Critters in my Peppers (Southern California)

[Derelict]

I planted my peppers in April and they are mostly doing well. It's my third season so I'm still a rookie.  I planted 13 above ground half barrels with about 40 plants of all types.  They are surrounded by a green mesh barrier that keeps my dogs and the rabbits out.
 
The last couple weeks I've noticed something strange.   The soil in several of the barrels has holes dug 4 or so inches down, as if someone had scooped out the soil with their hand.  Also, on a couple of healthy plants, some of the stouter stalks are broken, as if something heavy tried to climb it or a human being broke it part way through.
 
In fact, I've ruled out humans, so it must be some critter. 
 
Does anyone have any advice?  Could it be a clever rabbit that is getting under my barrier?  A curious squirrel that doesn't like the greenery but still romps through?  Could this be a local bird, in particular crows, of which we see often in the trees?  And what might be doing the digging into the fresh potting soil?    Note that the leaves are NOT getting eaten, in fact they look quite healthy. 
 
Thanks for any advice you can provide!

 

[Downriver]

Prolly a squirrel. They love to dig in pots just to piss people off.

 

[Doelman]

I've had chipmunks and squirrels dig in my pots, but they've never broken a stout stem.  Any pictures?

 

[acs1]

Not sure about s Cali, but here in s FL these guys are the normal culprit.
Put out a game camera, that will tell the story.

 

[nmlarson]

Occasionally, skunks will come up on my deck and dig in my planters....looking for slugs or grubs.

 

[solid7]

I solved this problem very easily 2 seasons ago.  I put up an electric fence.  I bought a .5 joule charger, with 6 strands of wire, approximately 3" vertical spacing.
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Never had a digger since.

 

[Derelict]

I've had chipmunks and squirrels dig in my pots, but they've never broken a stout stem.  Any pictures?

 

See below for photos of the holes.  Do they look like squirrels to you?

 

[Derelict]

I've had chipmunks and squirrels dig in my pots, but they've never broken a stout stem.  Any pictures?

 

A stem was broken just last night.  Here is the picture.

 

[ProjectileTeeth]

Yeah, those are the kinds of holes squirrels were digging in my pots. Keep your eye out for nuts or nut shells. No joke, I've found peanut shells in my pots. I don't know where the hell the squirrels are getting them from, cause I don't eat them; probably neighbors. Not a lot of potted plants in the neighborhood, and I got a ton, so they come to my porch to bury their treasures. Started sprinkling a bit of bone and blood meal on the soil, and squirting the plants with pepper water to discourage them. It's been working so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjAmJkFmgI This lady isn't the most convincing person to pitch this idea, and I can't say whether this is helping, or it's the blood meal, but if you've got some surplus dried chilies you can throw in a coffee grinder, it can't hurt.

 

[Derelict]

I solved this problem very easily 2 seasons ago.  I put up an electric fence.  I bought a .5 joule charger, with 6 strands of wire, approximately 3" vertical spacing.
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Never had a digger since.

 
Good idea!  Can you save me some time and tell me where you got the fence from?

 

 

[solid7]

 
Good idea!  Can you save me some time and tell me where you got the fence from?
 

 
I bought the components from my local Tractor Supply store.
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You need a (electric fence) charger, wiring, some fence posts, a roll of fence wire or conductive twine, some insulators, 2-3 grounding rods, and some grounding clamps.
.
Now, I grew up on a farm, so I cheated some things.  I used an old extension cord from the charger to my fence, and actually wove the strands of the extension cord wire - after I cut the plug off - into the conductive twine that I used for the fence.  For the grounding rods, I had some 1/2" copper pipe left over from a job that I did around the house.  So I used those in lieu of the grounding rod. (the downside to that is that in a few years time, they'll most likely need to be replaced - but grounding rods aren't cheap)
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I didn't get a super strong charger, but it will keep out all small critters, at least up to the size of a dog.
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I build my redneck perimeter for about half the cost of what a fence kit would have cost.

 

[Doelman]

So the single biggest issue I have in my beds is squirrels and chipmunks.  I've tried everything imaginable to keep them out and nothing has worked, until I did this.  See all that black mesh around my beds?  That's Deer X netting.  They absolutely stay off the stuff, I guess they don't like the way it gets stuck to their claws/fur so they don't attempt to climb it. 
 
Also, your plants look a little yellow.  I think you're either overwatering them or they need some nutes.  

 

[Derelict]

So the single biggest issue I have in my beds is squirrels and chipmunks.  I've tried everything imaginable to keep them out and nothing has worked, until I did this.  See all that black mesh around my beds?  That's Deer X netting.  They absolutely stay off the stuff, I guess they don't like the way it gets stuck to their claws/fur so they don't attempt to climb it. 
 
Also, your plants look a little yellow.  I think you're either overwatering them or they need some nutes.  

 
Great idea!   I need to do something immediately, the little sh-t just trampled the hell out of my stuff last night.  Almost destroyed one plant and damaged a few more.
 
So you just drape the Deer X netting over the tops of the plants?  Or did you run it vertically between posts?
 
In fact, see the picture, I've been using the plastic mesh (shown) for a few years.  I'm guessing the critters are just climbing over it. 
 
As for the yellowed plants, it's the potting soil.  I'm a newb, remember?  I have 12 containers and had to transplant 8 of them over two weeks from the Kellogg crap (mostly tree bark) to real soil.  Just about all my transplants quickly turned green;  what you see in my post is the chocolate habaneros, it seems to be taking them more than two weeks to fully look healthy again.  Also, we've had a sunless spring out here in So Cal, so my plant growth is all over the place.  Some are already at 24-30", some are still barely 6" tall.
 
What do you use for liquid and dry fertilizers?
 

 

[Derelict]

Yeah, those are the kinds of holes squirrels were digging in my pots. Keep your eye out for nuts or nut shells. No joke, I've found peanut shells in my pots. I don't know where the hell the squirrels are getting them from, cause I don't eat them; probably neighbors. Not a lot of potted plants in the neighborhood, and I got a ton, so they come to my porch to bury their treasures. Started sprinkling a bit of bone and blood meal on the soil, and squirting the plants with pepper water to discourage them. It's been working so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACjAmJkFmgI This lady isn't the most convincing person to pitch this idea, and I can't say whether this is helping, or it's the blood meal, but if you've got some surplus dried chilies you can throw in a coffee grinder, it can't hurt.

 
A couple more questions.  See photo below.  For two years I've used this green mesh barrier and it seemed to work just fine.  So can I assume that the squirrels can just climb it? 
 
Also, last night a critter did some major damage to a number of plants.  It had lifted up the bottom of that green mesh!  Could that have been a squirrel too, or something else?  I'm certain it's not a skunk or we would smell it, but could it be a raccoon?  Every few years we see raccoon families traipsing through our backyard.
 

 

[solid7]

I'm telling you... The electric fence is the end all in the critter matter.
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My last straw was when I came out to 2 of 6 beds, almost completely emptied out by armadillos.

 

[Derelict]

I'm telling you... The electric fence is the end all in the critter matter.
.
My last straw was when I came out to 2 of 6 beds, almost completely emptied out by armadillos.

 

I hear ya.  My wife opposes it.  So I'm trying to figure out another approach.  First step is a game cam and some easy steps like a squirrel trap.

 

[Rue Bella]

If  you've seen raccoons, it could be them. I've had them digging in my yard before. 
 
Also, could be rats. Not sure if they dig, but they are large enough to break branches. Something is getting to my tomatoes in pots and breaking off fruits, but no digging. 
 
In my part of SoCal, we have rats including pack rats, ground squirrels, and bunnies (cotton tails). And raccoons. 

 

[Derelict]

If  you've seen raccoons, it could be them. I've had them digging in my yard before. 
 
Also, could be rats. Not sure if they dig, but they are large enough to break branches. Something is getting to my tomatoes in pots and breaking off fruits, but no digging. 
 
In my part of SoCal, we have rats including pack rats, ground squirrels, and bunnies (cotton tails). And raccoons. 

 

So I buttoned up the green mesh pretty tight tonight after dinner.  It will take some real effort for a coon to get in.  If it's a squirrel, I expect it won't stop him, he'll just climb over.
 
I've ordered a motion detecting strobe light and a game camera.  So within a couple days I ought to know what the culprit is.
 
I'm in San Diego, on a 1/4 acre lot next to open space.  It's been a few years since we've seen a raccoon, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there.  Lots of rabbits, not too many squirrels.  Norway rats too, but most of them are in trees.   I'm figuring at this stage it's either a squirrel or raccoon.

 

[Rue Bella]

So I buttoned up the green mesh pretty tight tonight after dinner.  It will take some real effort for a coon to get in.  If it's a squirrel, I expect it won't stop him, he'll just climb over.
 

 
Years ago I covered some young plants totally with that green plastic stuff - 'they' just ate a hole in it and got in. I thought then the culprits were ground squirrels. Definitely not a raccoon in that case - the entry hole was too small.

 

[solid7]

 
I hear ya.  My wife opposes it.  So I'm trying to figure out another approach.  First step is a game cam and some easy steps like a squirrel trap.

 
My wife did at first, too.  When I asked her why, she angrily stated that she didn't want to have to be picking up dead animals in the back yard. :facepalm