Squirrel War I

I was feeling all happy and self-satisfied with myself about feeding the birds and bringing them back to our neck of the woods when the squirrels came out of the woodworks and have invaded the feeders. The question is, is that such a big deal? Well, sort of. I don't mind squirrel and chipmunks when I see them in another context, like in a tree or foraging for nuts and seeds in the woods. However, when I see them sitting on the bird feeder eating all the goodies, suddenly they're not as cute, and I have the urge to take them out forcibly. Mind you, I don't want to kill them because it's not that big of a deal, but they are a nuisance because they have voracious appetites and prevent the birds from getting anything. It might not be so bad if they weren't so greedy.

I decided to try to do something about it, and we'll see how it goes. Something tells me that this isn't going to be easy. First off, I put up a barrier on the branch to impede the squirrel's progress. I also noticed that one of the ways he gets to the feeder is by hanging down with his back claws locked onto the branch, whereby he just drops in on the feeder. So I put a 2 inch PVC pipe over the branch thinking that it would not only prevent him from getting a grip, but might also rotate if he stands on it, thus stopping him from making it over the feeder in the first place.

My final option was to unleash the wrath of our cats, Dusty and Misty, who would take that squirrel out in a matter of minutes. Then again, they'd take out a few birds, as well, so I'll hold off on that one.

We'll see how my plan works out. It's sort of fun in a nerdy way, Man vs. Nature, where Nature almost always wins out.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.