The plants, animals and bugs know winter is here. The oaks and hickories have dropped most of their nuts, most of the wildflowers have withered, and migratory birds have made their trip south.
Unfortunately, the winter season means new challenges for the homeowner and gardener. The pests which operate 12 months of the year in panhandle Florida are changing their activities to meet the demands of their environment.
The grey squirrel is one of those potential pests. They have a cutesy, cartoonish public image, but they also have the inclination and ability to commit costly, destructive acts.
First, it is important to understand squirrels are opportunists and will pursue anything they view as a likely source of food. In the wild squirrels survive primarily on nuts, seeds and berries.
Only acorn caps are left as the squirrel population has consumed the acorns. In their constant pursuit to sustain an active life, the native grey squirrels eat at every opportunity.
Human inhabitation offers squirrels a much wider menu from which to select and makes it far easier for these rodents to prosper and reproduce. Bird feeders, pet food, fruit trees and vegetable gardens are all easy pickings.
Pecan trees are particularly attractive to squirrels. Hybrid trees with high yields and excellent quality nuts may be stripped clean when infested with a hungry horde of the bushy-tailed animals.
It can be especially frustrating for the homeowner or gardener when a squirrel samples a piece of fruit or cuts a vegetable plant and leaves it lying on the ground, wasted and unusable. They will also chew through tree and shrub barks which opens the plants to the possibility of disease and, potentially, death.
Like all rodents, the front teeth of a squirrel grow throughout its life. This fact mandates chewing on hard substances to constantly grind the incisors to a manageable length.
Squirrels have also been known to chew garden hoses and PVC irrigation pipes to satisfy their thirst. The results are again wasted and destroyed resources, along with serious inconvenience for the property owner.
Control can be attained but planning and persistence are required. Eradication is not possible, so the efforts must be continued and ongoing.
The least expensive and most effective strategy will be to remove the squirrel’s food sources. This is easy in theory but challenging in practice.
Birdfeeders should be placed on poles away from roofs and with a squirrel shield. If possible, use a pole with a slick exterior so squirrels cannot get a grip or climb more than a few feet.
Another technique is to use metal duct tubing or stove pipe to cover and block the pole a few feet above the base. The squirrel will shimmy up the pole and into the duct but will retreat when discovering the top of the pipe is obstructed.
Live traps are available at area retailers and through catalogues and can be baited with hickory nuts, whole corn or pecans. Check with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about regulations governing the relocation of wild animals.
Commercially available squirrel repellant can be applied around the edges of a garden or landscape with some degree of success. These need to be renewed after every rain shower.
Squirrel shields which wrap the tree trunks can be used on fruit and nut trees. The shields will need to be adjusted annually to adjust for the tree’s growth.
Sometimes derisively referred to as “limb rats”, these arboreal rodents are the prey of hawks and other raptors. Domestic cats which live outside are also known to hunt squirrels.
Agile and quick, they sometimes carelessly overlook the threat of stealthy predators. Squirrels are cute, but they are also tasty to carnivores trying to survive the winter.
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