+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Squirrel problem- is block salt the answer?

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Hillsdale, NY United States
    Posts
    68

    Default Squirrel problem- is block salt the answer?

    Doing my usual fall 3/16 line fixing with some replacements this week. Squirrels have chewed my lines to a frazzle
    in some places.
    Since everyone thinks this is due to a craving for salt, I bought small cow salt blocks and will put them close but not
    near my problem lines. As a bovine vet, I saw cattle eat dirt and lick wood to get minerals and salt so maybe this
    will help.
    Interested in your opinions and will keep you posted on my results.
    Thanks,
    Doc Beneke

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    Hey Doc,
    I take care of my squirrels with my 22. Of course it helps that I really like squirrel stew. Knock on wood I have never had them chew on anything I have had up, so far.
    This will be my first year with 3/16 lines so we'll see what happens. I'll still reduce the population this fall.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    We prefer to get them via lead poisoning....high velocity, copper-jacketed lead.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Granville, PA
    Posts
    403

    Default

    I agree with Dr. Tim.

    The problem is that there is no end of them. You get rid of 25 and there are 30 migrating to take there place.
    Matt,
    Minehart Gap Maple

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Rumney NH
    Posts
    125

    Default

    well, it is hunting season. i use corn for bait and pick off those little buggers with my 22. a salt block might work too.
    2017 140 taps 30x8 12x16 shack 28.5 gal
    2018 158 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 44 gal
    2019 223 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 36 gal
    2020 226 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 63 gal
    2021 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 37 gal
    2022 230 taps 30x8 12x16 shack with 8x8 kitchen 250 waterloo ro 55 gal
    2023 235 taps 30x8 12x16 waterloo ro

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Essex VT
    Posts
    402

    Default

    About 12 years ago, I was having a major problem with red squirrels chewing 5/16 lines and main lines at my sugar house woods. My son and a friend volunteered to give me a hand with shooting the squirrels with pellet guns. My sugar house is in an area of town that is a no shooting zone. In 2 and a half weeks they shot 93 squirrels. That put an end to 98% of my squirrel chews. Since that time, I have used peanut butter baited rat traps to keep the red squirrel population under control. I keep the rat traps in 3 different areas of my woods with more conifers. I get one every now and then, just enough to hardly ever have any squirrel chews. Kind of a pain keeping the traps baited, but I just visit them every now and then and renew the bait and possibly empty a body.

    The strange thing about my squirrel issue at my sugar house woods is that at my newer 7 year old remote woods 4 miles away on about 40 acres with 2,300 taps, is that I have literarily had 2 or 3 squirrel chews in all that time. And there is quite a big population of red squirrels in those woods. Must not be in their DNA to chew poly. However to make up for no squirrel problems, I have fishers and deer that chew 200-300 drops and a lot of 5/16 lines every season. During last seasons repair, I used 160-170 coupling on chewed or chopped off lines.

    Joe
    2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
    2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
    2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
    2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
    2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
    2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
    2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
    3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Williston, VT
    Posts
    615

    Default

    I have a few squirrel incidents but it's manageable. I think it's partly due to a good balance of predators to prey. We have at least 2 foxes and several barred owls and hawks too.

    Earlier this year we saw a fox carrying 2 squirrels. That's a good hunter and it beats setting traps!
    Ken & Sherry
    Williston, VT
    16x34 Sugarhouse
    1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
    Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
    https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Arcade ny
    Posts
    281

    Default

    I too have had squirrel problems we got a lot of hickory and beech. I’ve taking out hemlock to open up crowns. And because of that the red squirrel are homeless. And I got 3 sharp Australian Shepherds that get a few here and there when in the bush. The little wolf pack is relentless.
    2019:250 gallons
    2020:324 gallons
    2021:?

  9. #9
    vtbackyardmaple Guest

    Default

    Hammys (name of squirrel from movie) are a nuisance. Thank god I've only got 3 lines and 26 buckets. 3 lines are easy to replace. Sorry for the big boys having to deal with so many issues.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    N. Indiana
    Posts
    9

    Default

    I've had issues with squirrel chewing lines and tried several different ways. I also believe it is a learned behavior that the adults pass to the young. I placed some salt blocks through a couple woods and found that I had less damage in the vicinity of the salt blocks than lines further away. I have to be careful where I place them as it is considered "baiting" when deer season arrives if there is any salt, or mineral blocks or corn placed in the woods within so much distance of a deer stand or hunter.
    I have even offered to pay a bounty to the neighbor boys to hunt squirrels and gave them a couple boxes of .22s, but they never got much into it, maybe a half dozen at the most.

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts