Question about feeding squirrels...

[puddinpie]

I have been feeding my wilds for a long time now. I get like at least 12 to 14 that come to my back yard to eat. Lately they come up to my back porch and climb on the kitchen window sill and stand in front of the window and beg. I have one whom I named Noodle that seems to bring all his buddies to the back porch. I do not mind feeding them at all, but it is getting pretty expensive. I feed them raw nuts ( walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds). I mean I think because I have so many coming here, well the nuts go fast. Any ideas on how I can kind of get them to stop hanging on the porch and at my windows constantly begging? I feel so bad when they come to the window and They are just so sweet I cannot say no :). I lay a bunch of nuts down for them every morning but as soon as they eat them all ( and it is fast, like in 10 minutes the nuts are gone!), they come beggin at the window. What can I do???

[stepnstone]

I have been feeding my wilds for a long time now. I get like at least 12 to 14 that come to my back yard to eat. Lately they come up to my back porch and climb on the kitchen window sill and stand in front of the window and beg. I have one whom I named Noodle that seems to bring all his buddies to the back porch. I do not mind feeding them at all, but it is getting pretty expensive. I feed them raw nuts ( walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds). I mean I think because I have so many coming here, well the nuts go fast. Any ideas on how I can kind of get them to stop hanging on the porch and at my windows constantly begging? I feel so bad when they come to the window and They are just so sweet I cannot say no :). I lay a bunch of nuts down for them every morning but as soon as they eat them all ( and it is fast, like in 10 minutes the nuts are gone!), they come beggin at the window. What can I do???

First off, if your feeding close to your house that's your first mistake, eventually they will try chewing their way in knowing that's where the stash is. You should feed as far back from the house as possible.
Second... set times to feed and that's it. When it's gone, it's gone.
A squirrel can spot a sucker a mile away... :rotfl

[MJS]

First off, if your feeding close to your house that's your first mistake, eventually they will try chewing their way in knowing that's where the stash is. You should feed as far back from the house as possible.
Second... set times to feed and that's it. When it's gone, it's gone.
A squirrel can spot a sucker a mile away... :rotfl

...AND THEY PUT UP LITTLE SIGNS THAT SAY "THIS WAY TO THE BUFFET" :shakehead

[farrelli]

You could also transition to cheaper feed, which would even be better for them. A 50 pound bag of Mazuri Rodent Breeder, for example, costs about $25. Sometimes wilds won't like them, especially if they've been getting nuts, but they can be doctored up to taste better. Here is CritterMom's patented recipe for that:


I dump a couple cups of the blocks in a microwave proof bowl, and drizzle a small amount of canola oil on them. The amount depends on how many you are making - but you only want *just* enough oil to coat them when you stir it up, not so much that they are sitting in oil. I then put a couple spoonsful of peanut butter in the bowl and nuke it for a minute or so to soften the peanut butter. Stir, stir, stir until everything is evenly coated - it isn't alot, just enough to coat everything. Back in the microwave and now I hit them at high for about 5 minutes - you want them screaming, boiling, bubbling hot! Stir again and set aside to cool. As they cool, they "suck up" all of the peanut butter.

A 50 pound bag of these lasts me about 2 weeks. Believe me, the squirrels like them!

[puddinpie]

Thanks for the replies! Yeah, I guess I am a sucker lol!

Thanks for the suggestion about the mazuri rodent breeder. Where can I but this? What brand is it? I know I had bought some rodent food for them before and they just turned their noses right up at it lol! I think it resembles rat poison too much. Noodle already knows where the stash is, he looks in the window directly at it sitting on the counter!:)
We already had to take out the screens on the two windows because they chewed a whole in one:eek

I guess I am going to have to stop being such a softie..I just feel bad when they beg, I feel like a crumb if I don't give them something.. I think I have created a bunch of little monsters lol! I mean in the morning I have them all waiting on my back porch! They have even knawed some of the wood railings. I know it is not their fault, they are only doing what comes natural to them. Oh also, with the mazuri rodent breeder, is it possible to make a big batch and use it over a period of days, or is it best to use it right away the same day???

[farrelli]

I know that you can get it online, such as from the maker:

http://www.mazuri.com/mazurirodentbreeder6f50lb-5m30.aspx

But I don't know which place is best, if there is one. I also don't know if you can get it in pet stores. Perhaps you should PM CritterMom and ask where she gets hers. Also ask about the storage. I would assume that you can make up a bunch beforehand and store it, maybe in the fridge.

[kris]

Years ago I saw black sqs in my yard. I started feeding them as I had never seen such a squirrel. I began to know them and 3 generations later I could call to them and they would come to the house for treats. At that time I had a large GSD who would lay on the deck & I'd leave the back door open so he could come & go. Dog & sqs got to be friends and I would find the sqs in the house eating out of my stash of treats! I so enjoyed those times. Had to put an end to it when they started chewing on the house and got into my attic. So good advice on feeding away from the house...but then you don't get the interaction that is so rewarding w/ getting to know a wild squirrel & their families.

[Rhapsody]

I lay a bunch of nuts down for them every morning but as soon as they eat them all
(and it is fast, like in 10 minutes the nuts are gone!), they come beggin at the window.

What can I do???Stop looking out the window (or) close the blinds. :grin2 :poke :rolf :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl

[puddinpie]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and replies!

Kris: Wow, that is amazing that your dog was like buddies with the squirrels. That is neat. I can see what you mean about being close to them. I had one girl that would come here, I named her pancake. She let me get very close. She would feed right out of the dish I had. She was a mama squirrel. Have not seen her in a while. I miss her, she was so sweet.

Rhapsody: LOL on your suggestion :). I though about closing the blinds, but I feel like it would be so mean to do :). I know I have got to be more strict though and not such a softie.. For instance, I got Noodle who is the main one who comes to my window. He will stand up on the window sill and look in and when he see's me, he will bounce up and down all excited.. Then my heart melts and I cave..:shakehead

[kris]

Those black squirrels were so tame, they would eat out of my hand...and they did until my thumb looked like a peanut. Stopped the hand feeding right away. I miss the black squirrels...greys came in and guess they inter- bred. I still have some blacks, but not so many.

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

I have a small back yard with 4 trees. I put a small end table at the bottom of each tree so they dont have to come all the way down to the ground, and so when the meanie squirrels chase the others away and they can still get some treats at the other feeding stations. I purposely am unpredictable with my feeding, sometimes AM sometimes PM. They never know, and I dont stay out in the yard or encourage them to come to me, I want them to be afraid. They dont come and beg at the door. I may just be lucky or speaking too soon.

[FattyPants]

I was shaking my head as I was reading this. I've pretty much been doing the same thing you've been doing. Now I have about 16-20 squirrels begging for handouts on my porch every day. After chewing through my screens and gnawing on my porch railing, some of the squirrels finally chewed through my roofline and are setting up a nest in my attic.

I found a wildlife company in Chicago that will get them out without having to trap (so no chance of euthanasia) and they are coming out to my house tomorrow.

Lesson learned the hard way. I need to figure out how to reverse the negative impact of luring them to my house with peanuts! I still want to keep feeding them, but I obviously need an education. This thread has been helpful. I also posted in the "Introduce Yourself" forum asking for guidance on how to wean the cuties off the peanut-junkie-train!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?43741-Love-Squirrels-but-I-ve-created-a-situation-Help!

[Trooper]

You could also transition to cheaper feed, which would even be better for them. A 50 pound bag of Mazuri Rodent Breeder, for example, costs about $25. Sometimes wilds won't like them, especially if they've been getting nuts, but they can be doctored up to taste better. Here is CritterMom's patented recipe for that:

Farelli: for what is worth; getting saturated or unsaturated fats like oil or peanut butter "screaming hot" will raise the temperature of the mazuri beyond 212F which will definitely change the structure of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals to other compounds (see Maillard reaction under Wikipedia, for one example) which are no longer the intended ones. In addition, heating nitrates and its related compounts (found in baking soda, salt, potassium chloride, etc.) can create nitrosamines which are confirmed W.H.O. carcinogens of the liver and other GI parts of mammals. Since we do not know 'exactly' what rodent blocks have as their ingredients, overheating them could be taking a risk.

Again, this unsolicited comment is presented without aim at offending anyone only as a learning experience with the intention to make the life of our furry friends, more plausible.

Thanks,

Trooper's dad,