My war with the furry rodents
I've written about my ongoing battle with the squirrels in my yard. It started when my dachshund decided that at her age, she didn't need to bother with chasing them away. I can't blame her, but that means that now they're my problem. They want the birdseed in my feeders, and aren't shy about making their wishes known.
I thought I had them beat. I'd installed squirrel baffles on my feeder poles, and they did indeed appear baffled. Then one day I saw the pole swaying as a squirrel jumped off the bird feeder. I was flummoxed. How the heck had that animal gotten around the baffle? I went outside, raised the baffle a few inches to make it impossible to access from the ground, and thought I'd fixed their little butts.
Nope. Yesterday I watched a squirrel jump off the feeder when I went outside to yell at it (I might add, not an effective squirrel deterrent). Then I went back in the house and stood at the door, watching the feeder through the glass. Sure enough, about five minutes later I saw how they were doing it: The squirrel would climb the low wall on my patio, clamber atop a hefty pot holding a miniature rose bush, and launch itself through the air onto the feeder.
While I admire their ingenuity, I wasn't about to let this stand. I went out, moved all my pots on the wall far away from the feeder, and feel satisfied I've fixed this once and for all.
Of course, I also felt that way after I bought the squirrel proof feeder (fail--they climbed the pole to get to it), greased the pole (fail--they'd work the grease off, though it was entertaining to watch them slide down the pole in confusion), installed the baffles (fail--they could jump through air) and now, moved the pots.
So we'll see. I just hope those darn birds appreciate all I'm doing for them.
I thought I had them beat. I'd installed squirrel baffles on my feeder poles, and they did indeed appear baffled. Then one day I saw the pole swaying as a squirrel jumped off the bird feeder. I was flummoxed. How the heck had that animal gotten around the baffle? I went outside, raised the baffle a few inches to make it impossible to access from the ground, and thought I'd fixed their little butts.
Nope. Yesterday I watched a squirrel jump off the feeder when I went outside to yell at it (I might add, not an effective squirrel deterrent). Then I went back in the house and stood at the door, watching the feeder through the glass. Sure enough, about five minutes later I saw how they were doing it: The squirrel would climb the low wall on my patio, clamber atop a hefty pot holding a miniature rose bush, and launch itself through the air onto the feeder.
While I admire their ingenuity, I wasn't about to let this stand. I went out, moved all my pots on the wall far away from the feeder, and feel satisfied I've fixed this once and for all.
Of course, I also felt that way after I bought the squirrel proof feeder (fail--they climbed the pole to get to it), greased the pole (fail--they'd work the grease off, though it was entertaining to watch them slide down the pole in confusion), installed the baffles (fail--they could jump through air) and now, moved the pots.
So we'll see. I just hope those darn birds appreciate all I'm doing for them.