[NatureNS] Squirrel sweet tooth

Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:47:42 -0400
From: "Paul S. Boyer" <psboyer@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Last year we had Red Squirrels similarly empty all our accessible =20
hummingbird feeders.  The squirrels got very bold, and drank the =20
feeders dry right in our presence, even allowing us to get photographs.

The squirrels also gained access to the house through a minor =20
construction defect, and began raiding the kitchen.  They removed the =20=

contents of a large bag of peanuts (in the shell), and moved the nuts =20=

around the house, storing them such places as under our pillows.

Finally the two delinquent rodents were trapped in Havahart=A9 traps =20
(using peanut butter as bait).  They were deported to a wooded area 7 =20=

km away, because I had read that they can return from as far as 5 km =20
distance.  The carpenters were called, and closed the squirrel =20
entrance with quarter-inch hardware cloth, which will even keep out =20
deer mice.

So, my first suggestion for a suspect is the Red Squirrel.  They have =20=

a "criminal record."

=97Paul

On Jul 20, 2008, at 8:24 AM, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:

> David & Alison Webster wrote:
>> Dear All, July 19, 2008
>> While looking for a seldom used kitchen tool today in the basement, =20=

>> I found a long forgotten box of Weinbrand Bohnen (Brandy Filled =20
>> Chocolates) in a polystyrene container. There was a hole chewed in =20=

>> the polystyrene container (top edge of Squirrel-sized hole 2.25" =20
>> above edge of a wooden tray that would serve as a platform) and a =20
>> hole chewed in the corner of the chocolate box.
>>
>> Only 3 1/2 chocolates were missing so the taste apparently did not =20=

>> live up to the odor that presumably inspired the raid. The =20
>> remainder were unfortunately grey with long fuzzy mold.
>>
>> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Talking of creatures with a sweet tooth, I am currently battling one =20=

> which has taken to raiding and emptying my hummingbird feeder every =20=

> chance it gets! The feeder hangs in a tree and several times this =20
> season I have found the recently filled feeder completely empty in =20
> the morning, still hanging from its site, but totally sticky and =20
> grubby with bits of leaf and twiglets all over the outside. One =20
> evening after dark I noticed unusual branch movement and on going =20
> out to check scared away something large (most likely a raccoon - =20
> but it could also have been a porcupine, several of which have some =20=

> of my trees under attack - and the feeder was once again empty. I =20
> have checked that it is functioning normally and not leaking). This =20=

> is a first after two decades of hummer feeding. How common is it for =20=

> raccoons and/or porcupines to go for sugar water like this?
>
> Eleanor Lindsay
> Seabright NS


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Last year we had Red Squirrels =
similarly empty all our accessible hummingbird feeders. &nbsp;The =
squirrels got very bold, and drank the feeders dry right in our =
presence, even allowing us to get photographs.<div><br></div><div>The =
squirrels also gained access to the house through a minor construction =
defect, and began raiding the kitchen. &nbsp;They removed the contents =
of a large bag of peanuts (in the shell), and moved the nuts around the =
house, storing them such places as under our =
pillows.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally the two delinquent rodents =
were trapped in Havahart=A9 traps (using peanut butter as bait). =
&nbsp;They were deported to a wooded area 7 km away, because I had read =
that they can return from as far as 5 km distance. &nbsp;The carpenters =
were called, and closed the squirrel entrance with quarter-inch hardware =
cloth, which will even keep out deer mice.</div><div><br></div><div>So, =
my first suggestion for a suspect is the Red Squirrel. &nbsp;They have a =
"criminal record."</div><div><br></div><div style=3D"">=97Paul</div><div =
style=3D"font-size: 13px; "><br></div><div><div><div>On Jul 20, 2008, at =
8:24 AM, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>David =
&amp; Alison Webster wrote:<br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Dear All, July =
19, 2008<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">While looking for a =
seldom used kitchen tool today in the basement, I found a long forgotten =
box of Weinbrand Bohnen (Brandy Filled Chocolates) in a polystyrene =
container. There was a hole chewed in the polystyrene container (top =
edge of Squirrel-sized hole 2.25" above edge of a wooden tray that would =
serve as a platform) and a hole chewed in the corner of the chocolate =
box.<br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Only 3 1/2 =
chocolates were missing so the taste apparently did not live up to the =
odor that presumably inspired the raid. The remainder were unfortunately =
grey with long fuzzy mold.<br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Yt, Dave =
Webster, Kentville<br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote>Talking of creatures with a sweet tooth, =
I am currently battling one which has taken to raiding and emptying my =
hummingbird feeder every chance it gets! The feeder hangs in a tree and =
several times this season I have found the recently filled feeder =
completely empty in the morning, still hanging from its site, but =
totally sticky and grubby with bits of leaf and twiglets all over the =
outside. One evening after dark I noticed unusual branch movement and on =
going out to check scared away something large (most likely a raccoon - =
but it could also have been a porcupine, several of which have some of =
my trees under attack - and the feeder was once again empty. I have =
checked that it is functioning normally and not leaking). This is a =
first after two decades of hummer feeding. How common is it for raccoons =
and/or porcupines to go for sugar water like this?<