Every Spring I am plagued with squirrels that eat up the new shoots from one of my bamboo groves. Of course they pick my favorite one that is producing shoots around 6 inches in diameter (at least those that can escape the squirrel predations). I patrol the area regularly armed with my .17HMR rifle, or sometimes a 12 gauge, but they must run in, chew the hell out of whatever shoots they can find, then run off again. I've even offered a bounty of $5 a head to one of my workers when he has the time to take his 12 gauge out there. But there are apparently a WHOLE lot more of them then us out there.....
So I decided to try some different with a proactive deterrent spray. First off I tried some stuff that was supposedly designed for protecting plants from squirrels and rabbits. Called something like "Pepper Wax". So I sprayed the new shoots liberally, even spraying shoots that have previously been chewed on thinking they would be back for another bite or two. From what I could see the squirrels just thought it made the bamboo shoots more tasty and appealing. And I think the smell helped them locate the shoots more quickly as I would seek out the new ones and apply a coating of it in the hopes it would protect them. Sure didn't seem to be slowing them down any at all.
Well that didn't work.
So I went looking for something stronger. And found this stuff called "Wildfire" ->
http://www.guardian-self-defense.com/wildfire.htm
Contains 18 percent of the pepper concentrate. I figured maybe coating the entire area with this stuff would be enough to persuade the varmints to stay out and leave the shoots alone. Ordered the stuff Wednesday, shipped Thursday, and arrived today.
So I took one of the spray dispensers down to the bamboo grove and just did some short bursts on a few of the shoots. I just caught the barest whiff of that stuff, and gawd damn!!!!! My nose was on fire, my eyes felt like they were being rubbed with sandpaper, and my chest started giving me some sharp pains...... I had to evacuate the area like immediately. Man, that stuff is NASTY! I think I'm going to have to use a face mask and be REAL careful with that stuff. Wind shifts the wrong way and I'd be down for the count for certain. I couldn't imaging being hit full in the face with a spray of this stuff. Just a short burst in a room would clear it in a hurry. I'm just now getting over the effects and my nose has stopped running. Like I said, NASTY stuff. If someone threatens you with pepper spray, don't think you are just dealing with something like what's in the pepper shaker on the kitchen table. This is a whole WORLD of difference!
So anyway, if the squirrels can ignore that stuff, then the bamboo is theirs. They must want it pretty badly.... Either that or I need to find a source of Claymores.......
