Some large critter just destroyed our squirrel fee... - Page 3

FuzzyFace · ‎03-15-2010

I detest both squirrels and raccons. If I could shoot the last racoon alive that just killed the last squirrel, I'd be happy. They're mean and destructive especially racoons;

I've always had a grudge against squirrels because of the way they either eat all my bulbs or, somewhat less annoyingly and sometimes amusingly, move them around. But if they vanished from the planet, I wouldn't be sorry.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@CamillePwrote:
We have (had!) a wooden squirrel feeder that we set on our deck, outside the gate to the stairs so the dogs can't reach it. It had a gallon-sized glass jar we put shelled peanuts in and lay it down on it side, sliding the neck of the jar into a little wooden "house" with holes on two sides so the squirrels can go in and stuff their cheeks with peanuts and stay dry, and the nuts stay dry, too. A week or so ago, we found some of the wood frame of the feeder chewed off and shredded, like something was trying to get the peanuts but was too big to fit it's head into the holes on the sides. This morning, in broad daylight, we heard some thumping, and our Scottie flew out through the doggie door and raced down to the end of the deck where the squirrel feeder sits, barking. By the time I got out there, whatever had dome the damage was gone, but the glass jar was in pieces down the stairs, and the wooden part of the feeder was even more gnawed on. I suspect coytoes and bobcats would not care for peanuts, so all I can guess is that the culprit is either a porcupine or a black bear! Yikes! Thankfully, we had a plastic jar that fits into the wooden holder, so the squirrels will still get to eat today, but I don't know what to do to dissuade the bandit from coming back other than putting the feeder where the dogs can protect it, but they'll chase off the squirrels, too, which defeats the purpose of a squirrel feeder. Of course, I only feed the squirrels to keep them from stealing the bird seed, so if I stop feeding any wildlife at all, the problem goes away, but I love feeding the birds so I have to divert the squirrels so I am now feeding some big nasty critter! What a slippery slope! It may be time for a motion-detector infra-red camera, so at least I know what I'm dealing with!

@CamilleP Do you have bears around?

CamilleP · ‎03-09-2010

We do, Mousiegirl. I've seen multiple standing deadfalls with their bark stripped from about 7-8 feet downwards, with the claw marks at the top showing what stripped the bark. Bears do that to get the insect grubs that are boring into the wood. Lots of carpenter ant grubs on a standing deadfall means lots of tasty protein snacks for the black bears. I've never actually seen the bears, but the evidence is there.

FuzzyFace · ‎03-15-2010

Jlkz--

I couldn't agree with you more. Whenever I can, I preach the gospel of "don't feed the wildlife" especially birds. It causes them to stay where they shouldn't be and disrupts their patterns of flying south for the winter, etc.

Nobody listens to me but I preach it anyway.

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

@FuzzyFacewrote:
Jlkz--

I couldn't agree with you more. Whenever I can, I preach the gospel of "don't feed the wildlife" especially birds. It causes them to stay where they shouldn't be and disrupts their patterns of flying south for the winter, etc.

Nobody listens to me but I preach it anyway.

Actually no, birds do migrate. Red wing blackbirds by us are gone by October and return in late March/April to our area. Some birds hibernate like robins in a state of torpor (a form of hibernation). They do emerge on warmer winter days here. Feeding the birds is a good thing. While waiting their turns at the feeders in warmer weather they will wander around my backyard looking and eating grubs. I haven't had a Japanese beetle on my roses in at least 5 years.

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@CamillePwrote:
We do, Mousiegirl. I've seen multiple standing deadfalls with their bark stripped from about 7-8 feet downwards, with the claw marks at the top showing what stripped the bark. Bears do that to get the insect grubs that are boring into the wood. Lots of carpenter ant grubs on a standing deadfall means lots of tasty protein snacks for the black bears. I've never actually seen the bears, but the evidence is there.

@CamilleP I know a woman whose bears steal the birdfeeders, literally.

jubilant · ‎06-10-2010

Beware of skunks! If they are sick or rabid they will come close to a house or even a barn where there are dogs and cats. Even the dogs would see the skunk and would not go near it. They either instinctively knew it was sick or didn't want to get sprayed again. They were my sons dogs. In this case, the skunk had to be shot.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

I would definitely get rid of that feeder. Whatever it is will keep coming back and could attack your dog. If you want to keep feeding the birds (I feed them, too, and understand wanting to do that) get a racoon guard to put on your pole. Wild Birds Unlimited has the kind that work the best. They really do work. They will protect your feeders from both squirrels and raccoons.

On another pole, I have one of those squirrel buster feeders, and they work also. I do have a raccoon guard for that pole, too, but it's so close to a tree that the squirrels could jump down on the feeder, so I got the squirrel buster feeder.

I have a friend who came home one day to find a raccoon in her house. It had gotten in through the doggie door. Fortunately it was trapped in her mud room, and she was able to get it out of the house.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

CamilleP · ‎03-09-2010

Well, a week or more after I put up the metal gate, and nothing has bothered the feeder, so I am relatively confident the original bandit was indeed a porcupine. A racoon could climb over that gate, a bear would just rip it off the bungee cording, only a porky would be defeated. Still lots of winter left to go (we got our first snow of the winter this morning) so some beastie or other could still come into the picture, but so far, so good.