squirrel and bird seed

16 years ago

Hi every one, i hope it is ok to post this here,it has nothing to do with WSing,but it is so funny i thought you would all enjoy a little chuckel while waiting for spring.

We have about 50 squirrel in our yard[we live in the woods]over the years we have tryed several things to keep the critters out of the bird feeder, but they are VERY smart,and have alwasy found a way to get the seed, even bringing in recruits to study the situation,last year we connected electric to the post,a very small amount[my hubby is an electrician,he knows about stuff like this]we placed a dome below the seed, and for a whole year the little guys would climb up the pool,stop,listed,and jump down, all we could figure is they could hear the current?They never could figure out how to get up there, it was so fun to watch, they would sit under it , walk around it, sit, and walk around it again, we always put out food for them also,and they do get what falls to the ground,but they wanted to sit in the feeder like it is a smorgasbord put out for just them.For the last week, we have noticed that they have been in the bird feeder,doing just that,sitting and eating,we have so much snow we could not get to the electric cord to check it,although it was still pluged in, we assumed it was still ON.Wrong!This morning my hubby went out to fill the feeder again, and as we are getting rain now, the snow is melting and what do you think he found???????

The squirrels had dug under the snow and chewed the cord in half,ha ha ha

It took them a whole year, but they did it!Now they sit up there and laugh at us,every time we open the door they run a few feet,but come right back, and laugh!Great entertainment for a lousy day inside,keep warm,and keep smiling.Carol

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Comments (8)

agirlsgirl
16 years ago
That is so funny! They are smart little buggers arent they?
dorisl
16 years ago
wouldnt they get zapped when they chewed it? I guess they drew straws for a sacrifice?
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just1morehosta
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh,I for got that,it was still pluged in at the base,but not at the outside outlet, snow and ice must have taken care of that,other wise i am sure they would have got shocked a little,so much snow we did not notice it,but they knew enoght to chew through the wire.They are so smart it is not funny.We ahve gray,red and black squirrel out here,black being our favorite,they look like cat,s.
kqcrna
16 years ago
Stupid tree rats. They deserve to fry.

My husband even bought me an expensive metal "squirrel proof" feeder. Took the tree rats about 10 minutes to get at it and have their smorgasboard.

Between squirrels, chipmunks, voles and all the other critters who seem to love my yard, I've given up on birdfeeders but I do plant flowers for them. The only birdfeeders I use now are hummingbird and goldfinch (black niger seed). The tree rats don't bother with those.

Karen
tosser
16 years ago
Nice story, Carol! Squirrels are such smart little creeters. I'm also partial to the black ones - so beautiful.

At my old house there was a spot where the TV cable hung only about 12' from the ground, and one squirrel in particular used to spend the better part of his day running from the top of the fence to the garage roof to the top of the power pole. He'd hang out up there surveying his domain (he was quite bossy) until my dog came outside and then he'd shoot down that pole onto the TV cable and run until he got to the low spot in the wire.

Dog would, of course, stand directly underneath Squirrel, barking like crazy, with Squirrel scolding and chattering like there was no tomorrow. The more agitated Squirrel became the more that cable swayed and the more it swayed the more excited Dog got. I used to yell up at Squirrel that he was an idiot and that he was gonna be sorry one of these days. God knows what the neighbors thought.

Anyway, I named the squirrel Charlie Bronson because he obviously had a deathwish.
just1morehosta
Original Author
16 years ago
ya know, when we first built our home out here,i was surprised there were so few wood land critter's but each year we get more and more,we have a flock of migrating birds that come through each spring,i think because of the pond,i know a lot of people do not like the squirrels,but if given the chance,they are quite fun to watch,we also have 9 bull frogs in the pond and boy are they a hoot!You get to love each and every one,no one is allowed to try to CATCH my froggies,it is their home.I have a couple that let me hand feed them. I hope your Charlie stays aroung a long time, for you and your dog, gives him somrhing to bark at,they gotta have their entertainment too.:0)
stage_rat
16 years ago
I had the most fun with my squirrels when I got to watch them slide off the feeder pole! I don't want the squirrels to eat my tomatoes, so I don't want to feed them all winter. I made a little platform and put it on top of rebar I'd put into the ground. I placed it far enough from the roof and a tree that they couldn't jump onto it. They climbed the rebar very easily, so I greased it with Crisco. Oh, that was so funny! each squirrel would get a couple of feet up, start sliding, then turn around and jump down. Some tried climbing a nearby shepherd's crook in hopes of jumping from there to the feeder, but their paws were so greasy, they slipped off of that!

After a day or 2 of that, I thought they gave up forever. Actually, they knew when the Crisco got dirty enough to be sticky, and there they were in the feeder again! I used vaseline for the second dose, as I don't think it will get sticky like that. I've had the feeder in place for about 9 months, and only had to apply grease twice--I'm happy! Hosta, I researched how to give the squirrels a gentle zap, and couldn't find a good way. It's nice that your husband knew how to set that up.
just1morehosta
Original Author
16 years ago
Stage rat,don't be surprised when they show up with a saw!I will ask my hubby how he did that and let you know, it was real easy i do that much.Every thing in nature is fun to watch,you just have to slow down ,breath deep. and share.
I like the little critter,s, but i do not want them eating all our goodies either,i planted about 200 tulip bulbs when i first moved out here, they ate them all,i didn't know about such things,,THEN.:0)
Every one as cold as we are?-14,wind chill,Really.

squirrel and bird seed

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agirlsgirl

dorisl

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squirrel and bird seed

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dorisl

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