Little Daredevils!
During winter and early spring the annual ritual begins with several males jumping through trees trying to win the affections of a single female. It’s lady’s choice as to which of the males she will allow to follow her around until she determines when it’s time to mate. She’ll bear 4 to 6 babies and the male will go about his merry way, leaving her with the children to raise.
No, we’re not talking about people. We’re talking about the Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis. It’s now mating season for one of the most prolific of our outdoor critters and, if one keeps his eyes open, there is a world of natural entertainment available just outside the back door.
The squirrel easily adapts to whatever situation confronts him. The secret to his survival is how quickly he learns the ropes around the neighborhood. If there is no food available the squirrel will travel for miles to find it then set up his home nearby. His nest, called a “drey”, is usually built high up in the trees but if no tree is available the squirrel will build it in the next best thing — an attic. The squirrel is not territorial so many squirrels can easily be found in a single back yard.
He survives by eating whatever he wants to “get into” during spring and summer then stashes even more food away for lean winter months. He washes his food and puts his scent on it so he can later locate where he buried it even under a foot of snow. His natural diet consists of nuts and acorns, bird eggs, small frogs and pinecones, however, he can’t resist an easy meal of store-bought sunflower seeds. He probably thinks the newly-filled bird feeder was placed in the back yard just for him!
The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the most abundant squirrel in Georgia. He has excellent acrobatic skills and can leap more than 20 feet! He can swim for a couple of miles without wearing out. He also has the intelligence to use these skills to acquire anything his heart desires which is, most of the time, the bird seed out of the bird feeder.
Many “squirrel-proof” feeders have been marketed during the past years. Some of them work better than others but, the fact remains, there is no such thing as a truly squirrel-proof wild bird feeder. When that little fellow decides his next meal will be black oil sunflower seed he will eventually discover a way to get it!
You can place a baffle above a hanging bird feeder and it will last as long as it takes for the squirrel to figure out how to by-pass the baffle, which is often jumping directly from the ground or a nearby tree branch. If a feeder is perched on a pole 100 feet away from any tree or overhang he will use the pole as a ladder. Oiling the pole will deter him for the moment and make great entertainment for anyone watching. Unless constantly re-oiled, however, the squirrel will succeed with his mission.
There is a feeder worth mentioning that may do a better job of foiling a squirrel’s plans and offer quite a few chuckles at the same time. It’s called “The Yankee Flipper” by Droll Yankee. It’s battery-powered base literally flings a squirrel off the feeder when he lands on it but does not hurt the squirrel in the process.
Although there are no truly squirrel-proof feeders one can be safe and purchase feeders that are what we call “squirrel-resistant”. For small birds there are feeders with cages around them. The birds can get in but the squirrels can’t — that is if the cage is made of a material that squirrels can’t destroy with their teeth. That doesn’t stop an intelligent squirrel, however, from shaking the feeder so that seed falls to the ground. Large birds, such as Cardinals, cannot fit through the openings of that type of feeder so we provide seed for them by hanging a tube feeder that doesn’t have a surrounding cage. Tube feeders are a squirrel’s ticket to free meals. They chew the openings to make them wider and it’s like playing a slot machine and hitting the jackpot. Good quality tube feeders are made of heavy duty plastic or glass with metal re-enforcements surrounding the openings so squirrels cannot find an edge on which to chew. A few companies that manufacture these quality-built tube feeders also provide a lifetime warranty on them. The feeder is replaced at no charge if it is damaged by squirrels. What a deal! Though the quality feeder might cost a little more than a “cheap” brand it will save money in the long run.
The best defense against squirrels raiding the bird feeder is to allow the squirrel to do what it wants and not worry about it. Purchase only squirrel-resistant good quality feeders with lifetime warrantees. Set out plenty of safflower seed. Many types of birds love it but squirrels do not.
DO feed the squirrels! Squirrel feeders and chow especially designed for them are available. The little daredevils provide a world of entertainment — performing stunts and enacting carefully plotted schemes in their conquest for the coveted sunflower seed.
From The Little
Critters Edition of What's Up, Doc?, Jan & Feb 2002
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