The Squirrel Wars continue -ethics question

[Inchworm]

Found this from US Fish and Wildlife Service.

http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/prob.html

Squirrels (as a feeder nuisance)

Just about any yard that has trees, is a yard with squirrels. If you feed birds, sooner or later, squirrels will cause problems.

Squirrels will eat your bird seed and, when they "feel" like it, damage your feeders.

That is, unless you use safflower seed. Put it in any feeder. Hang it anywhere. Squirrels don't seem to like safflower, yet.

You can "squirrel-proof" any feeder by putting it on a pole with a baffle (the underside lathered with Vaseline and hot pepper) about ten feet from a squirrel-jumping off point.


My questions is...

Is Hot pepper and Petroleum Jelly a little harsh?

:shrug:




In other news: I am on the front lines here! The only birds coming to my feeders are hummingbirds because every time I put seed out its gone in a few hours. Squirrels are evil.

[BarenakedLady]

1. Well

You've tried just about everything else.

The hot pepper won't kill or main them.

The critter softy in me feels a bit bad, but the birds need to eat too!

[Inchworm]

3. I am the softy it seems

I do this terrible thing in my head I call "scenario thinking." :D

Squirrel goes to eat - gets cayenne on hand - bumps the baffle in the confusion - dogs alerted - squirrel rubs eyes and says "I better scram!" - squirrel shrieks - dogs give chase - squirrel runs into the oil barrel with eyes burning intensely - dogs catch squirrel - I witness all this carnage - my doc says I need therapy - my wallet says "oh crap! - I sit in gloom having seen the atrocity I have caused - beer.

I could go on but.. umm.. I don't want to appear CRAZY!

:silly:

[BarenakedLady]

5. Too late

:hide:

[Inchworm]

7. Not quiiite crazy yet

I like to dance on the boundaries though :D

haha, now you hide :loveya:

[skygazer]

2. You cannot have pity for the squirrels

The squirrels will show you no pity. Have some backbone! If you can't fight them over here, we'll have to fight them over there. Or something. If the squirrels eat your birdseed, the terraists win.

Why do you hate America? :grr:

[BarenakedLady]

4. Indeed

I'm pretty sure Inchy is a freeper troll...

*psssst he doesn't wear pants....shhhhh*

[Inchworm]

9. It's on now!

My pants I mean. How about you?

:D

[BarenakedLady]

24. What pants?

:shrug:

;)

[Inchworm]

26. I bet you save a lot

on laundry soap in your condition :)

:P

[Inchworm]

6. I can see where this type thinking

may have holes in it.

Although I did try diplomacy. They did not understand GTFO! I posted guards in the hot zone who knowingly could not catch the elusive enemy. hmmm...

:hi:

[skygazer]

10. Diplomacy doesn't work

You need to launch a pre-emptive strike. It's the only way. Don't you watch Fox News?

[Inchworm]

14. You have a point

I did hear some reports around the water cooler about some mega-weapon the squirrels were developing. I should send in inspectors I guess.

:nuke:

[pitohui]

8. not only is it not harsh, i've heard reports of squirrels who ENJOY the hot pepper

think about it, it's a nice spicy change of pace!

petroleum jelly works better to keep down the ants than to keep down the squirrels

i don't bother to smear the baffle with this mixture but you do have to have a GOOD baffle and also have the pole some good distance away so the squirrel can't just jump onto the damn feeder

[Inchworm]

15. that sure makes it easier

to decide.

:hi:

[Arugula Latte]

11. I don't understand why poor squirrels are so despised. I like them better than the birds.

Give me cute furry mammals over feathered mini dinosaurs any day ...

[pitohui]

16. they take more than they can eat at the time

the issue with squirrels is that they eat more than their fill, remember those stories about squirrels who take away seeds and nuts and bury them for the winter? well the squirrels remember them too

people on a fixed income often can't feed the squirrels and the birds too, it just gets too expensive, most birds eat what they need but the squirrels are just damn greedy

people who are older or housebound get frustrated when the plan is to bring something beautiful into their window and instead it's just squirrel squirrel squirrel taking everything, and grackles are pretty bad too at times if you ask me

[Inchworm]

23. Hit the nail on the head

It was cool at first. Squirrels and birds frolicking etc... then after devouring $30-$40 worth of seed in less than a week, I had to regroup.

If it was practical for me to feed the squirrels I would, but if they are just going to scarf up the corn then eat all the seed whats the point.

:D

[Inchworm]

17. They eat too much

I tried being nice and feeding them out across the fence past the feeders. They can clean out 2 feeders in 3-4 hours.

:hi:

[skygazer]

22. Squirrels are pests

When people encourage them to come around by leaving food for them, they tend to stay around, nesting in attics and crawlspaces, chewing on things which is obnoxious (noisy when it's wood) and dangerous (they chew electrical wires). They are difficult to eradicate once they get in.

"Cute" is immaterial in the wild. Squirrels are wild animals. They carry ticks and fleas and can carry disease and they will bite if people get too close or try to feed them by hand.

We don't do wild animals a lot of favors by feeding them. What we do is reduce their ability to fend for themselves, lessen their natural caution around humans which serves as a protection and bring them closer to traffic and other dangers. I don't feed birds or any other wild animals - I enjoy watching them in their habitat and I beleive that's where they belong and are happiest.

[DainBramaged]

37. (Sigh) I had 12-15 last winter, only 2 this winter

They get their own feeder (sunflower and peanuts) they didn't bother the bird feeders. And I just couldn't figure out why they were disappearing until one morning I saw one of these guys in my tree.







I guess Squirrel salad is an understatement now?

[Deep13]

12. Considering a lot of people will just shoot them,...

...non-toxic repellants are not excessive.

They keep getting into mine.

What birds like safflower?

[Inchworm]

19. Safflower

Safflower
Safflower seed is readily eaten by cardinals, grosbeaks, sparrows, and doves; starlings, house sparrows, and squirrels usually find it less appealing than sunflower seed.

http://www.audubon.org/local/cso/outreach/selecting_seeds_brochure.pdf

:hi:

[matcom]

13. feed them too!

yup they won't touch safflower.

so.....

we feed the birds (several feeders) safflower and I made a squirrel feeder out of a piece of wood with drywall screws sticking up. buy corn cobs and screw them onto the screws.

everyone will be happy

[Inchworm]

20. I've asked this

How long will one ear of corn last amongst 5+ squirrels? If they devour it like they do seed, I couldn't afford to keep it up.

:shrug:

[matcom]

28. gawd corn cobs are DIRT cheap

something like $2 for about 10 of them!

look at feed stores if you have them in your area. not as expensive as you might imagine. I love the little buggers

on edit: ONE of the reasons I like them is because of their smarts. Trust me. There is NO SUCH THING as a squirrel proof feeder. I LOVE the fact that frankly, they are a LOT smarter than WE even are. It fascinates me.

[Inchworm]

29. I'm totally facinated by them too

I know the cobs are cheap but if they eat 5 cobs an hour. :D

I'm probably going to go with cobs and pepper on the baffle. It just seemed mean to me with the hot pepper, but I guess its safe.

[stuntcat]

25. yah animal equality

I feed everyone, squirrels and birds eat together now, no fighting. It's something I budget in but I guess if I was spending less and just wanted to feed the birds then I'd be bothered. I like them all though, I got squirrel/bird Peace.

[Gormy Cuss]

18. Squirrels and cayenne, good mix.

They do hate the stuff. Must be pure, hot, powdered cayenne or equally strong pepper. Your domestic critters won't like a snootful of it either.

Squirrels and greased poles or baffles, also a good idea. It frustrates them to no end. Add to that a conveniently placed squirrel feeding station away from the bird feeders and they'll take the hint, at least for a while.

Cayenne and a squirrel proof feeder are the only way I managed to control them. I do put out corn cobs for them in the late winter when their food sources are scarce.

Count yourself lucky that you don't have deer chomping on everything. When they're hungry they're destructive buggers.

[Inchworm]

21. Looks like that is the route

I am probably just overthinking the results hehe.

:hi:

[ChickMagic]

27. You can buy bird seed with pepper

Birds love it, squirrels hate it.

[Inchworm]

31. I'll look for it

Thanks!

:hi:

[ChickMagic]

44. I hope you can find some

It's pretty effective. Rather than just throwing in peppers, they soak the seed in pepper juice, so the crafty squirrels can's sort out the good from the bad.

[Bunny]

30. Shakespeare said: first we kill all the squirrels.

Would you second-guess The Bard?




:D

[Inchworm]

32. Indeed I would

hehe

:P

[laylah]

33. I had the same problem with squirrels

until I got one of those squirrel feeders with the arms? you put field corn on each arm and it goes around. Squirrels love it and they are so cute to watch. jmvho. Another thing is to put lots of cayenne pepper in the feed. Birds cannot taste it but the squirells and 'coons certainly can.

[Inchworm]

41. Thats a good idea

on squirrel feeder. At least they have to work a little :D

:hi:

[qdemn7]

34. Twirl a Squirrel

Is the answer. http://www.birdquest.com/twirl.htm

[Inchworm]

42. saw that hehe

neat stuff :)

:hi:

[sarge43]

35. I've often thought of calling the NH Air National Guard

and asking if they could send over a couple of A-10s -- messy, noisy, but effective.

We have our collection of tree rats pretty well flummoxed. Feeder on a seven foot tall PVC pipe, shield right under the feeder and the pipe wrapped with wire attached to a 9K volt solar charger. Himself says they'll try a catapult next.

[Inchworm]

43. lol

They are TOO dang smart. Be wary; they are just regrouping.

:hi:

[sarge43]

45. I heard they're buying up all the available ground-to-air missiles, too n/t

[SacredCow]

36. Hell NO!!!!

Yeah, they can be cute when they play but overall they are nuisances.

I had to replace multiple sections of the eaves on our guesthouse because the squirrels decided to start gnawing it. Unfortunately, the structure is of redwood, and it ain't cheap anymore. THEN, one of the little bastards got in the crawlspace between the 1st and second floors and died, but not before he chewed through a PVC drain pipe. Cut to a week later, I've got the stench of dead squirrel AND water damage.

Personally, I assassinate them whenever practical.

[Inchworm]

46. They can do some damage

I have been reading a lot about that as I plan for war.

:hi:

[dembotoz]

38. just saw a squirrel catapult video

It had a baited bowl and when the little rat crawled in, the thing was triggered and it quickly became Rocky the flying squirrel. Very funny in an evil kind of way.

[Inchworm]

47. Was too mean

I must admit. I do flash back to the video in my head when I'm screaming at the squirrels :D

:hi:

[Tyler Durden]

39. Shepherd's crooks work for me.

4 of my feeders hang on 2 double shepherd's crooks. The squirrels can't climb the metal.

The other feeder they can reach, but we overfeed them so much on stale bread, leftover or moldy veggies and stale breakfast cereal that they don't seem to go to the feeder that much. When they do, the Cardinals and the Jays chase them off.

The birds are the big wasters: they throw the seed out and around until they get to their favorites. I fill the feeders twice a week; that's it. After that, it's feed off the ground on the spilled seed.

[Inchworm]

49. Thats how it was here

the squirrels would eat the droppings from birds. Then they went on a great offensive. :D

:hi:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

40. Hot pepper and petroleum jelly seems harsh

Oh, you mean for the squirrels?

:rofl:

Yeah, it's not unethical, it's just a battle of wits. Not that squirrels are all that smart, but they are persistent as hell.

Someone mentioned shooting the squirrels. Then roast slowly over a low fire, baste occasionally with hot pepper and petroleum jelly. Mmmmmmm.

[Inchworm]

50. persistant

I like that better than "they are smarter than me."

:hi:

[BarenakedLady]

48. So...

How's it working out?

[Inchworm]

51. I think the squirrels are in a meeting

There is a ceasefire atm, no attacks. I cant wait to see what they've drawn up.

oh.. btw..

flirt- flirt- flirt :loveya:

:hi:

[BarenakedLady]

52. I'm sure they aren't planning anything...

hehehe

:hi:

[Inchworm]

54. Sound the alarm!

:rofl:

[Q3JR4]

53. Squirrels are just rats with better PR.

:hide: