Squirrel Taking Palm Tree Fibers
Q: We’ve lived here 18 years but never had a squirrel decide to use the fiber from our palm tree for nest building. The squirrel climbs down and takes pieces of the fiber from around the bottom, peeling it down as you would a banana. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?
A: As long as the squirrel is collecting only dead tree fiber he isn’t really hurting the tree. I would try painting capsaicin oil on places where the squirrel is active. The oil is sold to be mixed with birdseed and drive squirrels away from bird feeders, but it would keep squirrels away from palm trees too. Wear gloves when working with capsaicin!