Need some help with squirrels... NOT the usual kind of proble

[Diamondback]

First off, the little critters that have me asking for help are INVITED GUESTS on my property, not pests. If you can't get that through your skull, park your crap and shut your trap and keep your so-called "advice" to yourself. I already nuked my own thread on another site because the bunch of mouthbreathing illiterates failed Basic Reading Comprehension on this point... understand this, anyone who thinks they're gonna come on my property for a squirrel hunt will be dealt with just like any other armed trespasser.

SO, for anyone who actually READ and UNDERSTOOD that... y'all might remember about Lefty, our furry little alarm clock and walking mealtime reminder. The poor little fella's been having some big problems with another squirrel and some Stellar Jays from Hell tying to run him off from HIS spot in our trees and the feeder we put up for him... that other squirrel, who we call Porky, has not been shy about making a pig of himself taking out a quarter feeder-load a day.

First: the stellar jays are both unwelcome and aggressive--this morning I threw a peanut at one and it just grabbed the peanut, then turned around, raised its tail and tried to blast birdcrap at me. I can't shoot them with pellet guns because I don't want to scare our fuzzy little friends.

Second: I don't want to harm Porky or run him off unless there's no other way to protect my little buddy, I just want to teach him to be a better houseguest since Lefty is invited and he's "just showed up."

Third: We're planning to have the deciduous trees in the front yard they're nesting in removed and replaced with evergreens, and I'm thinking to put up some nest boxes for them. Problem is figuring out how to train them to use the boxes and stay out of each other's boxes...

Yes, I know, "squirrels carry plague"--and humans carry Leftism, what's your point? If you have advice to help make our little friends' lives a little more comfortable I'd appreciate it, if you're fixated on "ooh, free meat" kindly keep your advice to yourself thankyewverramuch. Sorry if i'm a little sort, it just gets kinda frustrating when people who No Reada Da Ingless dogpile onto your thread directly OPPOSITE what you requested.

Read More

 

[Nosferatu]

So you want to undo centuries of bred-in animal behavior to protect your semi-domesticated wild animal?

You are the guest in the area, not them.

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[Diamondback]

So you want to undo centuries of bred-in animal behavior to protect your semi-domesticated wild animal?

You are the guest in the area, not them.

There's plenty of yard and food for both of 'em, though. I wouldn't say even "semi-domesticated", as we won't allow entry to the house or physical contact, more like "mostly feral but not above doing a little work for free food."

 

[Heyjoe]

How do you know porky isn't baby momma?

Tree rats.

 

[Diamondback]

How do you know porky isn't baby momma?

Could easily be, or could be Lefty's really a female in heat. Not like I've cornered 'em and scrutinized their fuzzy little nethers to know... bigger problems are 1. the damn birds (a crow just got a long-range bath) and 2. trying to figure out how to get them to use those nice little shoebox-size apartments if I build 'em.


Given the human garbage infesting most of our area's urban and now suburb areas, can ya really BLAME me for thinking squirrels are better company than man people?

 

[L84Cabo]

I. Am. Entertained.

Have you thought about trapping and relocating Porky?

Also, I doubt very seriously that shooting the Jays will scare Lefty. Not that I'm really a fan of shooting the Jays. The Jays may have a nest in the area and they may just be trying to protect their eggs. Or they view the feeder as THEIR food source so they're getting territorial about it. Maybe install a secondary feeder for the Jays with whatever Jays really like to eat.


Also, if you haven't seen the Squirrel Maze Ninja Warrior Course and Walnut Heist videos, they're pretty hilarious and quite fascinating...

 

[johnny bob]

Sorry if i'm a little sort,

No apology necessary

 

[Diamondback]

Good point, @L84Cabo . Good finds, too--might be fun to set something like that up.

I did hose a harassing crow with a squirtgun yesterday and it didn't spook the fuzzball, so that might be an answer for the jays too.

 

[monks]

The only way to end this kind of problem is to stop feeding them entirely. It's not just animals but humans who cause trouble also when there's too much free stuff. Too many animals getting a free handout ends up causing a lot of problems. My wife loves the birds and squirrels, to a point that they were causing property damage. She does not want to stop feeding them, so once we had a dozen or so squirrels causing all kinds of damage I decided it was time to thin the herd. I had to go out when she was gone and thin the population with my fabulous cz452(really a great little pest getter). Now I realize that you don't want to shoot the animals and you shouldn't have to if you stop feeding them. If you want to feed an animal and not have this kind of problem, try a dog or a cat. If you feed them indoors you're sure to only have a problem with that one animal.

 

[K-22]

First off, the little critters that have me asking for help are INVITED GUESTS on my property, not pests. If you can't get that through your skull, park your crap and shut your trap and keep your so-called "advice" to yourself. I already nuked my own thread on another site because the bunch of mouthbreathing illiterates failed Basic Reading Comprehension on this point... understand this, anyone who thinks they're gonna come on my property for a squirrel hunt will be dealt with just like any other armed trespasser.

SO, for anyone who actually READ and UNDERSTOOD that... y'all might remember about Lefty, our furry little alarm clock and walking mealtime reminder. The poor little fella's been having some big problems with another squirrel and some Stellar Jays from Hell tying to run him off from HIS spot in our trees and the feeder we put up for him... that other squirrel, who we call Porky, has not been shy about making a pig of himself taking out a quarter feeder-load a day.

First: the stellar jays are both unwelcome and aggressive--this morning I threw a peanut at one and it just grabbed the peanut, then turned around, raised its tail and tried to blast birdcrap at me. I can't shoot them with pellet guns because I don't want to scare our fuzzy little friends.

Second: I don't want to harm Porky or run him off unless there's no other way to protect my little buddy, I just want to teach him to be a better houseguest since Lefty is invited and he's "just showed up."

Third: We're planning to have the deciduous trees in the front yard they're nesting in removed and replaced with evergreens, and I'm thinking to put up some nest boxes for them. Problem is figuring out how to train them to use the boxes and stay out of each other's boxes...

Yes, I know, "squirrels carry plague"--and humans carry Leftism, what's your point? If you have advice to help make our little friends' lives a little more comfortable I'd appreciate it, if you're fixated on "ooh, free meat" kindly keep your advice to yourself thankyewverramuch. Sorry if i'm a little sort, it just gets kinda frustrating when people who No Reada Da Ingless dogpile onto your thread directly OPPOSITE what you requested.

The Jays in my neighborhood even run the cats out.

 

[Alexx1401]

I too have fed these critters for decades. When I took the time I was able to have some take food from my hand without too much trouble. As for what you are seeing this is going to be VERY hard. Nature is NOT kind to the weak. This way for a reason. I have had to "put down" some of the furry critters who were badly injured. The ones I have here have literally unlimited food. Peanuts are treats, black oil sunflower seeds are kept in multiple locations and there is no end. The animals still have some amazing to watch battle royals. When my Dad was still around he used to laugh at this a LOT. Saying the animals never will understand that in normal times if they do not spread out they would starve. I have made nest boxes for them in the past. Critters took to them VERY fast. It was fun as all hell seeing the little ones venture out for the first few times. So bottom line spread out food. Black oil sunflower seeds are cheap feed for them. The Jays don't seem much interested in them here. So Jays will come after nuts but seem to leave the seeds to the furry ones.
One thing you have to also get used to is feed them and the slower well fed often become food for others. One of mine here I named Barney the Owl. This pic of his is poor since I only see him in low light. He will come to feed on the Squirrels and smaller rabbits which I also feed. This pic is him sitting on a pole one of the exterior camera's in on.

 

[Alexx1401]

The Jays in my neighborhood even run the cats out.

Back when we had a couple cats they learned to watch out for the Jays. Would come down and peck them on diving runs. Was funny as all hell to watch.

 

[Alexx1401]

Could easily be, or could be Lefty's really a female in heat. Not like I've cornered 'em and scrutinized their fuzzy little nethers to know... bigger problems are 1. the damn birds (a crow just got a long-range bath) and 2. trying to figure out how to get them to use those nice little shoebox-size apartments if I build 'em.


Given the human garbage infesting most of our area's urban and now suburb areas, can ya really BLAME me for thinking squirrels are better company than man people?

For chasing off pretty much anything safely air soft. The cheap full auto battery powered jobs I can fire it into my own hand and catch the BB's. So it cant harm anything. Yet it scares living hell out of critters. Dogs, cats, a LARGE Heron that was trying to eat Wife's Koi. Something about them being pelted by BB's that they can't see coming scares hell out of them and can't hurt them or anything else.

 

[Diamondback]

Thanks, guys. I know I can't protect my little buddy forever or from everything--wild squirrels typically only live 10-15 years at best and even if legal we can't domesticate an adult (and mom refuses to take the responsibility of having pets again), I just wanna give him what help I can toward the squirrel version of a long, happy and comfortable life along with whatever exercises I can find to help him get stronger--he seems to be limping and leaning a bit less than a week ago, which is a hopeful sign.

 

[Alexx1401]

Thanks, guys. I know I can't protect my little buddy forever or from everything--wild squirrels typically only live 10-15 years at best and even if legal we can't domesticate an adult (and mom refuses to take the responsibility of having pets again), I just wanna give him what help I can toward the squirrel version of a long, happy and comfortable life along with whatever exercises I can find to help him get stronger--he seems to be limping and leaning a bit less than a week ago, which is a hopeful sign.

If he stays well fed he will not have to get around a lot and may live a long life. I had one for many years that had lost an eye. Had bad scars all over his head, probably from what ever cost him the eye. Made him really stand out. Being well fed he lived for many years at the place and he was one tough fighter. When another would come to do battle he always seemed to be the one left eating while the other would find someplace else to go

 

[Diamondback]

Update: Lefty's still here, haven't seen Porky in a few days. Little fella's getting brave... came and got a peanut off the top of a fencepost within my arm's reach today.

On the other hand, our feeder mysteriously dropped to half-capacity over the past two days... so far we've been running whatever Squirrel Mix Walmart has since it's the only place I can reliably get to with bird supplies. Should prolly check Amazon...

@Alexx1401 Did you name him "Cyclops"? Funny thing, I used to use Airsoft when I was coaching college classmates that wanted to learn to shoot... one of my exercises was to have them deliberately break all of the Four Rules and shoot themselves in the thigh to say "breaking these WILL be painful" without subjecting them to any real danger. (If you couldn't handle the rules with Blue Guns in a classroom you didn't graduate to Airsoft, fail Airsoft and you didn't get to go to the range.)

 

[ma96782]

The only way to end this kind of problem is to stop feeding them entirely. It's not just animals but humans who cause trouble also when there's too much free stuff. Too many animals getting a free handout ends up causing a lot of problems.

I wonder if.....any politician will be reading this?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Alexx1401]

Update: Lefty's still here, haven't seen Porky in a few days. Little fella's getting brave... came and got a peanut off the top of a fencepost within my arm's reach today.

On the other hand, our feeder mysteriously dropped to half-capacity over the past two days... so far we've been running whatever Squirrel Mix Walmart has since it's the only place I can reliably get to with bird supplies. Should prolly check Amazon...

@Alexx1401 Did you name him "Cyclops"? Funny thing, I used to use Airsoft when I was coaching college classmates that wanted to learn to shoot... one of my exercises was to have them deliberately break all of the Four Rules and shoot themselves in the thigh to say "breaking these WILL be painful" without subjecting them to any real danger. (If you couldn't handle the rules with Blue Guns in a classroom you didn't graduate to Airsoft, fail Airsoft and you didn't get to go to the range.)

If you work with them it should not take long to get them to take from your hand. Just checked and Amazon does of course have a ton of food choices for critters. I buy the black oil sunflower seeds from Wally in 40 pound bags for both birds and the furies. The Wally here stops selling them in winter though and I have to move to other places to buy the stuff. Guess many must only feed in the summer or something?

 

[Alexx1401]

The only way to end this kind of problem is to stop feeding them entirely. It's not just animals but humans who cause trouble also when there's too much free stuff. Too many animals getting a free handout ends up causing a lot of problems. My wife loves the birds and squirrels, to a point that they were causing property damage. She does not want to stop feeding them, so once we had a dozen or so squirrels causing all kinds of damage I decided it was time to thin the herd. I had to go out when she was gone and thin the population with my fabulous cz452(really a great little pest getter). Now I realize that you don't want to shoot the animals and you shouldn't have to if you stop feeding them. If you want to feed an animal and not have this kind of problem, try a dog or a cat. If you feed them indoors you're sure to only have a problem with that one animal.

The nice part about where I live now is I have "nature" working the balance here. I fatten up critters who then get eaten by some of the predators. Works great as it keeps me amused watching them and the predators (so far) leave my chickens alone. Had to build an enclosure for the dogs as I was worried about the Eagles that come by since they would take a dog. Crows here have been great for that. They go after the Eagles BIG time when one ventures in. Its a sight to see them gang up on it and harass it non stop till it moves on.