Squirrels, love them or hate them?

[Whitezombie]

I started watching mammals before birds and actualy enjoy watching squirrels on my feeders as much as i do birds. all wildlife is welcomed and enjoyed as long as it stays outside the window.

[Lu_B]

I started watching mammals before birds and actualy enjoy watching squirrels on my feeders as much as i do birds. all wildlife is welcomed and enjoyed as long as it stays outside the window.

I don't mind squirrels as long as they stay off the bird feeders as they scare the smaller birds away. I have given my resident squirrel a feeder all of his own thats stocked with yummy peanuts - so he seems quite content to munch on these.

He is however rather partial to the ground blend that I put down for the blackbirds first thing in the morning. But they seem to gang up on him and he goes back to his peanuts.

The only wildlife I'm not keen on in the garden is the grass snake that visits my pond to feast on the frogs! arghhh........

[HRH]

I love the squirrels too. We only have a few so they haven't really affected my bird feeding. I have a squirrel feeder further back in the garden. The squirrels come in from the trees behind us, so they seem to stop at their feeder first.

My dog loves them too - literally shivers with excitment staring for hours out of the conservatory mindow. He's very fast and has caught and unfortunately killed two over the last year. We now knock the window before letting the dogs out to give them a head start and this seems to be working.

[Caroline]

What breed of dog do you have?
I could definitely do with some squirrel control in my garden :)

[HRH]

Hi Caroline

We have a collie/spaniel cross from the local rescue centre. He's very fast and has lots of patience before he attacks - almost cat like. Then the old Chocolate Labrador acts as he's side-kick and eats anything caught if we're not quick enough to retrieve it. Rabbits, squirrels even mice have all fallen victim. lovely!

[Whitezombie]

i realy thought there would be more responses on this subject, everybody has an opinion on squirels.

maybe i should have asked about RATS!

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

No rats in our garden as far as I know. Not with 3 cats, who fortunatelty for our bird population are nocturnal and spend most daylight hours asleep. But there are rats where I feed at a local pool. They help themselves to the ground food I put down, but leave plenty for the birds, which outnumber the rats at least 1000/1. Quite interesting as well. All creatures have to live and have a place on this Earth.
At home i saw a hedgehog wandering about in our copious ivy at about 10pm on 13th Feb. Too early, but I put out a brand of cat food our lot refused to eat and it all went. Meanwhile I ordered some of CJ's hedgehog food which our cats also thought was poison. Most or all of it goes every night as does the water I put beside it. The water is often a bit muddied so not a cat drinking it. We have a hedgehog house so could have come from that. I must stay up one night to try to see this nocturnal visitor again, but food isn't touched until after 11pm or even midnight.

[oasisjack]

Unfortunately we dont have squirrels round here but theyd be welcome on our feeders if we did. Theres plenty to go round.
Rats are a tough one. Id never use poison but they can spread desease in birds so some sort of control is probly necesary.
However I dont agree with this theory that theres too many of them. They say there one for every person on the planet but you dont hear suggestions about reducing the human population!!

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

No we don't have squirrels either, but my daughter does who only lives 10 minutes walk away. Mind you her garden backs onto a high railway embankment which is covered in tress and makes a wonderful wildlife corridor. Also all the residents have access and keep their compost bins, extra bird feeders etc. Somone even grows beans in there! However I digress. I can't hate squirrels, but then I don't have to contend with them. My daughters pair gobble up the bird table stuff before the birds get to it . They've also broken a couple of trays. And they WON'T use the special squirrel feeder & corn hangers she's put out for them. But they are very funny and incredibly clever and persevering. They must be given credit for that even if they're so exhasperating!. Yes, I agree rats are disease carriers. But at least the ones by the pool aren't living in sewers. And I can't stop them getting the food unless I stop putting ground stuff down for the birds.
I am reducing this very gradually now as natural foos is returning, but I won't stop completely unless the food isn't eaten in a 24 hour period. I think it always will be.

[Jenny]

No squirrels where I live either, but I used to have them and loved their cheeky ways!

Is there something in the Collie strain that makes them stalk cats/squirrels and in my case herring gulls? (He hasn't caught one yet but his technique's improving - he waits till they've little room to manouevre and have to head into shrubs!)??

[Kerry L]

Perhaps he is trying to round them up?
And I do like squirrels, they are absolutely bonkers and they make me laugh. Unfortunately their antics are real time wasters as I spend too much time watching and not enough on the chores (that's my excuse anyway).

[nickieuk]

i quite like squirrels, i dont have any in brighton tho, just loads of seagulls! but at home in kent we have loads in the garden, and i recently bought a squirrel feeder.
my german shepherds kind of like that too except she doesnt ever kill what she catches, keeps catching phesants and rabbits an bringing them to me, and just dropping them at my feet letting them scamper off, hehe bless her, :p

[Kerry L]

Today I caught Susie the Squirrel (yep, definitely a girl - I looked) inside my bird table. This was a first. It is quite small and dangles from a bit of string on a pergola and it has a little roof - how she managed to get in I have no idea. :confused: She was hoovering up the food, and she had so much in her mouth that she looked like an overgrown hampster. I called out "you greedy little pig!" and she immediately launched herself into space - I didn't see where she landed because she zipped off so quickly! I shall keep watch because I would like to see how she did it.
Speaking of squirrels, has anyone seen the Arsenal match - I came in just after the start and there was a squirrel on the pitch. The croud was singing out "squirrel, squirrel . . . " and the players carried on with the game. (I wondered if Arsenal had an extra defender but my husband wasn't impressed with my musing!) The poor thing was quite stressed because it was virtually trapped, but eventually the ref stopped and it managed to find a gap to freedom! I couldn't find any other reason to stay and watch and I can still hear the game hasn't finished yet, so I am playing on here for a while longer!:D
Regards, Kerry

[Barbara Jane]

I love squirrels and we are lucky enough to have red ones too, haven't even seen a grey one yet! However last year (before I bought the bird box for the blue tits) these same tits built their nest in the pine tree nearby. What did one of these monkies do but climb up the tree eat all the eggs and spit the shells on the floor underneath! That's how I found out and hence the reason for buying the box! So now I'm not sure how I feel about them even though they are red. I made sure when I bought the bird table nearby that I gave it a drain pipe poll to stand on so the squirrels can't get up. Didn't realise though that there were feeding tables for squirrels also!

Barbara Jane

[Kerry L]

They might like pine nuts as they like the pine cones. We only have the greys here, although there is a colony on Brown Sea Island just off Sandbanks near Poole, Dorset. The only other time we have seen them is in captivity. My husband and I (goodness, sounds like the Queen;) - no relation!) used to do a lot of walking (before children) and one of the forests way up near Hadrian's Wall was supposed to have red squirrels, but they didn't appear for us. You are so lucky - even if they do munch birdy eggs, but so do lots of other things too.
Cheerio, ironing beckons and I've been lazy today, so chores have to be done now!
Kerry

[Jenny]

Kerry you are a gem - had bad couple of days and your descriptions/comments have made me laugh - toothache gone! Thank you!

[Kerry L]

Jenny - glad to hear toothache better. As for the squirrel, I put out some more food early this morning on the bird table. Now either the birds were watching out for me in Alfred Hitchcock proportions, or Susie nipped in quick in the half hour when I went to do something else, as the food had mostly gone when I passed by the window again. As "The Birds" phenomenon hasn't been reported to the authorities by hysterical neighbours, I can assume that it was the squirrel - crafty little monster, nipped in quick while I wasn't looking!:mad:

[Jenny]

Barbara Jane,

Sad about the eggs but how great to have red squirrels. Remember when we used to camp in Glen More in the Cairngorms, the cheeky things used to nip down and check out the tents!

[Barbara Jane]

Yes Jenny it is great. I 'm waiting until our three hazel nut trees are ripe and then we will have them arriving early in the morning to feast. I'm contemplating getting a small camera to place in the blue tits bird box, so that I can peep without disturbing them, but as I won't be able to put it in place until the winter, in the meantime, I would fix it on the corner of of the house outside, catching the squirrels at work on the nuts later on this summer.

Barbara Jane

[Kerry L]

Although I didn't catch her in the act, my husband did - she jumped into the bird feeder. Well, he could have told me! She only visited a couple more times, but no trace of her since. Today we have a new lad, I have called him Victor, since he has a distinct V shape on his back. I think he must have been caught in a snare or some wire or netting, as this V goes towards his midriff. The colouring and the way the fur grows is different in this spot too. He is very skittish, and chased all the birds away while he was feeding (under our caged ground food), whereas Susie didn't mind company. Actually I think Victor suits him - grumpy old man (Meldrew)!!;)
Regards, Kerry

[Jenny]

Sorry, but this is just so funny can you rig up a webcam, Kerry? It's all very well living here and having golden and sea eagles etc on one's doorstep but we do miss out on some of the fun things!

[Kerry L]

Hello again - football on and I am supposed to be making HeMan a cuppa! :p I would love to see the eagles - the nearest we get are buzzards - come to think of it I haven't seen either those or the sparrowhawks lately. My garden is quite boring for most of the time - it is the odd moments when you catch something. I do miss Susie though, she used to play for ages with a flower pot (which has now been strimmed to death by HeMan along with some of my plants instead of the grass!). Vic hasn't been back since, so all quiet on the Western Front today - it stormed this morning and the wildlife have been subdued today - except for those pesky pigeons - I need Dick Dastardly!:rolleyes:
Regards, Kerry

[dorte]

Hi, new member appearing. Name is dorte. Kerry's stories about Susie and Victor reminds me of Sacha a grey squirrel I hand reared a few years back. Had fallen from loft through old pipes into kitchen behind cupboards at friends house. Scratching noise drove friends to dismantle cupboards to finf 2 baby squirrels. Unfortunately they didn't know what to fed them so one died before I knew they were there. The second baby crawled onto my boot in the driveway when I visited, now how can you resist that. near to death she was, but with TLC , nest in my then longish hair or always carried in pouch and plenty of substitute small animals milk formular she survived to drive one of my cats to a nervous breakdown. He would stalk Sacha around the house in a very macho cat way until Sacha got tired of it, turned around and chased him off. Watbing her climb the brick firesurround. nestle up with my spaniel/westie mix bitch, etc. kept me laughing for hours. She went after about six months, suppose she was then ready to become wild again, but for years afterwards I kept finding nuts she'd hidden in unsused vases, in drawers, everywhere, although the ones she tried to hide in my ears, were retrieved immediately. So I love squirrels and could never hae them. Unfortunately I have no squirrels to watch in my garden, but maybe another baby will happen upon me sometime. :rolleyes:

[Kerry L]

She has obviously had babies, and today must have been the first outing for her. She was on the peanuts for at least 45 minutes that I saw. No sign of bad tempered Victor. Some of her fur looked like it had been mown in small patches - don't know whether summer coat coming through, or babies grazing on her fur!
My quilting teacher rescued a baby squirrel and the RSPCA told her to put it in a bag and bash it's head to kill it because they are not (by law) allowed to be released back into the wild after being in captivity. This she couldn't do, and was shocked that an animal charity would suggest such a thing. She found someone to take it in.
My neighbour found a tiny baby squiz last year, almost at death's door in the road outside our houses (we live in a cul-de-sac) and there was no sign of parents. I had only just walked past and didn't see it, so it must have dragged itself out of the bushes after I had gone by in an attempt for someone to rescue it. My neighbour took it in and fed and watered it - it was only able to suckle, so it was lucky that she had a dropper handy. It is likely that the mother had been killed and she was the only one to find someone who cared. In 2 days the little thing was up and away and creating havoc! I took them to the wildlife rescue centre in Overton - and the lady said that she would introduce it to the rest of her babies! So happy ending there too!:)

[dorte]

Yeah, I know Squirrels are classed as pests, just like rats, but nevermind. I didn't set Sacha free, she escaped. Good Luck to Susie and her babies. Hope she brings them to feed when ready, they are so much fun.

[Kerry L]

He appeared late last night to hoover up remaining bird food. Susie also made an appearance at the same time, so they are probably mates (perhaps I should call her Margaret instead?!):) He did seem better tempered. I could clearly see that his scars had stretched around his belly while he was doing a merecat impersonation while he could hear me pottering about in the kitchen (and spying on him)!
I would love to see the babies, but I had better batten the hatches ready for fun and games - and expect all my plant labels to be removed and strewn about.:(
Yep, squizzies are just big rats with fluffy tails - but it could be worse - they could be the size of kangaroos!:D

[Jenny]

Kerry, Dorte, am really enjoying the squirrel saga. Heaven help you, Kerry, when the babes grow up!

On a sad note, I don't like killing animals or birds, etc. but when it comes to greys (or identified as really sick ones), think it's got to be done - they do damage reds, our native species.

Now I'm really sticking my neck out here but you'll all have heard of Scottish Natural Heritage's cull of hedgehogs in North Uist in the Hebrides. These were introduced and, having worked on North Uist before the introduction (no ageist comments please - get enough elsewhere:o ), ground-nesting birds were almost everywhere. They really have declined and the hedgehogs need to be got rid of because of the importance of the breeding grounds on the island. But I love hedgehogs so real dilemma - some have been saved and moved but the four people I know (and they are local experts in their areas) took the refugees on found that they weren't accepted.

The whole thing is not a happy subject, but we've got to address it. Like am I going to have my house destroyed by a plant? (Japanese Knotweed!). The only way I can do this is by using a serious weedkiller (and risking my neck in the process on a 15ft rockwall when suffering from vertigo, plus I will admit to a certain spherical challenge:o ) and I'm worried. Nasty questions - what's the answer?

[Kerry L]

Sorry Jenny - that's twice I couldn't resist (I shall wait for you to send little poking out tongues to me again!), I thought the rampant vetch in my garden was bad enough!
Is the knotweed actually growing in the walls of the house? I know some old cottages have floating foundations and if you have, perhaps it is sending runners underneath. I have used a product called DAX Rootout (I think it is now only called DAX). I found it to be very effective on ivy, bindweed, elder and sycamore. With the softer plants like bindweed, I put some of the crystals into a plastic bag and gather up the weed and push it in the bag too, scrunching the leaves - put a brick or stone on the bag and it will rot down. With bigger things I cut the stem or trunk near the ground and carefully put a generous amount of crystals onto the remaining sappy stump. I cover it with cling film and seal it with elastic bands to keep the crystals in place and to prevent the rain washing it off, or getting onto the good plants - or eaten by the wildlife. Apparently it turns the root into fertiliser - ooh arr! I don't like using chemicals, but that is the only one I have used with success. (I think even Geoff Hamilton used systemic killer when all else failed, it is only a last resort and burning it won't work either.) You will probably find you need to reapply several times. It is the worst weed by far. If you have to go up a steep bank to attack the weed, I would get in touch with a climbing enthusiast and ask them to do it for you!:)
As for the plight of the hedgehogs - if they hijacked a ferry and came to the main land, the chief hedgehogs might allow them to stay with all the mod cons!;) Can't make ageist comment - you are safe - I don't know when it all started, but as they don't have a natual predator, the birds must be protected. I wish the little hogs:D could settle OK on the mainland, though.
With regard to squizzies, I love the red ones they are so much more cute with their little tufty ears. It is a shame they can't live side by side happily, but it could be worse - someone could have imported prairie dogs instead and we'd all be falling down holes in the gardens!!

[Jenny]

Many thanks for the tip about DAX, Kerry, I'll look out for it! Just for that won't sending a sticky out tongue this time :) ! My efforts last year with the stronger version of Roundup (the strongest you can get without a license) have deterred the stuff a bit but some's reappeared and horror of horrors there's a plant come up just 1 foot from the house! I dread to think what'll happen if it gets under! If I can't get the DAX, I'll have to resort to either getting someone in or letting it grow, cut off the top and pour Jeyes fluid in - gather that also does the trick! I tried it with the Roundup last year but it's a bit awkward on the almost sheer drop! It's al coming from my neighbour's land - he's got a huge patch about 20x20 of it, plus the said drop is on his land and he never sprays that part. GRRR!:mad:

[Kerry L]

I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen hide nor hair of any squirrels - or heard them - until today, when I saw a small one scampering up the oak tree. I think that Susie, Vic and babes must have found a des res in someone's attic. I guess that someone didn't like squirrels scampering around morning, noon and night, so introduced them to pest control. I can't blame them, they make a heck of a racket - like a herd of elephants in the roof! There was a drey in a tree next door - it's been there for years, but since next door had a pruning session, the pigeons have taken it over, and then it was rather windy and wet, but I think Suse must have left for better protection before the babies arrived, and suffered as a result.
Oh well, I will keep my eye out for the new kid on the block.
Regards, Kerry

[Jenny]

Susie and family were probably deafened by the woodpeckers!

Re deer - sorry - yes some Snow Buntings but only at top of highest hills I'm told. Last time I saw them were on Cairngorms a couple of years back, along with ptarmigan and mountain hare.

[Kerry L]

My new squiz was on the nuts this morning and it is definitely a young male, and shall henceforth be known as Billy the Kid! He was voicing his opinion very loudly in next door's walnut tree - probably eyeing up the nuts for later in the year! I shall wait for my neighbour to call him a few names and wave her fist at him (which is her usual reaction to squirrels who half-inch her walnuts)!
Regards, Kerry

[Butch669]

sorry to upset the squirrel luv-in, and belatedly too, but I am driven to murderous intent by the lil' blighters...

I have suffered year after year of squirrel damage to anything of beauty in my garden...I watch as Magnolia blossoms swell...only to stripped bare by them... I see bananas survive our mild winters without neeeding fleece only to find the ****ers strip the stalk to get at the growing tip...
bulbs last fleetingly...I planted some lilies on Sunday, by Monday...gone...

I either have to grow charmless and inedible things, or cover with so much chicken wire / mesh / fleece at critical times that my garden resembles a strange theatre of the other world...or I find a means of control! Them, not me...

do I use high ptiched wotsits/ Or 'humane' traps (where to 'relocate in inner London...mmm?) or an air rifle ( in inner London, mmmm, 'duck mate, I was only after grey thing...sorry 'bout your window / bottom / child ...' think not) / or deterrents?

come on, I can't stop these beggars...or can I?

Advice welcome...support / counselling gratefull received...I have endured long enough, I can't be alone.

[Jenny]

Butch - are you feeding them? (Apart from your plants?)

I'm not being facetious because I too would be seriously p****d off if they ate magnolia buds (I've never lived anywhere where I could grow banana plants) - I had two glorious ones in a former garden and plenty of squirrels but no problems.

Although there were several trees in my garden they were widely spaced so I was able to spot the preferred approach route and put food, relatively easily accessible but awkward enough to keep them occupied so little damage done elsewhere. Of course, there was one enterprising little rogue who tried alternatives but he met an untimely end through completely natural causes - a falcon (neighbour into falconry) got him. This squirrel feeding station seems to work in smaller well-stocked gardens, too. I was overrun in Leeds but did the same as in the Midlands and it did save plants and had other feeding stations for birds that they largely ignored. Have no idea why!

Sorry, can't comment on modern technology as no squirrels on Mull! Good luck!

[Gandalf]

Butch Must agree with Jenny. Until I provided a feeding station just for the squirrels (I have two visit most days) they would run havoc in the garden and attempt to get at all the bird feeders and the food I put out on the ground feeder.
However, now they are content having their own food supply and leave the birds' well alone.
Position where they enter the garden and after a short while you should be OK.

Cheers.

[Kerry L]

Although we have the squirrel, I've never really had too much bother with any of them. This year she has munched the spinach and unearthed a dahlia, but I'm not worried, the spinach was due to be dug up for this years veg, and the dahlia was one that I had sown from seed (although if it had been a splendid variety I probably would have been rather miffed). Yesterday afternoon she was lying on a branch in the oak tree, almost as if she was hiding. She stayed there for hours, so I wonder if she was having a siesta as it has been so warm. Any ideas on that, anyone?
Regards, Kerry

[Jenny]

You overfeeding her, Kelly? Or is she expecting a happy event??

Butch, please let us know how you're getting on in deterring your squirrels. I had a friend who was a really keen gardener and it was from him that I heard about the trick of feeding them. It occurred to me that you might be concerned that feeding them would encourage more, but in twelve years at the first house I mentioned, only one pair (presumably the dominant ones for that territory) regularly visited the garden - they tended to guard their personalised food supply jealously.

[starlight]

I'm about to try feeding them instead too... waiting for the squirrel feeder to arrive. Do you place the squirrel feeder close to the bird feeders (although that sounds daft to me as might it not instead entice them to the bird feeder?), or further away but in the direction from which the squirrels come? For instance, my squirrels come from the only bunch of trees quite close, then they hop along the adjacent hedge and straight onto my birdfeeders.

[starlight]

Would anyone have any thoughts or suggestions to my question above about where might be best to place a squirrel feeder?

Thanks in advance! :)

[Jenny]

Starlight,

To be honest, my squirrel feeding defence started back in the early 1980s! I don't know if squirrel feeders were around then - if they were, I'd not heard of them. I started by putting a metal peanut feeder close to their main route in, but even then it wasn't too far from some of my bird feeders. I reckon this worked as like most creatures, the search for food can be hard and grabbing the easiest, most convenient food with minimal exertion is the most tempting! I had a high stone wall and hung the feeder intended for the squirrels on a branch where they could nip along the wall, onto a convenient branch and then onto the branch with the feeder. So long as I kept it well topped up, they were mostly content!

I'm not up to date, because we've no squirrels on Mull, but hope you get advice from those who have got squirrel feeders and squirrel issues. Jenny

[starlight]

I was thinking of placing the squirrel feeder on one the trees from where it comes from, which is about 50ft from the where the bird feeders are. The hedge the squirrel runs along to get to the feeder runs from the trees to the feeders. Is this too far away or will the squirrels be satisfied with what they find in the tree - if they find it?

[Jenny]

Starlight, Squirrel feeding station was about 25' from one set of bird feeders and nearer 100' from the other set. Jenny

[starlight]

Thanks Jenny, sounds like my 50' might be OK then :)

[stormy]

squirrels are rats with good PR. lol

they are a pest. they eat birds eggs, eat bird feeders, yes thats right, i went through 15 bird feeders.
and they breed like rats.

of course i like squirrels lol. i wish i could have the red ones.

[starlight]

Hi Stormy

Well, you're welcome to my squirrels then ;)! Yes, they are just rats with fluffy tails but right now I'm not a happy bunny with them :mad:

I'm at my wits end, there are now several of them by my various birdfeeding stations daily. They're even getting through the holes in the cage I have for the ground feeder. They've destroyed a couple of other feeders, which is now limiting me to the type of feeder I can put up (I have tons as for the past year squirrels weren't a problem). And when they're in the garden, the birds won't even come close. I've got a squirrel baffle on one pole, and one of the squirrels happily just sits on it before climbing over it to get at the feeders.

I haven't yet been able to put the squirrel feeders up that I bought. I saw in another thread that you've had success with these feeders. May I ask how far away or close to your bird feeders do you have yours? Do you find that they encourage even more squirrels to come even if they do keep them away from the bird food?

[stormy]

i go for the ones with hard wire cages around them, i think they are round the ones without they just get through and dont get me started on the RSPB squirrel proof feeders, half the time they are not worth the money.
hangone i wil see if i can find a picture of the ones i use......pootles off,

will i get into trouble by not showing a non JC bird shopee lol

http://www.wildbird.org/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=109&strPageHistory=cat

wel that gives you an idea what you can get to help with the problem.

xxxxxxxx

[starlight]

Hi Stormy and thanks :). I've got some of those round caged feeders and, yes, they work as well as the 2 types of guardian cages that CJ's and another company sell. I've got 3 guardian cages. Thing is, I have tons of other feeders, both the tube type and other types, and I can't afford to buy a whole new load of feeders to replace them all, or to buy more guardian type of cages, not that they fit all feeders of all types anyway. Right now, I've got a load of feeders that I can't use because of the squirrels.

What I meant was, that I thought I'd read in another topic that you found you'd successfully dealt with the squirrels by giving them their own feeders (perhaps I misread?) - in which case, I wondered at what distance from your bird feeders did you place your squirrel feeders?

[stormy]

you can try getting some very small chicken wire and doing it yourself, that can work as well.

[starlight]

Is that not a bit risky to birds, in case they catch their feet in it? Apart from which, some squirrels manage to destroy finer metal wire too...

PS - I just realised it wasn't you who posted about squirrel feeders in the other topic, sorry about that!

[Gandalf]

starlight My squirrels have their own feeder and this does stop them from plundering, as they did before. I sited mine where the squirrels enter the garden. Once they realise they have their own and start using it, they will still roam the garden but (hopefully) leave the bird feeders alone - mine did and have.

Cheers,

[starlight]

Thanks, Gandalf, always good to hear of something that has helped :)

I know I keep asking, but I'd like to try to do what might be the wisest - how far from your bird feeders is the squirrel feeder? My squirrels enter the garden from various points and have now discovered an entry point at ground level just a few very short feet from the bird feeder itself... Would placing a squirrel feeder that close to the bird feeder be of any use, would anybody know?

[Butch669]

Thanks to all who posted helpful advice, to feed...others (off thread) have said same, so seems best option.
That said, having spent last few weekends planting up various lilies, dahlias etc, I have decided to use chicken wire as a deterrent. You need to use the smaller mesh, which of course hinders the bulbs' growth...however, I am hoping once they get going I can cut a way through for the plants, leaving the wire in place to prevent digging! Doesn't keep slugs off though...
The nanas remain at risk, as the squirras did manage to nearly decimate all five that survived our globally warmed London winter without any protection, leaving me with stems stripped down, and growing tips eaten...one gorgeous ensete which was a gift from a friend was eaten to the base...I have saved the half eaten stems and which I am trying to propogate (but I know I will fail, yet must try anyway!).
The surviving nanas are now double wrapped in chicken wire. This does damage the leaves, and if you use larger size mesh, the b*****s still find a find through, as well as almost defeating the desired ornamental effect.
I will persevere, as all gardeners do, and as we are lucky to have nesting black birds, wrens and robins, and regualr visits from various tits and finches, as well as the ubiquitous wood pigeons, jays and magpies, a predator is out of the question.
I have found the squirrels will eat some seeds/nuts I leave on a plate near to a tree, just next to some of the nanas, but really go for our kids' uneaten cereal (crunchy crisp or museli are faves) in a grapefruit husk! This regularizes the feeding for the squirrels, and I have found they lap it up within minutes of me putting it out for them.
They are very territorial and we have had various generations nesting in a lime in our front garden, and in neighbours limes for well over a decade.
I have noticed their hunger rises in spring when the young leave the dray and go off looking for suitable snacks...
Unfortunately I fear whatever, and wherever I feed them, I will always have to use chicken wire as a protector of favoured niblets.
Any other advice or experiences welcomed.

[stormy]

copper wire keeps slugs away.

[fruitgums]

What about a bit of reflective therapy? All those free useless CD'S from magazines , placed strategically, might make them think they have to fight off the reflection. Big pop clear bottles filled with water also reflect. Strong dog smells keep the squirrels on their toes, they tend not to linger for too long in a garden where dogs live. Tape a dog barking and play it loudly every now and again. If none of it works at least you'll end up with some very vain squirrels and curios neighbors :D . You might even find the time to do a spot of gardning ;)

[brigitte]

I do enjoy watching the squirrels, although when they eat a whole suet block in a couple of days, or chew through a feeder, then my language gets rather colourful!! There was a squirrel that came into my kitchen via an open window while I was having a nap, and it raided my fruitbowl, taking chunks out of my bananas. not content, it chewed open the plastic wrapper of a freshly bought loaf I had on a nearby worktop.

I thought someone was in my kitchen, and it woke me up, so I went to check, and on doing so I spotted the cheeky squirrel making a run for it out of the window and across the flat roof outside, leaving pawmarks in a newly painted coat rack I'd left drying on the sill!! :D

Pawmarks are still there two years on!

[Kerry L]

Hi everyone
We have had a new female squirrel lately and so far I can only see one baby - a male. He has been playing around the oak tree and performing spectacular acrobatic stunts - perhaps we should enter him for the Olympics. His mum was digging up acorns and he leapt over the top of her from 2 feet up the oak tree - quite a launch! Another antic was to sneak up on Mrs Blackbird then zip past her as fast as possible. Mrs B looked around rather gracefully and you could almost see her raise her eyes to the heavens and tut, before resuming her own agenda.
He has had quite a few problems with the bird feeders. One that his mum has mastered left him scrabbling for a foothold, another with the rain lid wobbled that he panicked. He is good at the nuts, though, once he worked out how to dash through the rose bush. He-man made a DIY anti-squiz device that he was so proud of. Didn't fool the mother squirrel, but Danny Boy got so far up the pole and promptly slid down like a fireman!
Regards, Kerry

[70007]

Do squirrels raid birds' nests?

I only ask because sparrows seem to get very agitated when a squirrel appears in our garden. I thought they were vegetarian.

Maybe, it is just because they are a relatively large mammal, and anything of that size is seen as a threat?

[Kerry L]

Hi 70007
Yes they do. Tis sad, but they egg and nestling munchers:( .
Our birds also go potty - the blackbirds in the hedge seemed to suffer from raids last year. This year we seem to have lost our squizzies, but the sparrowhawks have been around instead to keep numbers down. Ooh another note - the blue tits have left the nest and are in the hawthorns squawking for food instead (thought I'd add this just to cheer everyone up).:)
TTFN, Kerry

[Jandy]

I have considered getting a squirrel feeder, as ours are pestiferous, but am a bit worried, as surely the birds would also be able to help themselves to the peanuts, which of course in summer I wouldn't want to happen in case any ended up being eaten by nestlings. My only peanuts at present are in a wire mesh feeder protected by a guardian - very popular with tits, but nothing else can access it.