This time of year, you see ads for sale items designed to protect your bird feeders from squirrels. I’ve read many people complain bitterly about the fuzzy red or gray animals “stealing” food from feeders…some people seem to have a borderline obsession with protecting their feeders from the squirrels, and seem to think the little things realize that the feeders are meant only for birds, and so are trying to drive the owner of the feeder insane by trying to eat the food.
Why do these people (or you, if it’s your concern too) care if the squirrels eat the food or not? What difference does it make if the freeloaders in one’s yard have feathers or fur? Feeding the animals is supposed to a charitable act, so why attach strings to which ones can benefit from one’s generosity? I like squirrels more than birds, but I don’t go out of my way to prevent the poor birds from eating whatever I leave outside for animals to consume. The way I look at it is, if I leave out food, whatever gets to it first is welcome to it.
Elfkin! I agree, what’s with the squirrel hatred folks? I…LOVE…SQUIRRELS.
I feed squirrels at every chance. They are the cutest little things I’ve ever seen. My grandmother actually has SQUIRREL FEEDERS on her pool patio, so we can watch them enjoy lunch while we swim. I think it’s sad that people begrudge them a few seeds.
And before anyone says I don’t know what damage squirrels can do…I had three of them make a next in my storage space and eat through my christmas decorations, camping supplies and packing materials, ruining just about everything and leaving poop everywhere. We caught them with a hav-a-hart, drove 'em to Evanston and were done with it. No need for anger. Live and let live!
I think there is a greater stigma that surrounds squirrels because they are basically really uninhibited rats with big eyes and bushy tails. I was looking at one the other day imagining that it didn’t have those characteristics and was thoroughly disgusted. We all know the conceptions and misconceptions we have about rats.
Also, squirrels have the appearance of being more ornery. They build huge nests in the trees here that are bigger than basketballs. I am doing some charity work for an elderly neighbor of mine. The squirrels crawled up under her crawl space and started nesting in the fiberglass insulation. They drug a bunch of leaves, twigs and God knows what else. It’s alot of work that wouldn’t have to be done otherwise.
My girlfriend and I were painting a closet in her house that had the access hole to the attic. I slid the lid of the hole into the attic and out poured this noxious gas and the retching smell of decayed animal. At first we thought it was a smokey smell, so the FD came and they told us that it was dead and decomposing squirrel. They climed in there somehow and died.
If there is anyone who loves squirrels as much as jarbabyj, it’s Cranky.
Generally speaking, I also refuse to invest in elaborate (and sometimes mean) apparati designed to thwart squirrels at my birdfeeders. They amuse me. However, for a good laugh, read the book “Outwitting Squirrels” by a guy who has tried everything. Most of it failed, which is a wonderful testament to squirrels.
Despite my delight with their antics, it does annoy me that they get impatient with my birdfeeders and rip, gnaw, and claw them until they no longer hold seed. That’s getting really old. They’re also rather too fat for my best feeder, and the thing groans under their weight and it not holding up well. Sigh.
about my father-in-law, his evil daughters (including my wife) and the battle of the squirrels.
Long ago my future FiL had high blood pressure. (still does) So his loving daughters decide to give him a bird feeder so that he (the early riser in the family) could sit in the kitchen in the morning and watch the little birdies and relax.
So he assembles the feeder and puts it outside. And of course the birds get about two pecks then squirrels show up.
Now I think FiL is upset becasue he set out to feed the birds and dammit the birds will be feed. So the war of bird feeder begins.
He places a feeder on a pole.
The squirrels shake the pole till the feed drops.
He hangs it from a tree.
The squirrels drop from above.
He hangs on a wire in the middle of the yard.
The squirrels start on the roof, get a running start and leap 15 feet to the feeder.
He surrounds the feeder with nails pointing outward to impale the squirrels.
The squirrels use these as hand holds.
Meanwhile his loving children do nothing but mock him and his efforts. They started this with a gift to lower his blood pressure and now it does the opposite and they laugh. The send him postcards with pictures of squirrels on them to him with notes from the squirrels. They buy him stuffed squirrels for his birthday. They openly laugh at him in front of guests and bring the great squirrel war with glee. FiL is truning into Ahab here and I fear for his sanity.
I mean…how F-ING cute is that? I would wet my pants at the sight of a li’l bushy tailed squirrel gripping those nails, eatin’ a seed. THAT is what is right with America right there.
Have you ever talked to a squirrel? See one on the street and click your tongue at them? They stand up and put their paws to their hearts as if saying “Who me?” LOVE IT!
I’m sorry for your FIL though. It sounds like my poor dad who battles them every year.
Squirrels . . . Miserable little bastards. Rats in drag. They steal the plants right out of my window boxes and planters, roots and all. Marigolds, daisies, petunias. God only know what they DO with them, maybe they’re decorating. I keep a water squirter by the window and when I catch them in the act, I bang on the window or squirt 'em, and they shake their little squirrel fists at me and LAUGH.
Oh, and they chew through the roof and live in the attic, too. Only a matter of time before they chew through the electrical wires and cable . . .
I put seed in feeders specifically for birds, and HAVE put occasional anti-squirrel devices on the feeders, but they never work. NEVER. Squirrels are way too smart, way too acrobatic, and way too persistent to be kept away from food.
Occasionally, I’ll look out in the yard and see a squirrel hanging upside-down like Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible,” slowly working his way down the wire, past every obstacle in his way, then eat the seed out of the feeder while holding on to the wire with just ONE of his rear feet. If I hadn’t SEEN him do it, I never would have thought it possible.
After all that, I didn’t begrudge the little bugger his food. Heck, I figure after all that effort and ingenuity, he EARNED it.
Have fun. And just for the record, for the past year and a half a majority of my classmates have repeatedly harrassed me for allegedly raping a squirrel with a strap-on. No, I didn’t, but yes, it is funny. They are SO cute, with those little fluffy tails…