Spring is finally on the way. We still have plenty of snow but after several days above freezing, bare ground is beginning to appear around trees and at the edges of sidewalks. It is such a relief.
Another sign that spring is imminent is the busy squirrels. When the temperatures were arctic and the snow piled high on the rooftops, I saw hardly any squirrels. Now they are out in force. To be sure they are looking for food, but they are also looking for nesting material. Since the snow still covers most of the ground making left over fall leaves impossible to find, they have chosen cardboard as their nesting material. We have a cardboard box on our deck that we were going to use as mulch in the garden but the squirrels have gotten there first. The bold critters come up and tear off pieces and run away with a full mouth. Waldo and Dickens are definitely entertained. They plaster themselves against the window and chatter at the squirrels. Does anyone else find a chattering cat both amusing and unnerving at the same time? The sound they make is funny but it’s like they are possessed.
It isn’t just the cardboard box on the deck that the squirrels are helping themselves to. I got two boxes in the mail over the course of the week. One was larger and had my new wellies in them. Yes I got wellies! My first pair ever and I like them very much. They are plain and slate colored but the color is more blue than grey and they look sort of periwinkle. Made by Kamik they are all rubber and should I manage to wear them out I can send them to the company for recycling. How cool is that? My days of ruining sneakers in the garden are over. Anyway, they got delivered while Bookman and I were away at work. When we finally retrieved them from the porch, the squirrels had helped themselves to a corner of the box.
On another day I received a book in the mail. It was too big for the mail carrier to put it in my mailbox so he left it on the porch in front of the door. Arriving home from work I startled away a squirrel who ran off with a mouthful of cardboard. It was not the first trip to the box because the whole of one end was gone! Thankfully the squirrel had not taken any bites out of the book inside. I have to admit it was kind of nice I didn’t have to wrestle the box open.
Since I am still a month or so away from being able to plant cool weather veggies in the garden I don’t mind the busy squirrels. I have a secret weapon to keep them from digging up my seeds this year. I am anxiously awaiting a battle of wits. In the meantime I am carefully observing the voracious appetite for cardboard of my enemies so that I may know them better and ultimately win the garden war.
Thank goodness the squirrels didn’t get to your book! Ok, you have to share your secret weapon for keeping the squirrels from the seeds. I see a lot of squirrels in our yard but I don’t think they dig up our stuff. Or maybe I haven’t paid attention!
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Iliana, I know! a squirrel chewed book would not have been very pleasant. My secret weapon this year to keep the squirrels from digging up my seeds is floating row cover fabric. Fingers crossed that it will work.
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We have squirrels who broke my plastic bird feeder by leaping upon it, and keep stopping up a gutter by building a nest in it. They are very busy these days, and completely unafraid of our indoor/outdoor cats.
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Jeanne,oh no! I’ve had many bird feeders destroyed by squirrels but thankfully they don’t build nests in the gutter. What a pain that must be. My cats are strictly indoors and the squirrels know they are safe and will come right up to the window and look in at the cats. Makes the poor cats crazy!
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I heard a terrible story this morning about squirrels, a loft, their droppings and a ceiling, but I’m not going to say anymore in case you have nightmares 🙂
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Alex, oh dear, you definitely don’t have to say anymore, my imagination ran away fast with that one!
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Those darn squirrels were at it again! Glad to read your wellies and book were safe.
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Vanessa, I know. I feel as though we are prepping for the garden war and battle lines will very soon be drawn!
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After reading about your weather I’m never going to complain about ours again! I can’t wait to see how (if) your plants have survived it all. I’m a bit worried that we might be plagued by pesky American grey squirrels at our new house (when we get there) as it backs onto woodland, especially after reading Alex’s comment.
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Pining, I am anxiously awaiting to discover what plants didn’t make it either. It will be another 4-6 weeks before I can begin to get an idea. I live in the middle of a city and am plagued by squirrels, they are inescapable. But maybe you will get “lucky” and be haunted by deer or foxes or something instead.
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I once rescued a squirrel toddler from certain death near a busy road. He was so sweet and liked to cuddle. But I couldn’t care for him properly, especially not in a house with nine cats (at the time). So he went to a wildlife rehabilitation center, where he was later released into the wild. I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for them ever since. I know a lot of people hate them for their destructive (to us) tendencies. But, hey, humans are the most destructive species on earth, so we should cut squirrels a little slack, right?
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Joan, you have a soft heart. I used to think squirrels were cute little critters too until I started keeping a garden. Their cuteness didn’t last long. I do admit though I like them when I see them other places besides my yard. That’s something, right? 🙂
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We have rampant squirrels here too. They amuse the cats… but to amuse the humans, I think we are going to get one of these: http://mcphee.com/shop/horse-head-squirrel-feeder.html
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Oh my goodness, that’s hilarious! You must get a photo of it being used, I need to see! 🙂
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I am glad your winter has relented. I used to have a big ginger cat who was very placid but I recognise the rather sinister chattering which was also hilarious!
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Ian, winter is not going gently but it is going. So you know that chattering! It cracks me up all the time when the cats do it.
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Wow–I had no idea that squirrels used cardbox for their nests–they are bold little critters, aren’t they? I really feel I should like them–I know they are part of the ecosystem, but I have a very hard time warming up to them–they snap at me in the spring and worse they have on more than one occasion invaded my attic! Every time I try and cover holes they manage to still find their way in! Good luck on combatting them…. And yay for your new wellies–are you going to share a photo of them?
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Danielle, until this year I didn’t know squirrels used cardboard either, but I guess they take what they can get. They are very bold. When I see squirrels in the park I think they are cute, in my garden, not so much. I have been fortunate to never have them get into my attic though so I feel for you! I am sure my wellies will make it into a photo eventually 🙂
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