Show Me Your Pallet Projects!

[Molpet]

Update on Raised Bed Protective Covers

Speaking of finding a good use for those notched out 2X4 stretchers, a week ago I made some frames with pallet wood 2X4's and stapled on some chicken wire on top to act as protective covers for my beds...

View attachment 3848364

I was concerned that a squirrel would be able to squeeze through those notches which are about 1-1/2 inches tall. I read that a squirrel can fit into a 1-1/4 inch hole. Well, it has been one week now, and no squirrels have gotten into that bed. So, I think I can call that a success - at least so far. If I can go another week or two, the beans will have sprouted and grown a few inches at which time I will no longer need the protective cover.

We are really having an issue with all the squirrels digging in our garden beds. I planted peas in one raised bed (without a protective cover) and the squirrels totally dug up all the seeds and ate them. They are also digging all around Dear Wife's flower beds and planters. So, we are already replanting stuff.

My biggest disappointment was to see that the squirrels dug out and killed all of Dear Wife's bitter melon starts I made this year. It's not that I mind starting over, but I don't know if losing those 6 weeks on the starts will provide a long enough growing season for the bitter melons when I replant them.

I plan on making a number of pallet wood 4X4 foot full sized raised bed protective covers to protect the plant starts next year. We really got hit hard this year from the squirrels.

https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-articles/19-good-ways-to-cook-a-squirrel

 

[Smokerbill]

https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-articles/19-good-ways-to-cook-a-squirrel

I prefer a basic fried method if it's a young one, slow-braised if it's an older one.

 

[chickengr]

I think the proper name for them is cable ties, but lots of people (like me) just call them zip ties. Anyways, at the big box stores where I buy my cable ties, they have both the holding strength capacity and UV rating of the ties on the packages.

If your black zip ties are lasting 3-5 years, I think you are getting your money's worth out of them.

the small ones are dirt cheap and do great job. I use the coloured ones to mark my chickens (legs).

 

[gtaus]

Speaking of cheap zip ties, Menards just started a sale on zip ties this week...

 

[gtaus]

https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-articles/19-good-ways-to-cook-a-squirrel

I prefer a basic fried method if it's a young one, slow-braised if it's an older one.

I don't know if you guys are serious about cooking up a squirrel, or not, but I can tell you that in my younger days a friend and I shot, cleaned, and cooked some squirrels one time. I can't remember what it tasted like but seem to recall it was a lot of work for some amount of meat to eat. We only tried cooking squirrels once and never tried to eat them again.

Dear Wife says "no" to killing and eating the squirrels. No more debate on that issue, I guess.

 

[Molpet]

I don't know if you guys are serious about cooking up a squirrel, or not, but I can tell you that in my younger days a friend and I shot, cleaned, and cooked some squirrels one time. I can't remember what it tasted like but seem to recall it was a lot of work for some amount of meat to eat. We only tried cooking squirrels once and never tried to eat them again.

Dear Wife says "no" to killing and eating the squirrels. No more debate on that issue, I guess.

I haven't eaten squirrels since I was young, but I thought they were good. Meps used to come around and buy squirrel tails, cockerels hackles and something else I can't remember.... for fishing lures. 50 cents a tail for fox squirrel.
My mother had said Campbell's soup used to buy spent hens.

 

[chickengr]

I don't know if you guys are serious about cooking up a squirrel, or not, but I can tell you that in my younger days a friend and I shot, cleaned, and cooked some squirrels one time. I can't remember what it tasted like but seem to recall it was a lot of work for some amount of meat to eat. We only tried cooking squirrels once and never tried to eat them again.

Dear Wife says "no" to killing and eating the squirrels. No more debate on that issue, I guess.

never knew squirrels are edible, lol. as for work/amount of meat part, for the same reason I don't bother with quails.

 

[gtaus]

never knew squirrels are edible, lol. as for work/amount of meat part, for the same reason I don't bother with quails.

For some of the same reasons, only different, I don't think it is worth my time to trap and remove any squirrels from my property. I have 3 acres of wooded lot on lakeshore and there are probably dozens of squirrels in my area just ready to move in if I get rid of the squirrels closest to the house. We have squirrels everywhere.

That's why I am talking about making some more pallet wood frames with chicken wire on top to act as protective covers on my raised beds. That seems to be keeping the squirrels out of the raised beds where I am using them. I just need to make more.

Speaking of which, I started moving stuff off my old in-ground garden by the lakeside and I will have another 50 feet of 2-foot chicken wire to make more protective covers for my raised beds in the backyard by the house. I need to make another two 2X4 foot protective covers to finish covering all my half-sized 2X4 foot raised beds. Then, with the old chicken wire left, I will use some zip ties to tie together some strips to make it 4 feet wide to use on my full-sized 4X4 foot beds.

 

[fuzzi]

Update on Raised Bed Protective Covers

Speaking of finding a good use for those notched out 2X4 stretchers, a week ago I made some frames with pallet wood 2X4's and stapled on some chicken wire on top to act as protective covers for my beds...

View attachment 3848364

I was concerned that a squirrel would be able to squeeze through those notches which are about 1-1/2 inches tall. I read that a squirrel can fit into a 1-1/4 inch hole. Well, it has been one week now, and no squirrels have gotten into that bed. So, I think I can call that a success - at least so far. If I can go another week or two, the beans will have sprouted and grown a few inches at which time I will no longer need the protective cover.

We are really having an issue with all the squirrels digging in our garden beds. I planted peas in one raised bed (without a protective cover) and the squirrels totally dug up all the seeds and ate them. They are also digging all around Dear Wife's flower beds and planters. So, we are already replanting stuff.

My biggest disappointment was to see that the squirrels dug out and killed all of Dear Wife's bitter melon starts I made this year. It's not that I mind starting over, but I don't know if losing those 6 weeks on the starts will provide a long enough growing season for the bitter melons when I replant them.

I plan on making a number of pallet wood 4X4 foot full sized raised bed protective covers to protect the plant starts next year. We really got hit hard this year from the squirrels.

Squirrel stew...

 

[fuzzi]

Seriously, do you have any outdoor cats?

I have two that adopted me as giver of good food. I saw one of them catch and kill a squirrel. They keep the rodent population down.