Wither the squirrels....

[garysanfran]

From The Laconia Daily Sun...

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news...7f99b467d.html

[joey2665]

We have had the same situation here on Long Island NY. Just seems to be the natural order of the rodent population


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[webmaster]

I think they're all coming to my house. We have lots of them running around and aerating my lawn. I have 3 regulars that chase each other up and down trees and play for hours. They are really fun to watch.

Almost every day I put out a small bowl of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the squirrels and chipmunks gobble them up. I've seen videos of people feeding chipmunks out of their hands but so far they still run away as soon as I open the door with the bowl in hand. They still don't trust me. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get them to not be afraid of me and realize they're just getting a free meal?

[fatlazyless]

Probably, the local gray and red squirrels have never eaten a Cheez-it original flavor so they will probably not recognize it as food, at first. Could be interesting to see if the squirrels take to the Cheez-it original like the Canada geese and mallard ducks?

A Cheez-it can easily be tossed like a Frisbee with some good accuracy for about 15-30 feet, plus it will float.

[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by webmaster

I think they're all coming to my house. We have lots of them running around and aerating my lawn. I have 3 regulars that chase each other up and down trees and play for hours. They are really fun to watch.

Almost every day I put out a small bowl of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the squirrels and chipmunks gobble them up. I've seen videos of people feeding chipmunks out of their hands but so far they still run away as soon as I open the door with the bowl in hand. They still don't trust me. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get them to not be afraid of me and realize they're just getting a free meal?

Just have patience...they will come around...just make sure no cats are around!

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[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by webmaster

I think they're all coming to my house. We have lots of them running around and aerating my lawn. I have 3 regulars that chase each other up and down trees and play for hours. They are really fun to watch.

Almost every day I put out a small bowl of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the squirrels and chipmunks gobble them up. I've seen videos of people feeding chipmunks out of their hands but so far they still run away as soon as I open the door with the bowl in hand. They still don't trust me. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get them to not be afraid of me and realize they're just getting a free meal?

Chipmunks love unsalted peanuts in the shell. I have always found the key to hand feeding them is to do it at the same time every day, sit low on the ground, no sudden movements, and tap the nuts on a board or rock so that they know that dinner is being served. You will initially leave a few of the peanuts every day on the ground daily to establish the daily pattern.

This isn't something that will occur overnight; it will take a lot of days, a lot of trust on their part (and a lot of patience from you). The younger ones are the ones that are likely to show up first.....

It's fun to watch them take the entire shell and store one after one in their cheeks; then they'll run away to hide them and return for more....

Be sure to have someone hide out of sight and take video of the feeding activity as it is something to cherish for years to come.

[Pricestavern]

They all committed suicide last fall if you recall.

https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...hlight=suicide

[garysanfran]

I'd place peanuts, in shells unsalted, in the yard and then up my stairs, on my deck, closer and closer to my door. Then I'd leave the door open and place a peanut just inside. After about a week, I had them coming into my living room and taking them from me while I sat on the couch....AND THEN!!!

I ran out of peanuts and didn't plan on going into to town for a couple of days...The squirrels went nuts for the nuts!

They started climbing the outside of the house and banging on my windows. They climbed on my screens. They turned mean. They tormented me until I started shooing them away. Never again...

Lesson learned?

In San Francisco, there's a sign in Golden Gate Park... "Don't Feed the Animals"... it's for a reason. They become dependent. They want the "easy" path to food.

I explained this to a San Francisco Supervisor and added that giving free stuff to homeless people, invites more homeless to move there and the cycle will continue until the free stuff stops. One can learn human behavior from that of animals. He called me mean...Huh!

[Biggd]

I remember a few years ago going through a DD drive through window and noticed off to my right a squirrel line up. There were about 10 squirrels all in a row standing at attention. I thought it was odd until the guy at the drive through told me they were waiting for their Munchkins.

[robmac]

Well over the winter I left one car outside(ran out of room) put moth balls in under and around it and the little b****rds ate the mothballs and my wiring harness so I'm looking for some kind of guided device to eliminate them(just kidding). And yes I know they were squirrels from the dead carcasses under and around the car.

[Mr. V]

Originally Posted by robmac

I'm looking for some kind of guided device to eliminate them(just kidding).

Here ya go:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpMRV0r08CI\

(fast forward to two minute mark)

[Woody38]

I'm happy to donate some squirrels. I will trap them and hold for anyone wanting to come and retrieve the furry critters.

Quite possibly placing some coyote or fox urine will deter the li' critters.

_________________________________

I am a retired workaholic and continuing aquaholic

[ApS]

Originally Posted by webmaster

I think they're all coming to my house. We have lots of them running around and aerating my lawn. I have 3 regulars that chase each other up and down trees and play for hours. They are really fun to watch.

Almost every day I put out a small bowl of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and the squirrels and chipmunks gobble them up. I've seen videos of people feeding chipmunks out of their hands but so far they still run away as soon as I open the door with the bowl in hand. They still don't trust me. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get them to not be afraid of me and realize they're just getting a free meal?

I have at least one chipmunk from last year. "Xe" immediately responded to my whistle, so fer-sure I'm a familiar face. Usually, I can count on more than four hanging around the birdfeeder; however, last season, chipmunks were a rarity. There might have been a weasel in residence, which kept them jumpy, and not as much fun.

To encourage chipmunks, carry some sunflower seeds with you—preferably in a fanny-pack, fabric bag, or coin purse—and not in your pocket. (If you value your clothing!) Gently as possible, toss a few near a "prospect".

To introduce myself to a "new" (and likely nervous) chipmunk, I'll put a sunflower seed on my thumbnail, and flick it in the general direction of the chipmunk. They've got a good sense of smell, so they'll hear it land, then locate it—then store it customarily.

After less than an hour of familiarization, they won't leave you alone, and you can have some fun with 'em! Put a few seeds on the top of your arm, and a few between your fingers. One will follow the seeds, and stop to eat them on the back of your hand.
https://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums...2&postcount=29

Here, we set a cardboard box in front of us, filled with Styrofoam™ "peanuts", and added a dozen sunflower seeds. We didn't have long to wait for their fierce sense of "Territory" to set in.