Squirrels keep eating my hop plants, will the lower shoots still produce hops if the plants cant reach its full height

[Libigage]

 

[Rodcx500z]

View attachment 85632

You need a JRT they love Squirrels

 

[Clint]

Oh...they do for sure.

 

[Libigage]

Falling out with the missus over this one, she feeds them , which I never had a problem with. But now I do.

 

[Clint]

Well...you'll either have to net it or control the tree rats.
So...you need JRT. Small,funny,faithful,ferocious.

 

[Clint]

See...always on full alert! Even on her jollybobs!

 

[Clarence]

Unlikely the hops will produce a decent crop unless they can grow to full height. I'd suggest boiling the squirrels in the beer to get the flavour back out of them. It might prove a deterrent to the others, too.

 

[marshbrewer]

Squirrel thigh curry.

 

[MashBag]

You need a JRT they love Squirrels

So does my .22

 

[Sneedhearn]

View attachment 85634
See...always on full alert! Even on her jollybobs!

We have a Border Terrier that takes up that same stance from sun up to sundown. Our front window is her sangar for squirrel management.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Slightly off topic, but I’m told a good way to stop squirrels eating the nuts put out for birds is to dust them with chilli powder - birds can’t taste it but squirrels sure can

 

[MashBag]

That makes sense. Spraying the mower with chilli stopped them eating plastic & rubber parts

 

[sifty]

I grow chillies beside my hops.
We don't have squirrels here though, so that's potentially useless information...

 

[MashBag]

But is it because of the chilli's that you don't have squirrels

 

[telenomus]

Are you certain it is squirrels doing the damage? I've grown hops for over 30 years and never had one attack a vine. I have more squirrels in my yard than you can shake a stick at, and they damage every damn veggie or flower they see; but never a hop plant. At the moment, I see two families of red squirrels and a half dozen gray squirrels romping about the yard. I have always assumed the vines are too prickly for them to bother with.

 

[Libigage]

Are you certain it is squirrels doing the damage? I've grown hops for over 30 years and never had one attack a vine. I have more squirrels in my yard than you can shake a stick at, and they damage every damn veggie or flower they see; but never a hop plant. At the moment, I see two families of red squirrels and a half dozen gray squirrels romping about the yard. I have always assumed the vines are too prickly for them to bother with.

They are just eating the heads off of the leading shoots. I haven't actually seen them eat them but they are always sitting on the fence next to them.

 

[stripeyjoe]

My mate has an air rifle…

 

[dave_77]

I hate squirrels. Didn't eat plants just my house and got in the loft and chimney. Pest control were useless as they didn't want to climb up to the chimney. I am a fan of wildlife until it effects my well being, it's fairly stressful knowing those little are destroying your house and effecting your sleep.

Thankfully no issues now air rifle did the trick... didn't feel good at the time but my mental health was restored by the morning. The rest of the clan left when they realised their days were numbered.