Them Darn Squirrels

I have been growing tomato plants this season since early May. I have tended them faithfully, fertilizing, caging and watering them as needed.  They have put out many flowers and those blossoms have opened into fruit which has grown larger by the day.  I've dreamt about the taste of those tomatoes for about the last three weeks.

But, in the past few weeks, the temperatures where I live have soared into the 90s and 100s.  And that's when the trouble began.  Those ripening pieces of fruit have been under attack.

Apparently, the local squirrel community sent out a message saying the buffet in my backyard is open for their dining pleasure. Every single developing tomato from baseball size to pea size has vanished in the past week.  I've tried using rubber owls and snakes to deter them and that didn't faze them.  Several days ago I decided to put out mothballs around each of the plants.  It stopped the little bastards for a few days but tonight when I watered the plants I noticed each of the budding fruits was either eaten from or was gone completely.

I don't know what else to do.  So, if you have any ideas I'd love to hear them.  Just enter your reader comments and I'll read them.  The only other option, and it would be illegal to use where I live, is to get out my shotgun and let them have it.