Squirrels

[Veronica]

Why do people who feed birds get bothered by squirrels? And sometimes even start killing the squirrels. I don't get it.

I feed feral cats (and I've had them all neutered). I also "feed" skunks, blue jays, raccoons and the occasional possum. I see it as one of the hazards of choosing to take care of the ferals in my neighborhood. Yeah, I'll go out and scare off the wild beasties, but killing them... some other beastie will just take their place.

I guess if they used them for squirrel stew or if the squirrels were somehow damaging the house, I'd "get" it. But just to keep them out of the bird food...


Veronica

[sarahspins]

This has always baffled me too.. I just don't get it either.

[PamNY]

Is that common? Most of my birdwatching friends love squirrels. The interaction between squirrels and hawks is fascinating -- we are all thrilled when the squirrels taunt the hawks.

We are in parks, though. It's not a situation where squirrels are raiding the backyard birdfeeders.

[Crankin]

I don't love squirrels and wouldn't fed them, but I wouldn't kill them, either. We had a squirrel proof bird feeder (2 actually), that really worked. They cost a bit more, but was worth it. Unfortunately, we left them at the old house and after 5 years, it's too late to go back and get them.
A squirrel did break my DH's fork on his bike when it collided with him, descending a hill at 40 mph. Well, it broke one side of the fork, right off.

[ny biker]

My experience with squirrels is that they are either really devious or really stupid. They run halfway across the road, stop, then run back so that they are right in front of you as you approach going fast downhill. Why not just keep going?? Why come back at me???

I shake my fist at them.

[7rider]

We feed the birds. We have a baffle to keep squirrels from climbing up the pole that holds the feeder (they don't need to anyway - the sparrows are such messy eaters, they fling more food to the ground than they consume!), but we'd never, ever, resort to killing them.
We do try to scare away the large flocks of grackles and starlings that will drain our feeder in a matter of moments, and we're no fan of mourning doves.
Our issue is purely economical - they are voracious eaters and will drain a feeder faster than our wallets allow us to refill it. (we go for shell-less seed, which is about 3x's the price of regular, but much cleaner and with less waste).
Opening the window. Shouting. Rapping on the window. These we would do (although we recognize that it's like spitting into the wind).
But never kill.

[Veronica]

Economics - that's probably the answer in this case.

Veronica

[sarahkonamojo]

Attracting squirrel, not a problem.
Attracting some cool birds, cool.

Birds can be rodents, too.

S

[PamNY]

and we're no fan of mourning doves.

Do doves drain the feeders as well?

[7rider]

Do doves drain the feeders as well?

No. Not as bad as the grackles and starlings, simply because they don't flock in the same large numbers. Plus, they stick to the ground, mostly (although they do land on the feeder, too).

I just have a bias against them. A friends grandfather, years ago, told me they carried fleas. So I've disliked them ever since. Stupid, I know (I would imagine a lot of birds can carry fleas). But...there it is.

[OakLeaf]

Economics for sure, but also the general PITA factor (who wants to fill all their bird feeders twice a day and haul a 50# sack from the feed store every week?) and the fact that they scare the birds off. People put up a BIRD feeder, they don't want to watch squirrels.

My problem is raccoons. Squirrels don't bother my feeders, thankfully. I've got the 'coons foiled for the time being, but they're probably building a scaffolding that they'll bring out next week...

[spokewench]

No. Not as bad as the grackles and starlings, simply because they don't flock in the same large numbers. Plus, they stick to the ground, mostly (although they do land on the feeder, too).

I just have a bias against them. A friends grandfather, years ago, told me they carried fleas. So I've disliked them ever since. Stupid, I know (I would imagine a lot of birds can carry fleas). But...there it is.

I don't think it is fleas, I think it is mites. And, you probably won't be exposed to them unless the grackles/starlings put a nest on your house.

[badger]

I think the problem some people have with the squirrels is that a lot of the grey and black ones are invasive and squeeze out the indigenous squirrel species. I know that in Cornwall, England, they're systematically eradicating the grey squirrels and re-introducing the native red squirrels.

I know that our native squirrels are being driven to extirpation by these squirrels, too, as they are more aggressive but I'm not sure wiping them out would be the answer, either.

[trista]

I hate squirrels. I wouldn't kill one but I still hate them. First off they drain my birdfeeder in an instant, make a huge mess by spilling the food all over the ground (thus planting weed seeds), and they tear apart my feeder.

We have beautiful birds here, of all different colors. The squirrels scare them away. I want to see the birds, not the ugly squirrels.

I hate bunnies too. They ate everything in my garden when i first planted it. I put up an electric fence to keep them out.

[Norse]

Opening the window. Shouting. Rapping on the window. These we would do (although we recognize that it's like spitting into the wind).
But never kill.

I make a fool of myself shouting, rapping on the windows ... and, it used to work. Now, the crows and squirrels just look at me with an amused look and keep eating. I have to physically run out there and chase them off, but I would never kill them, unless I wanted squirrel stew.