Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for April 23, 2018

all i can say is: That’s Nuts.

Proving the effectiveness of a wall, no matter the cost.

There is not such thing as a squirrel proof bird feeder. With a bird feeder it should be close enough to shelter birds from birds of prey. The only thing I’ve found that works is to put enough peanuts on the ground that the squirrels don’t bother with the bird feeder

Baffles on a tall steel pole. The can’t get by the baffle. Make sure there are no paw or claw grip. Put them (I have four on the pole) under the eve about 8 inches from the window so the cats can see them up close, and the squirrels can’t jump from the roof…..I’m a veteran of the Squirrel Wars.. Baffles also frustrate raccoons (Trash Pandas!), also. There are NO bear proof bird feeders, however

That drives him squirrelly! ;-}

My golden retriever used to be great at keeping squirrels away. Now he’s so old and sleepy, the critters basically use him as a springboard to get to the higher feeders.

Try garden gnomes with frickin’ laser beams.

You have to feed the little darlings as well. It’s called the Stockedhome Syndrome.

One slingshot later and they are having GRILLED SQUIRREL FOR DINNER

No need to overreact, dude. Your backyard doesn’t need to be another Philly coffee shop.

I use 4 6-port feeders in cages plus dome covers. Works really well for small to medium birds. Drives the fuzzy tailed rats crazy so they generally quit after a dozen seedless tries. Anybody with brains would need only 2 tries. The down side, cages do not allow cardinals and similar size birds. On the plus side, an enterprising red-head woodpecker has found it can hold the bottom grid and get head and long beak through to the bottom seed port. Truly fun to watch.

Mix pepper with the bird seed. It doesn’t bother the birds but it teaches the squirrels to stay away.

We have simply surrendered. At our feeders, squirrels and birds share nicely, and the bushy-tails provide endless entertainment. Of course, we feed everyone that comes by, including a ’possum who stops at the cat feeder at night.

By providing family Sciuridae with intellectual stimulation and puzzles to solve, we are providing them with the evolutionary whetstone they need to succeed us as the planet’s dominant species after it recovers from the death throes of Homo sapiens.

We feed both in our window box. Our dogs let them know when it’s time to leave.

I have one of those metal feeders with a spring-loaded perch, that closes when anything too heavy is on it (squirrel, three jays, etc.). The squirrels have learned that they can sprawl across the top, and reach the hole where the spring attaches, and get a seed at a time through that. Beats them emptying a 5-lb feeder in two days. Or, they can just wait underneath for the sparrows, cardinals, titmouses, and so on, to throw the rejected milo and millet to the ground. At times it was raining seed, until I started paying an extra five bucks to spring for the premium mix.

But those are MEXICAN squirrels!

No problem, let them in. However, when they build a nest in the attic or build a nest on you exhaust manifold and you car goes up in flames, won’t you just love those squirrels??? been there, had that happen.

How I solved it: 1/8" stainless steel aircraft cable from roof eave to fence. Feeder hung from pulley, with a light line for retrieving it for refilling. Squirrels find it impossible to get a grip.

Yeah, don’t call in the National Guard. They’ll just eat up whatever you’re grilling and leave the squirrels where they be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4sZSsNmGGM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY9Yf26J4ZM

Don’t think even the National Guard can handle an invasion of squirrels.

When I was a kid, we had Lots of squirrels. They were so fearless they would walk right up to you and take a pecan out of your hand.Well, until we adopted a nice Hungry Tomcat.That cat really Loved a nice Squirrel for lunch. After about 6 months, the Squirrel population was down to almost None.