Many of us find squirrels adorable, and endearing; however, at times, they are a proven nuisance. They cultivate the sinister intelligence within us, when we see them rummaging through our vegetable garden.They may seem vagabond-ish when they manage to slurp in the bird feed. Now, that guarantees our punitive desires to rise and well . . . shine! Yes, shine in the form of a homemade squirrel trap, constructed at home with utmost care and precision! Call it downright insentience, building a trap for squirrels becomes a must, if you would like to see your bird feed untouched, and your garden unscathed.

Squirrel-proof your Yard

Squirrels are fast alighting onto a rostrum where ignoring them seems far too banal an idea to consider. Homeowners and garden tenders have taken to devising means and methods for some effective 'pest control'! Some methods work just fine; others . . . just flash in the pan. A garden lover tries his best to preserve his wits from going nuts on these pesky pests. Some have gone to the extent of employing a full-time pet to ward off squirrels; while the others have designed squirrel repellents to 'help them' be at bay. Some bravado souls run around the garden beds to shoo them away, to finally raise their killer instincts to toast! So, here we are, presenting a few methods to keep your neighborhood's squirrel population under control, by making your very own squirrel traps. The methods to construct them are as follows: Method #1

• The objects and materials you will require for making a homemade squirrel trap are - 2 feet long stove pipes, a heavy mesh screen, duct tape, drill with metal piercing bit, hammer, 2 inch nails and corn.
• Position the mesh screen over one end of the stove-pipe, and fold its edges down along the pipe. This will form the cap. Take care, for there should be no gaps between the screen, and pipe.
• Wrap the mesh screen with layers of duct tape. This will help you in securing the mesh screen.
• From the open end of the pipe, drill a 1-inch deep hole.
• Through the hole you have drilled, insert a nail through a trees' bark, a post, or side of a house, with the mesh side down. This will complete the process of making squirrel traps.
• Finally, as you want to trap the squirrel, sprinkle some corn at the mesh bottom of the trap. This will attract the squirrel to the trap; however, since the pipe is slippery, and narrow, it won't be able to get a grip in order to jump out.

Method #2

• Make a box with a sliding door. This box can be made from narrow planks.
• Make a hole which is about an inch from the back.
• Put some bird food in the box.
• Attach the notch stick to the pole which runs from the door to the hole.
• When the squirrel sniffs out the feed, it will enter the enclosure and while doing so will brush against the notch stick. It is then, that the door is closed, that traps the squirrel inside. The door should be heavy, so that it will not open even if pushed by the squirrel.

Method #3

• To start with, attach a small noose in a piece of bailing wire. The wire should not be too thick, nor too thin. To attach the noose, tie a small loop to the wire. Run the other end of the wire through this loop. This noose should have a diameter of 5 to 7 cm.
• The next step is to prepare the pole or branch. If you are using the branch, then take care that it is strong enough to hold the squirrel. To check if the pole is long enough, incline it against a tree. Place it at such a point that it won't slide, or fall. An ideal place is the point at which the two branches separate.
• Position the small nooses along the pole. The end of the wire which does not have the noose should be tied around the pole. It should be wrapped tightly so that it will not loosen after snaring the squirrel. The nooses should be at the top as well as at the sides of the pole.
• They should be positioned in such a way that the actual noose is about 2½ cm away from the pole.
• Place one noose at the top while the other, at the bottom. These nooses should be placed at a distance of 45 cm from the ends of the pole. This will guarantee that the squirrel will not chew the wire and nor would it be able to get a good grip on the pole.
• Now, place the pole against the tree. The pole should be wedged firmly between the branches. This will complete your procedure for making the squirrel trap.

What More could be Done

Well, as discussed, laying traps using these methods, and relocating squirrels does help. However, there is one matter that you ought to think about. Waiting for your traps to nudge those seemingly innocuous critters, and dropping them in the wilderness would frustrate you to no end, unless you are keen to take this up as a full-time profession. Remember: Critters are definitely not on the brink of extinction. You relocate two, another pair would be set to ransack your garden greens. It would be best, if you could avert them completely. You may -

• Position your bird feeder as far as possible from the yard. These uninvited guests consider your feeder an alfresco feast.
• Avoid laying the feeders, when your garden is in its blooming stages. Your garden would have to bear the brunt.
• Prevent the squirrels from biting into your vegetables by constructing a netted fence around the garden. However, this would partially guard your garden. These road runners, would carve through the net by chewing over it, and making their mission possible.
• Be on the safer side and buy a repellent that would keep them away. There are many such products in the market that are pet-cum-garden friendly. As these products are organic in nature, they do not harm the squirrels too and by Jove, you squirrel-proof your garden.

Please note: This is no anti-critter movement I am heading. Squirrels, sure, are adorable when you see them steeplechase in someone else's territory. The point is, do they remain as adorable when they steeplechase, and excavate 'your' territory. Abhor, instead of adore would be better suited then!