Entitled Squirrels

puggymom

puggymom

Active Member
Since the pug is no longer with us, and as much as I loved that dog he has ruined me on getting another pet for a long while, I started feeding the squirrles and kind of adopted them as "pets".
Every morning I stick a large bag of peanuts outside and usually they are gone by mid afternoon. Well yesterday I noticed my kids did not go through their usual 2-3 apples a day and we had some that we looking on the extra ripe side, plus we are out of peanuts. So I chopped the apples up, got all the seeds out, and stuck them in the squirrel bin I keep on the deck. They will not touch them. The bin is still as full as it was yesterday morning. And now they are getting quite rowdy on the deck--I keep hearing all kinds of commotion out there and when I look there are always two or three out there. I think they are demanding their peanuts :ohwell:
 
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aps45819

aps45819

24/7 Single Dad
Sounds like what's happening in Greece

The population got used to "free" benefits and when the government reduced the benefits, the population takes to the street to demand the peanuts be continued.


I'd suggest squirrel stew for your Superbowl party
 
puggymom

puggymom

Active Member
aps45819 said:
You actually thought squirrels would eat apples?
Click to expand...

I thought it would be a nice treat. I guess I do not know that much about the eating habits of squirrels. I mean don't they eat out of trashcans? Or is that raccoons I am thinking about?
 
Katelin

Katelin

one day the dark will end
puggymom said:
I thought it would be a nice treat. I guess I do not know that much about the eating habits of squirrels. I mean don't they eat out of trashcans? Or is that raccoons I am thinking about?
Click to expand...

A bit about squirrels food choices:

Peanuts are junk food..they really are not nuts and are related to beans.
Squirrels are not eating all those peanuts you put out, they are burying them in the ground..and after a few rains, they will rot. $$ wasted.
Dried corn is bad too...is is what we call Critter Crack...all sugar and nothign else.
Avoid feeding this in large quantities.
As we all know some junk food is good, but not as a total diet.

Plus it takes a lot of water to digest the corn.

This time of year squirrels need protein and fat..the perfect food for that is the black oil sunflower seeds. I put mine out on a big platform feeder..That way all the birds AND squirels can eat. And at night the opossums and raccoons come and clean the rest up.

Squirrels love romane lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sweet potato slices, squash, pumpkin, some apple (great source of fiber and sugar). avacado, green beans.

Take an acorn squash, cut in half an put out for squirrels...same with a pumpkin.

Squirrels eat many things in the wild...including bird eggs, worms, bugs, flower bulbs, new tree buds and branches.

They are hoarders, thus the term squirrel, and can find up to 80% of the nuts they hide.

If you want, pick up a bag of nuts "in the shell" at the store (Diamond brand) and put a few out daily. You can buy shelled peanuts pieces at Wentworth and put some out daily. They will eat those pieces. The shelled nuts, they will sit and eat some and bury the rest.

Some squirrels dig fake holes and dash off and dig another fake hole..and dash off and finally bury the nut. This is to confuse any onlookers from finding and stealing their food!!

Have fun feeding them, and yes, raccoons get into trach cans and opossums take advantage of the downed can.

Oh, if you are feeling really rich..buy a dozen carnatons, and lay those out..there is someting in the center of the flower they go crazy over!!!...No idea what it is,but the squirrels sit there, tearing the petels off getting to the center of the flower...Cute!
 
Katelin

Katelin

one day the dark will end
puggymom said:
Since the pug is no longer with us, and as much as I loved that dog he has ruined me on getting another pet for a long while, I started feeding the squirrles and kind of adopted them as "pets".
Every morning I stick a large bag of peanuts outside and usually they are gone by mid afternoon. Well yesterday I noticed my kids did not go through their usual 2-3 apples a day and we had some that we looking on the extra ripe side, plus we are out of peanuts. So I chopped the apples up, got all the seeds out, and stuck them in the squirrel bin I keep on the deck. They will not touch them. The bin is still as full as it was yesterday morning. And now they are getting quite rowdy on the deck--I keep hearing all kinds of commotion out there and when I look there are always two or three out there. I think they are demanding their peanuts :ohwell:
Click to expand...

It is also baby squirrel season..mommas have just had or are about to have babies and are eating for 2-3-4 or 5.!!!
 
puggymom

puggymom

Active Member
Katelin said:
A bit about squirrels food choices:

Peanuts are junk food..they really are not nuts and are related to beans.
Squirrels are not eating all those peanuts you put out, they are burying them in the ground..and after a few rains, they will rot. $$ wasted.
Dried corn is bad too...is is what we call Critter Crack...all sugar and nothign else.
Avoid feeding this in large quantities.
As we all know some junk food is good, but not as a total diet.

Plus it takes a lot of water to digest the corn.

This time of year squirrels need protein and fat..the perfect food for that is the black oil sunflower seeds. I put mine out on a big platform feeder..That way all the birds AND squirels can eat. And at night the opossums and raccoons come and clean the rest up.

Squirrels love romane lettuce, cherry tomatoes, sweet potato slices, squash, pumpkin, some apple (great source of fiber and sugar). avacado, green beans.

Take an acorn squash, cut in half an put out for squirrels...same with a pumpkin.

Squirrels eat many things in the wild...including bird eggs, worms, bugs, flower bulbs, new tree buds and branches.

They are hoarders, thus the term squirrel, and can find up to 80% of the nuts they hide.

If you want, pick up a bag of nuts "in the shell" at the store (Diamond brand) and put a few out daily. You can buy shelled peanuts pieces at Wentworth and put some out daily. They will eat those pieces. The shelled nuts, they will sit and eat some and bury the rest.

Some squirrels dig fake holes and dash off and dig another fake hole..and dash off and finally bury the nut. This is to confuse any onlookers from finding and stealing their food!!

Have fun feeding them, and yes, raccoons get into trach cans and opossums take advantage of the downed can.

Oh, if you are feeling really rich..buy a dozen carnatons, and lay those out..there is someting in the center of the flower they go crazy over!!!...No idea what it is,but the squirrels sit there, tearing the petels off getting to the center of the flower...Cute!
Click to expand...
Thanks! I will definitely be switching to the sunflower seeds then. I have a bird feeder as well, which has a mixed seed-sunflower included, and I have noticed them eating that.
I will try the carnation trick just to see it but that would just be once or twice.
 
Katelin

Katelin

one day the dark will end
puggymom said:
Thanks! I will definitely be switching to the sunflower seeds then. I have a bird feeder as well, which has a mixed seed-sunflower included, and I have noticed them eating that.
I will try the carnation trick just to see it but that would just be once or twice.
Click to expand...

Haha..I only by carnations when they are on sale at Safeway!!

I bet if you check below your feeder..you will find a lot of uneaten smaller seed like the milo and millet...this time of year the birds need more oil and pick out and eat the small sunflower and ditch the rest.

What is funny is to get a nice tube feeder, fill it and watch the squirrels eat upside down!

Take care!
 
doubtfull24

doubtfull24

New Member
The street I live on has probably a hundred squirrels running around my neighbor has a squirrel crossing sign in their front yard lol...
 
huntr1

huntr1

.
aps45819 said:
You actually thought squirrels would eat apples?
Click to expand...
Squirrels plucked every apple on my apple trees a couple years ago. We watched them come out from behind the neighbor's house, cross the road, climb the tree, grab an apple in their mouth and return to the woods behine the house. They did it repeatedly and in 2 days they cleaned the tree of apples.
 
Lilypad

Lilypad

Well-Known Member
Squirrels love Southern States "Chickadee Select" and "Woodpecker Select" too...both are filled w/assorted nuts and dried fruit. Black oil sunflower seeds go for approx, $24.99 for a 40# bag.
Not too many yrs. ago 50# bags of seeds were fetching $9.99.
 
bohman

bohman

Well-Known Member
huntr1 said:
Squirrels plucked every apple on my apple trees a couple years ago. We watched them come out from behind the neighbor's house, cross the road, climb the tree, grab an apple in their mouth and return to the woods behine the house. They did it repeatedly and in 2 days they cleaned the tree of apples.
Click to expand...

Same here. My old house had 2 apple trees that were loaded with apples in the fall, but we almost never saw an apple ripen. The squirrels had generally picked them clean by that point. And our squirrels were not lacking for food - that yard had about 10 mature oaks that put down 50 lbs of acorns every year.

I don't know what's wrong with puggymom's squirrels, there's an obvious attitude problem going on there.
 
puggymom

puggymom

Active Member
I bought the blackoil sunflower seeds and that seems to be acceptable to my squirrels. They love them...and the birds seem happy too.
 
Katelin

Katelin

one day the dark will end
bohman said:
Same here. My old house had 2 apple trees that were loaded with apples in the fall, but we almost never saw an apple ripen. The squirrels had generally picked them clean by that point. And our squirrels were not lacking for food - that yard had about 10 mature oaks that put down 50 lbs of acorns every year.

I don't know what's wrong with puggymom's squirrels, there's an obvious attitude problem going on there.
Click to expand...

The squirrels were working for the deer hiding in the woods....hahahha
 
Katelin

Katelin

one day the dark will end
huntr1 said:
Squirrels plucked every apple on my apple trees a couple years ago. We watched them come out from behind the neighbor's house, cross the road, climb the tree, grab an apple in their mouth and return to the woods behind the house. They did it repeatedly and in 2 days they cleaned the tree of apples.
Click to expand...

They too are working for the deer..who know your online name is "HUNTER" :jameo:






What to stop them?
Take double sticky tape..like for carpet..and wrap the tree trunk...wont hurt them, but will make them think twice about climbing up and stealing your apples!!!
 
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