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Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
Depending on which hemisphere of the Earth you're currently reading this from, summer is finally starting to fight its way to the surface. For the more "green" of our readers, that can mean it's time to start making plans for summer gardening. But as anyone who's ever planted something edible can tell you, garden pests such as squirrels are fantastically effective at turning all your hard work into a wasteland. Finding ways to keep them away from your crops can be a full-time job, but luckily it's a job nobody will mind if automation steals from humans.
[Peter Quinn] writes in to tell us about the elaborate lengths he is going to keep bushy-tailed marauders away from his tomatoes this year. Long term he plans on setting up a non-lethal sentry gun to scare them away, but before he can get to that point he needs to perfect the science of automatically targeting his prey. At the same time, he wants to train the system well enough that it won't fire on humans or other animals such as cats and birds which might visit his garden.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2018/04/30/training-the-squirrel-terminator/
(Score: 5, Funny) by nobu_the_bard on Wednesday May 02 2018, @03:18PM (8 children)
They are tiny demons. They've broken windows and air conditioners to get in and run raids at my place (on the third floor) spilling food and poop everywhere. Replaced some of the window screens with steel and bolted them to the frames after the squirrels chewed through a few window screens and broke the latches off others. The new screens protect the windows they've learned to break.
Haven't hooked up any air conditioners like this yet. Was nervous about covering the A/C exhaust with a metal mesh, it might conduct heat; A/C exhaust is quite hot. I hadn't found much research on what to do about protecting those yet. I'll have to think of something for this year. The last A/C exhaust pipe (plastic window exhaust for wheeled floor A/C) was shattered by them.
The little pervs line up at the window and watch whoever, whatever is going on, so I have also installed curtains (they chitter when I close the curtains on them). They also just line up when I'm outside on the neighbor's fence and watch me and guests. They like to watch me heading out for work in the mornings. Sometimes I see a much larger, heavily scarred one that looks like he could fight a cat and win; I decided it must be the local warlord (the others avoid it too).
I think they must live in a neighbor's tree or garage or something. I know they don't live on my property, I have searched it exhaustively. Supposedly they could be living anywhere within 1/3 of a mile and have singled out my little house as a target. Unfortunately I rent so I have limited options for modifying the house (thus why I use a non-permanently installed A/C).
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday May 02 2018, @03:25PM (1 child)
I don't think I've ever heard such a detailed complaint about squirrels (tree rats).
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by nobu_the_bard on Wednesday May 02 2018, @11:57PM
I could go on. Much of last year's warmer months I spent fighting them everywhere I went.
I went camping with friends (about 12 people), we rented a group of cabins up in the mountains for a weekend. This happened after the first time squirrels broke one of my windows at home on about a Wednesday. On Friday evening we were starting up the kitchen for dinner and heard *ZAAAP* and the power flickered. We started cutting power consumption and searching for electrical problems. Then there was a bigger *THWUMP* from somewhere and the power cut.
We realized a power pole up the trail was on fire. We had it contained by the time emergency people arrived about 20 minutes later. Their investigation revealed squirrels had broken into the wiring on the pole, electrocuted themselves, first one and then another, the second damaging the transformer badly; both fell burning to the ground. People joked the "squirrel mafia" had me marked.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Freeman on Wednesday May 02 2018, @03:40PM (1 child)
Why were you storing poop? Around food no less!
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 02 2018, @04:20PM
To teach those little fuckers a lesson!
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday May 02 2018, @06:17PM
That won't hurt anything. You can safely shield an AC with mesh or expanded metal so long as you don't restrict the airflow.
What concerns of heat conductivity do you have? According to this forum post: http://www.refrigeration-engineer.com/forums/showthread.php?36094-max-operating-temperature [refrigeration-engineer.com], condenser temperature is usually 15C higher than ambient. And maximum temperatures all appear to be well under 100C. You might get hot enough to burn but if that side is hanging outside of a window, it doesn't matter one bit.
(Score: 4, Funny) by crafoo on Wednesday May 02 2018, @10:32PM
As in the old days, make examples of the most brave of the demon hoard. Mount them on miniature pikes about your gardens and window sills. At the very least you will have some squirrel cannibalism videos for youtube.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 02 2018, @11:10PM
You can see them?
Air rifle time?
Fire crackers?
Traps?
Poison honey?
(Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:37AM
Please put down your acorn. You have twenty seconds to comply.
You now have fifteen seconds to comply.
You are in direct violation of Penal Code 1.13, Section 9.
You have five seconds to comply.
Four... three... two... one... I am now authorized to use physical force!
[Shredded squirrel]