), and redone. Of course all those rats and mice immediately moved to the nearest neighbour - me!
Mice will take the bait out of a regular-style mouse trap a good dozen times before actually setting it off, and will set if off 7 or 8 times before being caught in it, and yet with only two basic snap style traps I still managed to kill around 30 mice in the first 10 days! Never been able to catch a rat yet (my terrier X has though!)
I looked up the kind of trap you are using, and Yay! Someone here in NZ actually caries it! And a way better mouse trap too (I think made by the same company). Guess what the first purchase with this week's pay is going to be! Thanks!
I have a problem with squirrels digging in in my containers. Tried sprinkling cayenne on my plants, but I wouldn't remember to reapply after the rain. I read that you can put chicken wire over when you are planting and plan to try that. Have also read you can put netting over your tomato plants. Has anyone tried either of these methods?
Try an inch or 2 of sand on top of every pot
Didn't pay attention first time watching, but then saw a rat for the first time ever in my garden (going for the cherry tomatoes). Bought the trap you suggested & caught rat on the very first night! Will keep setting it up..hope it's not going to be a regular problem.
Good for you for killing the rats! I often feel like doing the same thing with squirrels. It boils my blood when I see people leaving for out food for them.
They have eaten ALL but one bell pepper off my plants!!! So frustrating!! 🤬
I got tired of deterrents to keep the squirrels out of my garden. So, crumbled up corn chips, mixed in baking soda and within one day all the squirrels are taking a dirt nap. They loved the chips, the baking soda didn't sit well with them.
Rats are really a problem. They just killed my peach tree. The destroy everything. I'm in high desert Southern California.
PLEASE leave link below for rat trap and squirrel spray. I have ground squirrels and wood rats and they even eat my cactus. Thank You
Try the squirrelinator trap. It worked for me trapping lots of ground squirrels.
I am also in the high desert in SoCal...I have rabbits, ground squirrels, and desert rats. I have had lots of success with the Havahart traps...I use 4 of them for my garden and my row of fruit trees....I have caught about 20+ squirrels, 12 rabbits and 8-10 desert rats just this season alone...
www.amazon.com/Havahart-Medium-Professional-One-Door-Squirrel/dp/B000BQPGQQ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2LR6FA3EC8ZXH&dchild=1&keywords=havahart&qid=1593579605&s=industrial&sprefix=havaahar%2Cindustrial%2C221&sr=1-9-catcorr
Once caught I drive them to an open area on the opposite side of the freeway, where there is no houses, just mining operations.
I usually thin out my apples and keep them refridgerated and use as bait later on for the remainder of the season...and all 3 rodents like apples, although squirrels and rats go for nuts more readily. Or bait them with both apples and nuts if you have a rabbit problem as well.
I'm also in the high desert with roof rats, squirrels and too many rabbits. The havaheart traps mostly rabbits. For squirrels and rats the large snaptraps work effectively for me. Baited with only cheese I catch a multitude of annoying pests.
Yeticus Rex Thank you for the squirrel bait info. Harbor Freight sells that same style of trap cheaper than Amazon. Plus, you can use their 20% off coupon to get it even cheaper. Just do a search on your phone for “Harbor Freight coupon.” They’ll scan the coupon off your phone.
@@donnsunderland2684 Large snaptraps for Squirrels? I've seen the rat ones, and they are like the one in the video. Are there larger ones for squirrels or do the regular rat ones catch full grown squirrels, too? Plus, where did you get them? I'd appreciate your input.
Great video! I order a few of the rat traps to use on the squirrels they are rats with a fluffy tail.
I am trying cayenne pepper dusting on the tomatoes, to see if that discourages the rats. I have little hope. I usually end up picking them before they are totally ripe, and put them on a window sill.
How did it work out??
the cayenne did nothing, but the rats eventually slowed down. But the real hit on tomatoes was the climate and the fires in California. Too hot for blossoms to set and what did set was small and yes, I did pick them early. It was a pretty dismal summer. But the fall garden is in and I am now battling squirrels who want to dig up everything so they can plant acorns, never ending story.......
@@michellecjackson4956 🙏💕🌸 did you get some fried green tomatoes 😍
@@carladurland5194 I brought the green ones inside to a sunny window and they ripened very well
@@michellecjackson4956 cool😊
Dang I set my first two snap traps last night just like you showed here and one is gone. I wonder if a bigger critter came by. I'll have to look around in the AM to see if I can find it.
Thanks for this as have killed 7 last year and was wondering how to use traps without catching my 4 cats SHOE BOX SO AWESOME
I have rats, squirrels, and gophers. The squirrels stripped the leaves from the potato plants and the gophers got the potatoes. ALL of my peaches and apples are eaten before they are ripe. If a pepper plant survives long enough to fruit, I at least get some of jalapenos. For some reason they don't eat much of the blackberries and boysenberries. I used to trap squirrels but I have heard that in Orange County you are not supposed to relocate them due to diseases they carry so I will have to deny releasing them in the Yorba Linda lakebed. I like the idea of getting an owl. I have large dogs but they tear up the garden so much going after the gophers that I have to keep them out of it at night.
Rodents have destroyed all of my tomatoes so far but thanks to your advice I am getting about 95% germination. So I'll keep planting more.
I do have a question about tomatoes as they are growing in the cup. As you prune the lower leaves and add soil, do you add more sterile seeding soil, garden soil/compost, or a mixture?
Do you have any suggestions for compost bins? I have a wooden one that I’m going to shift to a plastic type that is bottomless to allow earthworms and other beneficial bugs to digest my compost. But I’ve noticed a couple of mice/rats coming under my elevated wooden compost box. I want to make sure my new bin will be rodent proof, and I may continue to use my wooden compost box until it breaks down.
Bottomless will not only help get the beneficial things in your compost, but it will help deter the rodents 🙂