Cheeky...

Cheeky...

Tonight as I was enjoying a phone conversation with a friend in the cool evening air on my back patio, a squirrel came hoping along the top of my fence. He stopped mid-way, climbed down off his highway and went straight for my raspberries.

You may remember that I bought three raspberry plants this spring. They've been slow to get established but each of them has a couple handfuls of ripening berries on them. I'm looking forward to a virgin bowl sometime in the next few weeks. Actually a single berry came due Saturday and I greedily claimed it for myself.

I had no idea that squirrels have a taste for green raspberries. Add another black mark against them in the Gardener's Book of Pests.

I chased him away. He gave me a scornful and indignant look as he ran from my dirt clod ammunition. He came back less than a minute later - as if I wouldn't notice.

After I got off the phone I got out the chicken wire. The raspberries are now safely caged. My friend suggested a live trap for the squirrel, and I may give that a shot. But it may be more satisfying to keep a couple dirt clods handy for the next time I see his beady little eyes.