Interesting how each situation is a bit different. We have a partially wooded back yard and tons of squirrels, probably because my wife feeds them and the birds each morning. They rarely dig into the lawn, though. I don't like trapping because what happens if there are babies in the nest? My new neighbor is a fireworks fanatic and lit off a bunch of large fireworks when he first moved in. The next day about 5 of our regular squirrels had burn marks on them and one was maimed so bad he looked shell shocked and couldn't walk right. We let the guy know what happened and he stopped lighting fireworks in a wooded area. We had a family of foxes move in to a neighbor's yard a couple of years ago and while they do scare off the squirrels, they don't get rid of them. BTW, foxes will not attack anybody, dogs, etc. They just want to eat squirrels and chipmunks. Of course the wife is feeding the foxes now so they don't go after the squirrels. I disagree with doing that but she doesn't listen to me, lol. They got mange so we fed them a course of medicine, but other than that I think nature should be left alone.

Squirrels can live at least 17 years in captivity. I think I read somewhere they live about 7 years in the wild. Reminds me of the white alligators that were found down in Louisanna some years ago. There were a couple of them at the aquarium there in New Orleans and I got to see them. They sent them to various places to live when they found them, because they knew they would not survive in the wild. Really interesting. Glenda

Rabbits don't like us humans to redecorate 'their' areas. Even when I rearrange my pet bunnies' room (they have the run of the screen porch,) they have to remark everything (chin rubbing) and will try to move things back. Teeth don't work well for hauling, so it's easier to just nip some things to try to get them to move. Also, bunnies teeth keep growing, so they chomp just to wear the teeth down. And bunnies love a project! Once they decide to start in on that new wallpaper, or new sofa, or new pine tree, they will go back again and again. That's why mine are no longer allowed in the bedrooms. They love to sit and pull carpetfibers out of the backing and will sit and pull fibers till they have a bald spot in the rug, in an OCD kind of way. So, I always plan to protect all new tree purchases when they are being planted in places where bunnies have nested in my yard. Wild bunnies think all new trees must be re-arranged too! Easiest for me is chicken wire around a tomato cage for support.

Am I in trouble if I have a couple squirrel box houses in my trees, and a swinging bridge for them to cross back and forth on? hahahahha I had seen a squirrel with just a nub tail in the area, and for a few years, I often wondered if it was the same one, or possibly a passed down defect. I saw it so many times I am not sure it was the same one. Also it seemed smaller one viewing to another. Maybe I just have a cat in the neighborhood with a TAIL collection. There is also a squirrel a few blocks a way that is a red type, but 3/4 white/grey. I have seen it a few times.