Squirrels - Enough Already!

Squirrels - Enough Already!

I realize that I have written about squirrels several times before but they keep presenting new things to address. This time it’s cars. Yes, cars. A squirrel has been squatting in our car engines, munching on the wires and causing quite a bit of damage. Both our cars, my husband’s and mine, have been victims over the last couple of years. There is nothing like rushing out in the morning, getting into the car, going to start the engine and nothing happens. No lights are on showing an electrical problem. Flip the hood and there is the evidence – disconnected wires, tooth gouges on the brake fluid reservoir cap and even dried grass and branches formed into a cozy nest.

Our cars have been towed to the service station. They were repaired and returned in good working order. But squirrels are persistent. One car was damaged, fixed, and a day later was back in the shop! When we tell others about our squirrel problems, more often than not we hear of other stories about the damage these critters have done.

So now we are on a squirrel discouragement program, asking around for natural squirrel repelling options. We were told that bird feeders are great attractions for squirrels. As we have several in our backyard, we are experimenting with not feeding the birds, at least for a while, to see if that keeps the squirrels away. We heard – and read – that cayenne pepper is a deterrent but when we sprinkled it under the feeders to test out the theory, the squirrels just ignored it and continued eating the seeds that had dropped to the ground. Maybe they like a spicy meal.

We placed net containers with mothballs under the cars and under the hoods. That smell should drive anything away though we aren’t certain it bothers you-know-who. We bought Squirrel Stopper, a spray meant to keep squirrels away from plants. It contains mint oil, rosemary oil, rotten whole egg solids, and vinegar among other natural ingredients, which was sprayed in the engine compartment to repel them. Does it? There is some evidence that the area has again been entered and perhaps some bite marks evident though not damaging. It almost sounds edible.

And now we’re bringing in the heavy-duty stuff, applying fox urine powder. If I were a squirrel and caught a whiff of this I would definitely keep away. Foxes are not squirrels’ friends.

I appreciate all the help we’ve been getting. I just hope one of the suggestions works. I don’t want to hurt the squirrels; I am a believer in every being having the right to exist. But come on, what about Live and Let live? Hear that, squirrels? Keep your distance and we can all be happy.

Some suggestions:

https://blog.allstate.com/protect-your-car-squirrels-chewing-on-car-wires/

More suggestions and some cautions:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/groundhogs

Wouldn’t That Be Peachy?

Wouldn’t That Be Peachy?

We have a peach tree. The tree has lots of peaches though they are not yet ripe enough for people to eat. That doesn’t stop the squirrels, however. The peaches that fall to the ground are fair game for munching. This young squirrel is nibbling away on an unripe peach. He decided that the table between two of our patio chairs was the perfect place for his snack.

I have seen this little one before. He hops right up even if I am sitting in there. I can tell it’s the same one because he has a slightly dark stripe of hair across his cheeks. Sometimes I talk to him (I am just guessing it’s male) and instead of running away, he stays on the table and seems to listen. I’ll chat about the weather or maybe I’ll tell him about the latest antics of my grandson who likes to make “peach soup” on the outdoor play kitchen with some of the fallen fruit. When we are finished playing, we usually put the peaches we collected into a container and place it where the squirrels can find it. Perhaps this squirrel thinks it’s his personal dinner plate.

I know I complain about the squirrels eating everything we plant, the reason we constructed a screened-in vegetable garden, but in truth, I like them. They are inventive and extremely smart. They help me remember that different is only an adjective, it does not mean inferior. And different is how we all are, from other life forms and from each other. If only we can learn to appreciate the value of differences within all of life, perhaps we would not be so quick to do harmful things to each other. Wouldn’t that be peachy?

Wanted - Squirrels

Wanted – Squirrels

Squirrels are smart. They are inventive. They are pesky. Especially when it comes to planting time. They jump on flowerpots, skitter between newly transplanted bushes, and worse, they eat everything we put in the ground. We have never have peaches mature on the tree before those little creatures get to them. I find semi-ripened fruit lying on the ground with one bite taken from the still-hard flesh. I tried placing a covering around the tree but when I saw the holes bitten through the material, I gave up.

We had to put screening around our vegetables in our handmade greenhouse to keep the squirrels away, not that they don’t try to get in. Occasionally we’ll find a tomato just outside the enclosure with the usual single bite taken out of it. Then we tighten all the edges that might have allowed the invasion and hope for the best.

I have no problem co-existing with the local animals – chipmunks, rabbits, groundhogs - but squirrels seem to have trouble coexisting with us. They want it all. I am not the only one who complains about them. One of my friends who had the most beautiful vegetable garden gave up planting because of the work it took to keep the squirrels at bay. Someone else offered peanuts in the shell to the local critter but when she was late with the offering, the squirrel actually knocked on her back door!

They are brazen garden thieves who need rehabbing. But considering that most housing developments exist on land that was originally theirs, perhaps it is people who need to learn to live with them. They are kind of cute, don’t you think?

Squirrel Knows

Squirrel Knows

Wow, it’s 2016. Didn’t last year seem to fly by? Time to take stock of things. Not to make resolutions, necessarily, as they rarely last through the year, but to see what is of value in our lives, to appreciate the people we love, and to move in positive directions. Do we respect ourselves? Are there things we’d like to change?

It isn’t necessary to do everything at once; rather let’s be realistic and focus on one idea at a time. We have to focus on the everyday things. This squirrel knows that. It is giving itself a good cleaning. It does its other usual chores as well like going in search of food, digging up nuts and seeds that were buried for the winter, looking for a mate.

Squirrels are inventive creatures, particularly when it comes to food. They can figure out ways to get onto bird feeders. They can sniff out acorns that were planted in the fall. One squirrel, which was being fed with peanuts by a friendly homeowner, took to knocking on the back door when it didn’t see its daily bounty.

I hope that this year is a good one for us all.

Squirrels’ behavior:

http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/graysquirrel.htm

A story I wrote for Chicken Soup for the Soul My Resolution: if you haven’t read it yet, here it is:

http://www.chickensoup.com/newsletter/186524/crazy-no-more&utm_source=CSS_Email&utm_medium=Bulletin&utm_term=$DATEADDED/NA$&utm_content=$MISC1/NA$&utm_campaign=daily

Squirrel on the Roof

Squirrel on the Roof

It was a busy morning, in my head, anyway. I was wondering what to do first – go food shopping or work on the article I was writing or go to the library to return and replenish books or get a jump on house cleaning or bring stuff to the cleaners or…well, that was the kind of day it started out as. Food shopping won and I was on my way to the car when I saw a squirrel on the roof of the house. He/she was looking down at something. Then he looked up. Then turned toward me but didn’t scoot down as I expected he would. It seemed that he was just staring into space.

I sat in my car watching him for a while before I went on my errand. Was that squirrel going through a similar conundrum about what to do today or did he have something particular in mind? I know squirrels are smart. I have seen them figure out ways to get onto the bird feeders regardless of the obstacles we put in their way. A study of gray squirrels from the University of Exeter shows that they learn from observation, particularly if it relates to finding food. Was this one planning its next meal? Well, so was I.

I drove off to the market but I didn’t forget about that squirrel. We are learning so much about how animals think. Humans may be verbal but we are not exclusive to intelligence. Each species has its own way of interpreting information, especially about feeding, mating, and survival. It makes me look at other creatures with a less jaundiced eye. We all have to contend with the circumstances of life and we all need smarts to do it. Perhaps focus is the key. When I returned home the squirrel was gone. I had no doubt that he made a wise decision from the perspective on the roof.

University of Exeter study:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090728102303.htm

A fascinating study on animal intelligence by Virginia Morrell:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/animal-minds/virginia-morell-text

Coping with Winter

Coping with Winter

We’ve had a few cloudy days here, some rain, a bit of snow these past few weeks. Things look bare and winter-worn and we are only a third of the way into the season. The trees reveal their hidden nests, small ones for birds, larger ones for squirrels. The natural world seems to be in waiting mode.

What about all the excitement of the new year? Has it disappeared already?

Not for Mother Nature, it hasn’t. Nature is alive and active: there is life to protect during the cold months. The leaves may be gone but the trees have merely slowed down, conserving their energy in a process called dormancy, waiting for Spring. Squirrels are busy fattening up for the coming cold weather still to come. Birds fluff up their feathers to keep themselves warm as they munch on the seed in the feeders or wherever they can find it and seek shelter in coniferous tree branches. Deer huddle in groups, slow their metabolism, and watch out for each other. Chipmunks semi-hibernate, lowering their body temperature, though they don’t actually sleep.  They are coping with winter in their own special ways.

And what about us? How are we coping with winter?

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean we have to hibernate. It’s a good time to reconnect with friends who are busy all summer. Libraries offer programs like book discussions, art exhibits, author visits. Forget resolutions – follow your intentions to do what feels right to you. Every year, every season has its excitement. It’s called life.

How trees survive winter:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/how-do-trees-survive-winter

Birds keep warm in winter:

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/how-do-trees-survive-winter

Squirrel – Master of All He/She Surveys

Squirrel – Master of All He/She Surveys

For some reason, the squirrels like to sit on our patio chairs. Usually they sprawl flat out along the top or laze quite comfortably on the seat. They are aware of the people who live in the house but we don’t seem to bother them unless we open the door and chase them away.

This time a squirrel was upright on the back of the chair, facing the yard. He (or was it she?) knew we were watching but it did not bother him. He was relaxed and seemed to be taking in “his” property, observing the colors of the leaves, the birds as they flew on and off the feeders, the other squirrels zipping along the ground around him. He had the look of being master of all he surveys. We didn’t have the heart to shoo him off.

We have lots of squirrels in our backyard. They make nests in the trees, eat the seeds that drop from the feeders and sometimes find a way to get around the baffles and onto the feeders themselves. They chase each other during breeding season, run strangers away, or sometimes they scrabble just for fun. We complain that they share too many of our vegetables and use our patio for their own social gatherings. Occasionally, one will look in our kitchen window and stare at our table as we eat. We can almost hear the question, So, what’s for dinner?

This was different, however. The squirrel wasn’t looking for handouts. He wasn’t in breeding mode or protecting his turf. There was a peacefulness about him, unusual for a creature who seems constantly active. The squirrel’s tail stretched long and rested down the chair’s back, not twitching like I was used to seeing.

He/she stayed there for quite a while. I was transfixed with every turn of the creature’s head. There was something sacred about the scene. Did the squirrel feel connected with what he was seeing? Once, he turned and looked toward the glass door through which we were watching but did not register any fright or inclination to scoot away, then turned back and continued what now seemed like a vigil.

I couldn’t tell if the squirrel was owning what he/she saw or being embraced by it. It didn’t matter. As I watched, I felt a connection – to the squirrel, to what was being observed, to the larger sense of nature. Suddenly everything seemed new.  It was a broadening experience propelled from a very simple cause. It made me aware that the world is always different, depending upon one’s view. 

I turned away before the squirrel did. In the morning, the backyard was once again bustling with activity. I couldn’t tell which squirrel was the philosopher but I could appreciate the idea that everyone, whatever our size, has a personal perspective to offer.

An overview of the Eastern Gray Squirrel:

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/eastern_gray_squirrel.htm

 

Hidden and Revealed

Hidden and Revealed

I was driving down a neighboring street the other day and saw a couple of trees that made me stop the car and pull over to contemplate them. There were no leaves on their branches (rightfully so in this season) and it was too early for them to flower but there was a sense of life about them from nests that spoke of birds and eggs and life cycles that usually are hidden from ordinary sight. Such private things, now revealed. It felt like I was peeking at something sacred.

I didn’t know which birds had built them, if it was one species or a mixture; we have many different birds calling our area home. We have squirrels that make nests in our backyard maple and white pine trees, though these nests didn’t seem large enough for them. Will the birds come back to the same nests in Spring or will these start to fall apart, offering their twigs for new nests and new life?

So much of life is hidden; flowers within buds, plants concealed in seeds, babies inside bodies. Eventually the impetus of nature reveals them and the world gets to see the beauty that was harbored there. An idea is hidden until someone speaks it or acts upon it and allows others to see it. This duality has an energy that speaks of movement, of progression, of growth. In it, like with the change of seasons, is a sense of anticipation that animates life.

When we come upon something that we hadn’t seen before or understood or perhaps even considered, it opens us to a broader dimension of existence. It helps us to stop in our everyday tracks and pay attention. And it may even bring a feeling of gratitude for having been there at the right moment to discover something more of ourselves.

Which birds reuse their nests? Join the conversation:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97112338.tip.html

Tomatoes - Again?

Tomatoes – Again?

I’m sorry. Here it is, almost at the end of the growing season and I am still talking about tomatoes. I admit to being obsessed with them this year. Perhaps it was the challenge of trying to actually harvest some before the squirrels and rabbits got them all.

Challenges often lead to innovative solutions and this one did. We discovered that surrounding the tomato vine with fine netting seems to keep the critters at bay. I don’t know if they are confused or if the mesh coating covers up the tomato smell; what I do know is that we have had produce ripening on the plant without interference.

I acknowledge that the patch is not pristine looking and I can’t imagine a real farmer doing it but for such a small plot, it has proved to be a reasonable answer to an annoying problem. Each day I eagerly go out to the garden and pick the latest juicy, red treat.

Okay, I confess that I don’t deny the animals everything. After all, they can’t go off to the supermarket when they need food. I leave some of the lower hanging tomatoes out of the mesh for them to share. But at least now we can all enjoy Mother Nature’s bounty. I don’t need to wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful – I feel grateful every time I eat a tomato grown right here at home.

Tips for growing tomatoes:

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/secrets-tomato-growing-success

And now, recipes for those great tomatoes!

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/fresh-tomato-recipes-00412000076956/page82.html

Tomatoes For All

Tomatoes For All

Hi Everyone. The summer became rather busy so I gave myself permission to take a blog break. I hope you are all well and keeping cool if you are in the heat zone. But I am back and looking things over in my backyard.

We planted a variety of tomatoes this year – cherry, beefsteak, and heirloom varieties. They are all growing nicely, thriving in the heat/rain cycles. Some of them have grown to an incredible size, which thrills me.

I was watching one as it got bigger and started turning a deep shade of red. It was ripening so sweetly. I could imagine how it would taste. The day I went out to pick it, though, I had a shock; a quarter of the tomato was eaten into. I could see the seeds. The juice dripped from the opening and I could smell the fresh tomato aroma. I mourned the loss of such a beauty.

There was another tomato on the vine that was just starting to ripen. I didn’t want the same thing to happen so I placed a cage around that section of the plant.  But when I went to check on it the next day, the cage was lifted out of its moorings and the tomato had been nibbled on.

Was it a wascally wabbit that was getting into the garden or a sneaky squirrel? I was talking to a man who had a vegetable garden and he said that groundhogs, in particular, loved tomatoes. I occasionally saw a groundhog around but not lately.

I needed a plan. While I love letting the tomatoes ripen on the vine, I decided to pick them when they were partially red, before the creatures got into them, and to let them ripen the rest of the way on my kitchen counter. So far that is working. We ate one of our tomatoes yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! I can’t blame the outside critters for digging in.

I know that everyone needs to eat and I don’t mind sharing but I would like some produce for myself, too. Next year I will plan differently, perhaps setting aside a small plot for the local scavengers; this year I will just enjoy what I can and at least take pleasure in knowing that my tomatoes are making a party for many mouths.

Here are some ways to discourage squirrels, and I imagine other critters, from chomping on your tomatoes. Some are practical, others tongue-in-cheek:  http://www.mnn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/7-ways-to-keep-squirrels-from-eating-your-tomatoes    

Good for You, Squirrel!

Good for You, Squirrel!

I was passing my kitchen window early this morning when I saw something that opened my eyes wide. A clever squirrel figured out how to bypass the baffles to the bird feeders. I didn’t see the actual process, just the result. There he/she was, atop the accordion baffle reaching for the seeds. Keeping squirrels off the feeders has been an ongoing struggle. We thought we had finally solved the problem as no squirrel had succeeded in getting past the baffles for a couple of years though there had been several attempts.

My husband was convinced that the squirrel leaped from the branches of the butterfly bush that was nearby. He pruned the bush (it needed it anyway), to make it harder for a squirrel to cross the chasm but I wonder if this particular one will find another way to get up there. I have seen squirrels traverse the whole backyard, leaping from black spruce branches to tulip tree limbs, dashing the length of our back neighbor’s fence, and hurling itself from one maple tree to another, before touching the ground. So perhaps the butterfly bush was the conduit but I suspect that the pruning was only a problem to be solved rather than an insurmountable barrier.

These creatures are certainly persistent. I have to respect that. If the adage “Practice makes perfect” works for people, why not for squirrels? Perseverance is often what leads to success. Writers revise their manuscripts for clarity, inventors discard what doesn’t work and enhance what does, chefs tweak recipes until the flavor is just right. So, I say Good for you, Squirrel! I hope the sunflowers you munched were sufficient reward for your efforts.

You won’t believe this!

http://squirrelsbychrispy.blogspot.com/2011/01/squirrel-problem-solving.html

Squirrel opening a peanut jar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkVXui4ptoo

And here is an original story I wrote about squirrels in PhlMetropolis:

http://www.phlmetropolis.com/2011/02/outsmarted-by-a-squirrel.php#disqus_thread