I’m Being Blackmailed By Squirrels

I used to like the squirrels in my yard.

During the summer months, I generally cut back a bit on the bird food I put out. During the winter months the feeders are always full, but when there is so much natural food around, I put a smaller amount into the feeders, and do it less often.

This has been my habit for many summers. Now, however, we seem to have Destructo Squirrel living in the yard.

If there is no food in the feeder when this rodent squirrel wants it, as in Right NOW, he proceeds to destroy the feeder. We’ve gone through three feeders within a month –  here’s the first one that went.

And the second casualty…

Used to have four sides...

How do I know it’s the same bloody rodent squirrel every time? I don’t really, but I have narrowed it down to the perp being a large black squirrel, which are less common in the yard than the grey morph. There is one particularly large black male that gives me a very evil leer when the feeders are empty. I have this image of him going for my throat…

Even when there is food available, the plastic feeders are munched on and whittled down to where they won’t even hang up any more. He somehow managed to get this feeder on the ground, with seed scattered everywhere. Then he was happy.

Of course, I could solve the problem by keeping easy-squirrel-access feeders full all the time. But that would be giving in to blackmail. The next thing you know, the bloody rodents squirrels would be sitting at the dining room table being served peanut and seed casserole on a platter.

No, much better to stand my ground and buy non-destructible metal and glass feeders. It’s the principle of the thing, after all. What’s a few hundred dollars in bird feeders compared to the warm glow of standing up for my principles?

Bloody squirrels rodents…