Stealing The Squirrels

[mylittleyumyum]

Some grey squirrels have decided to grace the garden with their presence. The kids are delighted. They seem to have been attracted by the bird feeder in the garden at Number 16. We are at Number 12.

The woman at Number 16 is horrible. There's a whole other story there.

Anyway, Cyril and Sorrel scamper along the back fence, collect their shelled nuts, then return to the tree at Number 10, sometimes stopping off en route to bury one or two on our lawn and in our planters.

In the absence of nuts, my kids scattered some hamster mix on the grass. Some guinea pig pellets were also trialed. Nothing seems to beat the nuts at Number 16 though. Not that I'm petty.

When my shopping delivery arrived yesterday, it included monkey nuts. Seems silly to have the squirrels run so far from home when they can dine here...certainly not done out of pettiness.

DH popped a shelf up in the corner of the fence between ourselves and Number 14. Added monkey nuts. Waited.

THEY RAN RIGHT PAST!!

After several trips Cyril finally showed some interest. He stopped and regarded the nut-shelf. From several angles. He wouldn't set foot on it. We adjusted the height. Still no joy.

Today, the nuts have been replenished after the magpies helped themselves. Cyril and Sorrel have yet to begin their day.

It's like a kick in the teeth watching them scamper past our nuts to indulge in the nuts from along there. What has she laced them with that keeps them coming back?

They obviously find our garden safe enough, despite our cat. They run past/over her, stand in front of her on the fence until she gives way, and blatantly ignore her when they are digging up our lawn.

Perhaps I need a Superior Nut? A more challenging dining experience?

Apart from "Stop being petty", does anyone have any squirrel-stealing advice?

Yours, in all seriousness
Number 12

Squirrels - they're a law unto themselves. The squirrels in our garden are very fond of bird food, particularly if sunflower seeds are involved. Monkey nuts they can take or leave. and will only eat them if there's nothing else.

They also seem quite fond of strawberries, raspberries, and crocus and tulip bulbs, but that's a different sadder story...

I used to have a three legged squirrel with half a tail in my garden. He could move around fine. Monkey nuts he wouldn’t touch but I’ll never forget the day I brought a cheese toastie out to eat in the garden, turned round to grab my cup of tea, and see Tiny Tim belting up a tree with half of my sandwich.

Once I got over the shock I shouted out to him ‘please be careful Tiny Tim it’s just come out of the Brevil!!’

Poor mangled Tiny Tim. Although the three legs thing confused me for a minute, because they have their two little arms and then two legs. But I guess you don't mean that he had an extra appendage...

Oh and actually, OP, if you have a cat then that may well be what's putting them off (besides not enjoying monkey nuts). Ask No.16 to put out tuna to lure your cat away, then a cheese toastie in your own garden and you're sorted!

It was a missing back leg, I think he may have had a run in with a cat when he was a baby. Honestly though it barely hampered him at all!

Oh Tiny Tim, my heart.

Okay, I have furnished the shelf with some blueberries. I am really in the mood for a cheese toastie now, so I shall have one for lunch, and leave a little for the squirrels.

Our squirrels come to the kitchen to be fed, even bringing their young

I see you your 3-legged squirrel with our 3-legged, one eyed squirrel, and raise you our one-legged blackbird.

We have a few squirrels, and they're mostly happy with monkey nuts. However, Mabel, the earless squirrel really tugged at our heart-strings so we bought a pack of nuts in shells from Aldi - walnuts, hazel nuts etc, as a treat. She now turns up her nose at the monkey nuts and goes mad for the others - worth a try? (disclaimer - the critters in our garden are spoiled utterly rotten)

I want squirrels in my kitchen too! Not sure DH would agree... Fancy Aldi nuts eh? I'm willing to give this a pop. Neither of them have made an appearance today, maybe they can smell my desperation...

I think they just see monkey nuts as like the Quality St or Celebrations chocolates that get left in the tin because they’re no one’s favourites....you’ll eat them eventually it wouldn’t be in a hurry to do so

They go absolutely, well, nuts for hazel and walnuts.

They like mealworms A LOT. I put some out for the birds on my windowsill but the birds didn't get a look in.

Perhaps Cyril and Sorrell would respond to naice superior nuts, perhaps from Waitrose?

I really want to hear of a family whose twin toddlers are called Cyril and Sorrel Maybe I need to handg out in Waitrose rather than Aldi?

We have a family of black squirrels that run round our garden on top of the fences. Maybe I'll get some naice nuts to tempt them off the fence...

I need to know about the one-legged blackbird! Does he ever overbalance @HeatherAndSand?

A shelf?! You honestly thought that would be good enough?

No, obviously you need a nut bar, if you really want to attract discerning squirrels.

sorry, that link doesn't seem to show it properly.

one more try

He seems absolutely fine, nemeton. Never seen him wobble, not even on take off or landing. We've had several one-legged garden birds over the years.

The squirrels are quite well-mannered, OP. They wait just inside the open door. We've never seen them venture further inside, unless they're doing it when we're not looking. We're waiting for them developing a little cough or 'ahem' one day, if we don't notice them soon enough!

I've seen it all now, on the wildlife feeding front. The BBC are telling of an Isle of Wight dormouse who got stuck inside a birdfeeder because he ate so much. It really tickled me to hear that the birds kept coming to feed while he was in there! Such a shame dormice are endangered.

I now want a Nut Bar, Thimble!

The shelf must smell freshly of Husband, OP. Hopefully that will soon wear off (!) and the squirrels will feel more comfortable to use it.

We live next to a open field so have plenty of squirrels, they love monkey nuts, it’s funny to seen who works out there’s a new batch first, them or the magpies

This thread is a bad influence. I've just had to stop myself from adding a net of expensive nuts in shells to our grocery shopping order.

Magenpies, surely.

Try breaking up a coconut, that goes down well here