Have your tailed rats appeared yet ? This is where the fun starts.

[Steve_In_Cheshire]

Today is the first day ive seen a Squirrel since last year when we had the warmer weather, since they were last in the garden i have bought a bird table.

I watched one of the little monkeys in the bird table this morning where he was having a mooch, after his mooch he must have just sat there for a good 10 mins doing nothing. Its grey squirrels we get.

Next thing he is swinging on my peanut feeder which hangs just under the bird table, i thought here we go he is going to break this and low and behold he pulled the hanging bar off and the peanuts went everywhere.

I thought, you crafty buggar. Now the thing is i have only been into feeding the birds since Novemeber ish, has anyone got any tips on squirrels as i can see it putting some of the birds off that feed on the hanging seed feeders which are just under the bird table, a tailed rat running up and down the bird table would surely spook them ?

I know the bushy rat has to eat so what do i do ? Do i set up a seperate area to feed him and his mates as i like nature but i have worked hard to attract so many different types of birds and i don`t want the squirrels risking that if you know what i mean.

[tawny girl]

i had this problem last year although initially i was pleased that i had an extra visitor,i then started to worry about my 1st priority,the birds ,but we only had the squirrel for a few weeks and we havent seen him since ,you can get special feeders to stop squirrels climbing up but unfortunately all my feeders are located near something which gave the squirrel an advantage ,i think its one of those no win situations ,im constantly watching my garden for predators including my own cat who i shoo away constantly ,maybe you could try that good luck !

[gillwrig]

I've now got two of them but they seem to spend more time chasing each other around than eating the food.

Although they're brave if they mess with my flock of siskins ... it's getting a bit like that Alfred Hitchcock film round here.

[NickCantle]

We've had Squirrels all winter, bounding about the lane. In fact I have a tail from one of the fresh road casualties. It's hanging on my bed post!

[gillwrig]

Nick.. really ????

[Picidae]

In short: YES! and it was driving me up the wall today. Get them in the summer too but in winter they are particularly tenacious.

Actually, I think it was two different ones today as one had a mangey tail. Anyway, spotted it this morning on the sunflower-'not cheap, so b*&ger off please'-seed feeder. To deter this, and feeling a tad sorry for poor hungry squirrel, I placed a bowl of peanuts on the back doorstep (how generous and how easy can it be?!). It then spent 20 minutes running back and forth with said peanuts, into next door's garden, where presumably, it was burying them for a 'rainy' day (ie. if and when my feeders were empty). It returned to the seed feeders just 25 minutes later and continued to munch, in upside down stretch, completely oblivious to my repeated knocking on the window. (well not completely oblivious, since it was watching me while it ate) Another arrived soon after the first one disappeared, by this time I'd had enough and just left it to the sunflower seeds!

In past few months, squirrels have destroyed two ''squirrel proof'' feeders, hence me now feeding them if I see them. However, the 'panic-buy' mentality with regard to 'storing' peanuts, is just as expensive as replacing feeders or re-topping up with sunflower seeds!

Oh, not to mention all the buds disappearing off my rose bush last week, buds off the apple tree and all the hyacinth bulbs dug up and chewed up.

They do make me laugh though.

[NickCantle]

Yep! Why not? It's not like I was taking it as a harsh act of animal vandalism. I remember at the time, I took it thinking it was a nice way to remember the squirrel that I used to see every morning bounding around

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

We've seen them quite regularly through out the winter. They do seem more active now chasing each other in the trees. I saw this one last weekend.



BWD

[Goatboy]

Originally Posted by gillwrig

I've now got two of them but they seem to spend more time chasing each other around than eating the food.

Although they're brave if they mess with my flock of siskins ... it's getting a bit like that Alfred Hitchcock film round here.

Lol that conjures up some image

[daffy66]

hi steve
invest in a feeder with a cage around it.it stops the squirrels and pigeons getting to your nuts.
john