Feed the Squirrels? - Hah!

The other day one of our teenage foster daughters suggested we feed the squirrels in our back yard. Feed the squirrels? Hah! I think she was a little surprised at my reaction.

I think I have done my part. When we lived in Maryland, we had a dwarf plum tree which grew the best plums in the world. The first year that the tree really produced, we had so many plums we were giving them away!

Until the squirrels discovered how good they were. They would climb up the tree, pick a plum, take a few bites, and throw it down on the ground. The last year we were there, they ate all the plums on the tree - we didn't even get one! You see, plums don't ripen well when picked early - we tried. The squirrels would pick them just before they were ripe and discard them.

My husband thought it was nice that we were providing food for God's creatures. I would stand guard by the door and run out and shoo them away. Feed the squirrels? Hah!

When we moved here to Ohio, we planted raspberries and blueberries. Last year we watched with eager anticipation as a few berries of each kind started budding and growing. One day we went out to check on our berries and they were all gone! And the squirrels were getting fatter. Feed the squirrels? Hah! Visions of pea shooters were dancing in my head!

In late winter this year, we noticed that we had our own personal lawn aerating system, compliments of the squirrels, as they dug up their buried treasure. We still have bald spots in our yard as a result of their thoughtfulness. Feed the squirrels? Hah! We've done our part!

Remember the herb garden I planted from seed in planters? It's been a little chilly this spring, so it has taken a while for the little sprigs to show their heads. One day I went to check on them, and someone had been digging in my planters!!! Now visions of air guns were dancing in my head!!!

However, I have a found a much more humane way to deal with my squirrel issues. Repels-All Animal Repellent by Shot Gun (I find the brand name somewhat comorting!). Lest you worry, it does no harm to animals or to plants - the main ingredient is garlic oil. Yes, my garden is fragrant, but it is in tact! So far.

It is supposed to repel armadillos, beavers, birds, cats, crows, chipmunks, deer, groundhogs, mice, pocupines, rabbits, raccoons, rats, skunks, and shrews. Hmmm ... I just noticed squirrels are not on the list. We'll see.

It rains a lot here in Ohio, so I've reapplied it. I sprinkled it in my herb garden, around the berry bushes, and I'm keeping watch. We have lots of berries on our bushes this year - a dream of mine for years - to be able to walk outside and pick berries for our fruit salad! If I have to, I'll go buy nets to cover the bushes!

Feed the squirrels? Hah! I've done my part!