Protecting apricots from tree squirrels?

My excellent crop of apricots are being decimated by tree squirrels.

I don't want to kill them nor do I care to trap and relocate...if there are alternative methods. Our cat enjoys trying to catch them from time to time but, unfortunately, he seems more interested in the birds in other areas of the yard.

What techniques are you all using?

Squirrels can be devious little bastards! Besides being greedy, they can also be quite destructive.
To my knowledge, there is no kind way of dealing with them if your cat(s) won't chase them away. Trap/release to me is not an option: it requires you to buy traps (one won't do the trick), and burn a lot of hours and gasoline. It is also illegal in many states (you are merely transferring your problem to a neighbor).

Rather than killing them, a cheap, low powered air rifle will make them think twice about shopping in your trees.

http://northernpecans.blogspot.com/2011/06/setting-squirrel-traps.html

Devious bastards they are! My tree went from branch breaking loaded to a count of 4 apricots!

Watching the cats congregate around some cat nip I harvested from the canyon and brought to the house after posting the other day gave me another idea: plant loads of it around the apricot trees. Maybe their presence there would deter the fruit stealing rodents.

Any way, thanks for the replies, guys.

r

Also, catch and release may be illegal where you are. Here in the UK the invasive grey squirrel is considered vermin so if you live trap it is illegal to release them.