Someone, please, tell me what the purpose of squirrels are. I can't come up with one good reason for their existence. Maybe they live to drive me crazy, they're good at that; fortunately for the squirrel it's a short trip. They constantly (twice a day, if I filled them that often) empty the birdfeeders, they eat the flowers, they drink from the bird bath, they tear up the soil in the planters; and (worst of all), they taunt me! There's one in particular who sits on the patio rail and stares in the kitchen window at me. When he knows that I have seen him, and that I will soon come running out to shoo him off, he laughs (his obnoxious little squirrel laugh) as he jumps (flies) into the nearest tree, sometimes grabbing a flower or a leaf as he flees. My husband came up with a way to secure the top on one of our feeders, he gave me a quick lesson in how to line up the marks on the outside so that the dowel rods would drop back down into the designated slots and hold the lid secure. It was ingenious. The squirrel knocked it loose and raised the lid in no time at all. Did I mention that Mr. Goodneedle has an engineering degree? I wonder where the stupid squirrel went to school.
Life is Good!
29 comments:
I had a co-worker that trapped them in a live trap, then sprayed their tails neon organge before driving them many miles away to be released. If they showed back up....he took more drastic measures.
Clemson . . . .
Have you seen (1) the You Tube video for the squirrel catapult (DH would LOVE that one, my DH nearly laughed himself into a coma and he has an engineering degree, too) and/or (2) the PBS special on squirrel intelligence (as in inventive ways to surmount ANY human-created obstacle)? If not, well worth the online time to find them. (Squirrels here have chewed holes in our house and houses of at least 3 neighbors in addition to all their other MIS-behaviors).
And here I am badmouthing the raccoons that steal my corn every year. I guess I should just count my blessings and hold my tongue. All of the squirrels in this area live in the mountains where they still look cute. : )
I use safflower seeds. The birds love them and the squirrels hate them! They are a bit more expensive than the oiled sunflower but it's worth it. Now, if I could only control the groundhogs and deer as easily :-)
We have squirrels. Lots of squirrels. Our addition is called Tanglewood...draw your own conclusions.
As to raiding the birdfeeders....you need to distract them with their own feeders. I buy bulk raw peanuts at the local grain store. I make them peanutbutter and honey sandwiches with old bread and they love fruit.
My squirrels come knocking on the door. They hang on it and stare inside. But they know that the door will open with food. They have ME trained!
I did buy a bird feeder that is butt ugly green with a weighted ledge that the squirrels cannot get to...but the chipmunk has it figured out!
XOXOXO Subee
You can buy a product (powder) called capsicum that you can coat your birdseed with. It's like a hot peppery- spice that bothers the squirrels, but does not affect the birds. It may deter them from the feeders, but I'm not sure about the plants (maybe if you sprinkle it around the plants and they can smell it it will deter them). Good luck!!
They get in a powerline box behind our home and we lose power, then find the fried squirrel lying under the box. We have to call the power co. to come reconnect. This happens several times a year.
But, they DO delight my darling little girls who can't say their "s" sounds. They say, "a fwuirrel, a FWUIRREL"!
This is priceless - they can't be good for anything and are no longer cute to us. We finally went to www.plowandhearth.com and bought two squirrel-proof feeders - they are not cheap - and so far it has been the best feeders. The feeders are now driving the squirrels nuts and they still have not gotten into them going on four months. They have to eat what the birds leave them instead of the other way around. Happy squirrel watching. Judy C in NC
We have squirrels too. They eat from our bird feeder all winter and have provided lots of entertainment as they often fall off. I didn't think it quite so charming when they dug up my bedding plants and seeds and ate flower buds. Someone told me to sprinkle bloodmeal around the plants. It works pretty well and fertilizes as well.
I got a good laugh from your post. While I love squirrels, they can be very destructive. I had corn (for the squirrels) in a plastic garbage can. Apparently I wasn't keeping up with the meals, they chewed a hole in the lid. They have also chewed on my porch. I still think they are fun to watch.
I hear you! If you have been over on my Face Book page,recently, you already know my grandaughter and I definitely are not squirrel fans! Being hit by multiple baby squirrels through the sunroof, being stalked my mama and going through fire ants evading mama; has definitely cancelled Devine Miss M and my squirrel fan club memberships.
I am totally understanding your frustration...squirrel proof birdfeeders (not), funnel for on the pole to make it squirrel proof (not)...I don't know the answer but I do know your pain! The birds seems to eat right along side the squirrels, but it sure does take a lot of extra fillings of our feeders! Good luck with your furry annoyances!
I'm right there with you in your dislike of these rodents, which hubby affectionately calls "winterized rats". A few years back, right before Christmas, we were having new doors put on our church sanctuary and a squirrel got into church during the installation. No one could find him so the workers assumed he got out the way he'd come in, but unfortunately, he had taken refuge under the organ! The stench in church for the Christmas Eve services could not be covered up by the many, many scented votive candles our choir director went out and bought. Finally, the day after Christmas, my dear Hubby, bless him, went up to church, determined to find that lifeless, stinky, little body. Find him he did, shoveled him into the dumpster, and now "The Christmas Squirrel" is part of church lore!
Meanwhile, we both thought you'd enjoy this little video about the day a (different) squirrel went to church:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K16fG1sDagU
Ah, someone else who feels the same way I do about these "fuzzy rats" as I like to call them. Besides eating all the bird seed, crocus bulbs and who knows what else they take great delight in tormenting a certain Spotted One. One in particular KNOWS that patio door shields him from the dancing, howling Spotted One desperately trying to go thru the glass to get to him. He sits on the porch staring in at poor Arlo thumbing his nose at him.
They are pretty smart, my cats chase them out of the yard. My husband built a roof over the bird feeder and the squirrels tried but could no longer get at the food.
You can , of course, eat them!
Yesterday while we were visiting my mom, my brother came in laughing that they had scared a squirrel away.
The squirrel was sitting in my mom's rocking chair on the deck. It was eating a peach - 1/2 of it was gone. the squirrel left the peach peelings behind on the chair. My mom had 3 baskets of peaches ripening to be canned. We laughed...
But the best part of it was my 79 year old dad's reaction to the news. He was indignant! "That squirrel it ate all our tulip bulbs and now eating our peaches"
You see my parents live on a fruit farm and have hundreds of baskets of peaches each year. And my dad was really mad at that squirrel for stealing one peach! lol
I planted tomato plants this year and last, and our squirrel(s) are eating them. I don't mind sharing with them, but they won't share with me. So now, I have to check everyday and at the slightest sighting of pinkness, I have to take them and let them ripen in the kitchen. No sun ripened tomatoes for me. :(
Nasty little buggers! We have had so much trouble from them here. I chase them around with a squirt bottle filled with ammonia. They don't like it . Also we use the live trap. Good luck!
I was forever chasing away the squirrels from my bird feeders until I purchased a metal baffle that attaches to a pole. It keeps the squirrels from climbing up and emptying my feeders. I have used it at two houses and it really does work.
http://shop.wbu.com/products/productdetail/WBU+18%22+Wrap+Around+Baffle/part_number=2509/567.0.1.1.25214.0.0.0.0?pp=12&
Oh my! I can just hear that evil squirrel laugh...
this post has me lol, sorry I hate these animals and wish they only lived in the woods
I find them annoying
I actually stopped feeding the birds as much as I did because it bothered me so much that the squirrels ate the bird food
now I have less squirrels and yes less birds but they do come to use the bird baths and land in the trees.
oh well the trade off.
Kathie
I have a guy friend who calls them rats with a fuzzy tail. Needless to say: no feeding squirrels when we go to a park.
The purpose of squirrels? LOL, what's the purpose of ANY creature?
I read through the comments just now to see if anyone mentioned safflower seed and one did. We live on an acre with lots of trees and lots of squirrels. Was just watching 2 playing on the patio this afternoon, laying out flat trying to cool off I guess. Temps over 100 for too many days. Anyway, we enjoy the birds as well and have lots of feeders out. The squirrels DO NOT like safflower seed (white) but the songbirds do, cardinals for instance. So that is about all we use. Also we put out peanuts and dried corn for the squirrels. Keeps their tummy full and away from the bird feeders. They are fun to watch and our grandkids love them. If they are scratching around in my potted plants, they get a big dose of cayenne pepper (bought in the large container at Sam's or Costco) and I keep it outside in my cabinet just for that purpose. I sprinkle liberally all over the plant and soil. They do not like that! (same as the capsicum family--hot pepper.) I'll bet Mason would love to put out peanuts or corn for the squirrels and then watch from a window!!
I feel the same way about skunks.....what purpose could they possibly have in this world! I just don't see it! lol
For those of us who don't have them, squirrels are cute. I had a friend though who looked at me like I was crazy when I said that and said "Tanya, they are rodents. Would you like a rat looking in your window or living in your attic?" Made me think about squirrels in a different light...
hunting season for squirrels starts in Oct. I think. lol
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