Squirrels eating our sweet corn.

[jbell1981]

We had 6 rows, 50 feet long of sweet corn that was looking good up until a week ago when deer and squirrels found it.

In that week they have decimated it, pretty much nothing left that is usable. I'm shocked at how efficiently and quickly they have destroyed it.

How do I prevent this next year? I can figure out how to keep the deer from getting to it but don't have a clue how to keep squirrels out. The only idea I have would be to put chicken wire type fencing around the edges and then put bird netting over it. That seems a bit extreme and something I am not likely to do. Chemicals are not an option either. Might just have to have the boys have some target practice with their pellet guns.

Any other suggestions?

[jentz]

I've grown sweet corn for the past 10 years Coons were the biggest problem That was solved with a electrified fence.Think I spent about 50 bucks on a 120volt unit and about 15 bucks on alumium wire and insulaters.Only plug it in evenings and since I get all the corn/That said I have heard coon screams 1-2-3 in the mornings sounds like it works

[Powerstroke]

I was going to say that raccoons are most likely your culprit. The squirrels generally don't bother with corn until its dried.

[workin4bait]

I have had problems with coons, skunks and this year squirrels. Coons rip the cob down eat it right there and are messy eaters. Skunks tear at the cob with the cob attached to the stalk. Squirrels take the cob out of the corn patch and eat the corn very cleanly off the cob.I leave a radio on outside,that seems to keep the skunks and coon away[i would think that the radio would also keep deer away].

workin'

[jbell1981]

Never thought about coons but now that you guys say that it make perfect sense. Some of the corn seems like it has been husked before it was eaten which would be alot easier for a coon than a squirrel. I just assumed squirrels because I see them around the garden all the time.

[jbell1981]

I have had problems with coons, skunks and this year squirrels. Coons rip the cob down eat it right there and are messy eaters. Skunks tear at the cob with the cob attached to the stalk. Squirrels take the cob out of the corn patch and eat the corn very cleanly off the cob.I leave a radio on outside,that seems to keep the skunks and coon away[i would think that the radio would also keep deer away].

I have what appear to be 2 different culprits. The deer take bites from the top of the ears while still on the stalk. The other (that I assumed was squirrels) get the corn off of the stalk, take it out of the garden and then remove the husks and eat the corn cleanly off the cob (similar to what it would look like if a person ate it). I wish I took pictures of some of the aftermath cause it looks like a group of people had been there have a corn eating party with husks and empty cobs scattered all around the outside of the garden area.

I like the radio idea, that's easy and don't hurt the pocketbook like many other solutions.

[mainbutter]

We solved the deer problem with an 8ft fence around our 50ft by 50ft garden, only 1 quadrant is ever corn. This year we're rotating and not even doing corn at all, but the principle is the same.

Last year we caught a raccoon on a trail cam, he only took down a couple stalks of corn, but apparently my father in law decided to rig a redneck version of an electrified fence. We caught the coon getting zapped, he ran away and didn't bother our garden again. No issues this year running un-electrified.