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Rochester, N.Y.

I am a first time grower in Upstate NY and have not seen flowers for over a month. I know it's too late to grow a pumpkin, but something has been chewing off the flowers before they can even get close to blooming. This year is shot as I only have one pumpkin out of 3 plants. I cut down the other 2 plants and cut the vine approx 10 past my only pumpkin. The garden is fenced to keep the rabbits out but the holes in the fence are large enough to allow squirrels and chipmunks.
I know that this year is shot but want to make sure I am ready for next year.
BTW, these are just normal pumpkin plants. Perhaps next year I'll look into finding/buying seeds for a "monster".

Thanks
Chuck

9/10/2001 11:52:29 AM

Squirrels-definitely

9/10/2001 6:51:47 PM

Omaha, NE

Are they chewing it off in tiny little pieces? I found that cuke beetles will chew up the flowers female and male. Now that I don't have any pumpkin flowers blooming, they have decided to take up living in my sunflower patch.

Karen

9/10/2001 9:37:56 PM

Rochester, N.Y.

If I remember correctly, they appear to have been chewed at the bottom of the flower (before it could bloom). The bottom of the flower looks somewhat shredded.
If this truly is squirrels, how do I keep this from happening next year? The patch is adjacent to a shed and short of new fencing on the sides and fencing in the top, I'm sure I'll have the same problem next year.

Chuck

9/11/2001 9:11:56 AM

Well I tried to put a rubber snake in my patch to scare them, but it didn't work. Then I fed them corn.

9/11/2001 7:12:11 PM

Eldridge,IA.52748

Has anyone ever tried , predator urine? I use fox urine, for rabbits and squirrels. And cayote urine to deter deer.

Judy
Eldridge,IA

1/24/2002 12:03:52 PM

walton n.y.

i have a friend that used preditor urine to try and keep rabbits and squirrels out of his garden he reapplied after every rain but had limited results had better luck with a have-a-hart trap then gave them a home a few miles away

1/24/2002 7:58:36 PM

Rush, NY

This past year I had one plant in an area by itself. A few days before the flowers would open the blossoms were partially picked apart. Every time I approached this plant, 4 or more Robbins would fly out of it. I never saw any rabbits, woodchucks or squirrels near the plant, so I concluded the Robbins were doing the damage. After loosing the first 2 females on the main vine, I pushed shingles (8 to 10 inches wide) in the ground one both sides of little fruit and finnally got good blossoms to pollinate.

1/27/2002 7:34:56 AM

walton n.y.

len i know robins will do a number on strawberries do you think they went after the flowers themselves or could they have been picking bugs off the flowers and tried to hard and ruined the flowers we have a simular problem with crows pulling the young sweet corn seedlings

1/27/2002 9:08:03 AM

walton n.y.

len i know robins will do a number on strawberries do you think they went after the flowers themselves or could they have been picking bugs off the flowers and tried to hard and ruined the flowers we have a simular problem with crows pulling the young sweet corn seedlings

1/27/2002 9:08:19 AM

Rush, NY

I doubt the Robins were going after bugs, as I used Admire all season and seldom saw a live bug

1/27/2002 5:32:36 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Eldridge,
You have a litter tray for the fox and the coyote?

Alun

1/27/2002 8:03:13 PM

Eldridge,IA.52748

Hello England,
Funny!!! You can Buy predetor urine, from a local nursery,
or from a seed and Nursery catalog. I had great success with the products, when I had a lg. veg. garden. Now that the kids are grown, I'm moving on to pumpkin growning. If you think that sounds funny, listen to this. I also used a beneficial insect, (praying mantis). Which feasts on cutworms,"beetles", flies, aphids, and more. Comsumes many
times its own weight. You order it by egg cases. One case
contains 50-200 eggs. It really works! If you wish I can
send you the web site, from the nursery I order from. Let
me know?
Judy

1/29/2002 2:33:54 PM

Western Pa.

If you like the great outdoors,you can find mantis egg cases on milkweed plants. One thing about beneficial insects,they may leave your yard and end up "benefiting" your neighbor. If they're hungry or want to go, their gone!

1/29/2002 7:20:34 PM