Broad daylight we just caught a thief-vandal on our deck with photos

[Omaha Steve]

We thought it was raccoon that had being doing this to the cushions.

The top photo just above the solar light you can see s/he escaping on the one story up limbs.

We leave the cushions out for the dogs to sit on when were are out there. We need new ones next year anyway, so let them build a warm nest for the babies this winter.

OS

UPDATE with this close up of the escape route:

[shenmue]

1. Eskooze me I skwirel I eat thing

thank u buhbye.

[silverweb]

45. LOL

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]An accurate declaration!

[shenmue]

50. Squee

[Solly Mack]

2. Sorry about the cushions! Maybe he needs the insulation?

Winter is coming.

[PeoViejo]

6. That's what they do with it: line their nests.

I made the mistake of storing bags of foam packing peanuts in the Barn. They seem to think they also make good Insulation.

[Solly Mack]

7. They probably thought you were giving them a gift.

[PeoViejo]

11. I feed them, so it's in the unwritten contract

If it's there, it's fair game.

[Solly Mack]

15. lol! Too true!

You have a great attitude!

I feed birds and squirrels and they will take whatever they want - string, stuffing, shiny objects....even the insides of shoes.

[homegirl]

19. Garden spinner was recently

demolished by a small critter, I suspect the damage was done by a squirrel. Happens about once a year. The squirrels also love bird seed and have been known to bite through the wooden sticks on seed bells and coated nylon cord to knock them to the ground. Very industrious and testy critters.

[Solly Mack]

20. They drive my terrier-mix crazy. He can't stand it when they're in the yard.

I love watching them though. They've learned to eat with the birds and the birds don't seem to mind - too much.

They are industrious.

[KurtNYC]

17. "No good deed goes unpunished."

[CatWoman]

21. ...

[Solly Mack]

22. :)

I thought about that as I typed the words out.

I love that series!

Dire-Squirrels!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Looks like the mobster is installing a cozy new bed for the winter.

[KingCharlemagne]

4. Squirrel is reincarnation of 19th-century Anarchist Proudhon: "All private property

is theft."

Or maybe John Locke: "Possession is 9/10 of the law."

[pangaia]

18. My ex-wife calls them devil animals.

[DeSwiss]

23. :-}

[ReRe]

29. Have you been away?

... Haven't seen you around lately. Sorta missed you.

[DeSwiss]

48. ''Away'' is as good a word for it as any I'd s'pose.....

- And these days, being ''sorta missed'' ain't half bad.....

[pangaia]

30. Yup. that the one.

[irisblue]

43. oh boy....

dog.....dog....outside now......

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

41. I like "Tree Rats".

[katmondoo]

5. I live in a condo with lots and lots of squirrels out side

Last year they chewed the wires underneath my car for nesting material. I now park behind the condo where we do not have many trees. They can be very destructive but they are still fun to watch.

[winter is coming]

8. Guess he wants to make himself a pillow-top nest. n/t

[PeoViejo]

9. I had trouble starting my Truck

It had been sitting for a couple of Weeks. The Air Cleaner had been stuffed with Acorns.

[Jamastiene]

36. I have had that happen too.

I have had it happen on several occasions. I love squirrels. I feed the birds and squirrels and the raccoons just come and take the rest every night. I have to say, for me, the raccoons have been more destructive. They have destroyed a planter, 4 bird feeders, and 2 hummingbird feeders. Now, I make sure to put only small amounts out at the time, so the squirrels and birds can enjoy without destroying things. I throw dog biscuits on the ground for the raccoons so they will still get something without destroying everything else.

[Politicalboi]

39. Why do you put them there

[KittyWampus]

10. Imagine what one of those little buggers would do inside your home >>>

happened to us.

Grandparents closed house and went to Florida, my father went to check house and thought someone robbed the place as everything was torn up but nothing was missing.

Found a dead squirrel burrowed into the cushion of a chair.

[Sunlei]

12. Very cool photos, Squirrel has a warm nest thanks to your pillows

[DebJ]

13. I had that happen once, too. But they didn't bother with the solid foam cushions.

Dumbest thing I ever did was leave a huge plastic bag of bird seed on a porch chair, and forgot about it
for several days.

When I went back out, a chipmunk was sleeping inside of it.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

65. A fat and drowsy chipmunk, lol. nt

[MoonRiver]

14. Squirrels rule!

I love those little critters!

[Sancho]

16. Squirrels know the Polar Votex is coming!!! Get ready or die!!!

They think you're a dumbass for leaving all that great insulation for anyone to take.

[logosoco]

24. Aww! That little squirrel and its family is going to be so warm this winter! Nt

[DesertDiamond]

25. Shocking! The unmitigated gall!

[ErikJ]

26. They also destroy boxes

I think they were the ones who defaced all my banana boxes on my back patio shelf. They left the flutes and inside layer only. I never did catch the little buggers though.

[fizzgig]

27. i feed the squirrels that live in the trees in front of my apartment

we used to keep the peanuts in a cooler on the porch until the little bastards chewed through it.

[GETPLANING]

28. I have a big pecan tree in my back yard

that is home to a colony of squirrels. Never-ending entertainment from these guys.

[oldandhappy]

31. Super

Thank you for the photos, and thanks for donating your cushions for squirrel snuggles. Smile

[zentrum]

32. From the point of view....

...of the squirrel, somebody squatted their metal chair in the middle of her house!

[GoCubsGo]

33. They are destructive, little buggers.

They chewed up the eaves of my house before I had them vinyl-sided. They've gnawed numerous plastic pots to bits. The are always digging up my potted plants. I can't grow tomatoes, because they'll eat the fruits just as the ripen. I lost a half dozen or so bird feeders to them, along with a whole lot of bird seeds. I suppose if I had some patio furniture, they'd shred the cushions, too.

[shraby]

37. Sounds like you aren't feeding them. We get peanuts and dried corn on the cob fairly cheap

and put it out for the squirrels, peanuts in the crotches of the old maple tree and corn on the ground. A few more peanuts where we feed the birds, put out sunflower seeds for all, Jays, Squirrels, etc., safflower seeds for doves, cracked corn for the bunnies and all that like it, a big dish of water they all use (including our cat). We also put out leftover food from our meals for the crows, they'll eat about anything. In the spring we have a mating pair of Mallard ducks that stop by and hit the seeds and water. Sometimes 2 pairs, but they don't get along if they happen to stop at the same time.

All kinds of wildlife and the only thing they've bothered in our garden is the sweet corn last year that was doing really bad because of the extremely hot weather. The squirrels put it to good use and what
they didn't get, we gave them.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

38. The last couple of times I've tried corn, something has totally demolished it

and I'm strongly suspecting squirrels. The first time, all of my seedlings were gnawed through when they were about 3-5 inches tall, so the next round I put in chicken wire completely covering them and let them get about 2.5 ft tall or so before removing it. As soon as their were tiny ears starting up, every single one was attacked, and half the time they didn't even just eat the ears, but also gnawed on the stems. I can't believe I might to have to completely enclose a 6 ft tall section of the yard, including on top if I want to do corn again.

[GoCubsGo]

62. They have plenty of food and water.

I have more than a half dozen mature oaks on my property, so there's no shortage of acorns for them. Not to mention the bird feeders. I also have a bird bath--another thing they chewed up.

[shraby]

66. Our birdbath is the eaves trough on the side of the shed. It doesn't drain properly so Mr.

Shraby cleans it in the morning and we've had as many as a dozen birds drinking and bathing in it. The crows will bring a piece of hard food, drop it in for a minute or so then fish it out and fly away with it. They even take baths from time to time but it's a little small for them, but they don't mind. It's about 14 feet long or so..not sure.

Edited to add.
The squirrels don't bother it at all.

[Jamastiene]

34. I love raccoons and squirrels.

Great post! Love the pictures. K&R

[Ykcutnek]

35. There are about four running around our street from daylight to dark.

Busy little buggers this time of year.

One has a tail bigger than its body.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

40. our thief is stealing the shredded coconut husk

we use to line some of our planters... yesterday he and a couple of his buddies took about 1 coconut each

sP

[uppityperson]

42. What a great photo essay. Thanks for the laugh OS.

[panader0]

44. Will you be able to pick him/her in a line-up?

Don't give me that "they all look alike " BS.

[baldguy]

46. Assholes come in all shapes & sizes.

[littlemissmartypants]

47. Awww. Such a skinny thing and the smallest squirrel cheeks I have

Ever seen! Beautiful.

I love these creatures. They won't eat Cajun peanuts. But they clean up the bird seed.

Thanks for the post, Omaha Steve.

You're the best.

~ littlemissmartypants 🙆

[KauaiK]

49. Applause & Kudos to you Omaha Steve!

[stage left]

51. Squirrels are uncanny.

Once we had one who chewed up most of the lattice work on the porch. Some others would take a bite out of our tomatoes and then chuck them at us. Cheeky devils.

[barbtries]

52. she's making a cozy nest somewhere

lol
what are you going to do?

[MissDeeds]

53. Awww

That is just too sweet...

[fadedrose]

54. Smile . . .

And with my problems, I forgot I could.....Thanks.

[tridim]

55. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I love squirrels.

They're so entertaining.

[Liberal_in_LA]

63. fun to watch

[sheshe2]

56. Great photos of the stuffing thieves.

Thanks Steve~

[BlueJazz]

57. I planted a garden in the back year last year. The squirrels ate everything. I shot them with...

...my weapon, a Nikon D5300.
That will teach those little darlings to mess with me.

[rocktivity]

58. With photographic evidence like that

Last edited Wed Oct 22, 2014, 12:49 PM - Edit history (3)

the squirrel had better hope that the DA offers a plea deal!


rocktivity

[whistler162]

59. Hope you called

[chrisa]

60. Squirrels are nature's IRL trolls

[The Jungle 1]

61. Water

Mr. tree rat might not like that building material so much first time it gets wet. In my patch they will strip the bark from the cedar trees to make their tree houses. Of course squirrels will use anything they find.

[jtuck004]

64. "If you're looking for that ooh-ahh feel, come to Mattress Giant!" < Or Squirrel Giant <G> n/t

[SunSeeker]

67. Fluff happens. nt

[ReRe]

68. Congratulations!

I don't have a patio like yours, so have never been able to catch my little monsters in camera. Thousands of delightful entertaining squirrel stories, but the most recent took a tragic turn. Have cat, hates squirrels. Cat played one to death the other day and brought it into the house thru catdoor. No blood, no fuss... just laying there dead as a doornail. Contracted hubby to remove it from house.

[Arugula Latte]

69. I love me some squirrels.

I feed 'em. They're cute and fluffy, unlike those reptilian birds. Yes I'm a mammalist.

[Moostache]

70. If that squirrel played QB at Florida State, those photos would be insufficient evidence...

It is shameful what the police and administrators of that school have been alleged to do in the last 2 years alone.

As for the squirrel in question, I have found that cats are very skilled hunters...

[davidpdx]

71. It's so nice of them to make mincemeat out of your cushions

I think when you replace those next year you are going to have to think about a place to hide them in the winter.

[allan01]

73. looks like nest makeing time

[B Calm]

74. I had one stealing my black walnuts I had drying out on my deck. Over 4,000 black walnuts was

too much temptation for the guy. I stepped outside and he ran for the first tree. At the top of the tree he was barking to the other squirrels that he found the mother load. One lit package of firecrackers in the fork of the tree sent him flying away, but only to return two days later. So I ended up gathering up all my nuts and have them inside the garage in mesh bags.

[sinkingfeeling]

75. Maybe his wife is expecting and he's making a nice warm baby's room!

[ctsnowman]

76. Thanks for the post.

[Blue_Tires]

77. So are you breaking out the BB gun or the crossbow?

please show the "after" photos when the deed is done...

(spare me your browbeating, DUers -- These vermin pests are systematically destroying my mother's house faster than I can pay the handyman to fix it)