Has anyone entertained the idea of trying to increase carrying capacity?

[Rocky1]

While shopping at Petco, I saw crickets for sale, and immediately started wondering about the consequences of trying to increase my area's carrying capacity* for squirrels?

I know that too many crickets might tempt neighbors to use pesticides which could backfire, so increasing the live cricket population in a residential area is probably a bad idea. However, there must be some kind of live food that could increase without bothering the neighbors.... and without risk of introducing new disease, etc. to the area. I would love to guarantee more food for my buddies for years to come. (I admit that may or may not be more complicated than it initially seems. For example, more food might or might not lead to a need for more housing/tree space, etc.)


*The definition of carrying capacity that I am using: The number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support.

[Rhapsody]

My thought was...... why not just buy package mealworms for your squirrels? --they love them.

[Snowy]

Thank you for posting this. After reading it I decided that on my next trip to a town with a pet store I was going to get some live mealworms. In the meantime while shopping at Tractor Supply I saw and bought a container with dried mealworms. My squirrels love them! A great protein source for them.



My thought was...... why not just buy package mealworms for your squirrels? --they love them.

[astra]

messing with ecosystems is never a good idea.

By introducing what could become an invasive species (or create an overpopulation of some local species) you could create major problems, and not just for squirrels.


While shopping at Petco, I saw crickets for sale, and immediately started wondering about the consequences of trying to increase my area's carrying capacity* for squirrels?

I know that too many crickets might tempt neighbors to use pesticides which could backfire, so increasing the live cricket population in a residential area is probably a bad idea. However, there must be some kind of live food that could increase without bothering the neighbors.... and without risk of introducing new disease, etc. to the area. I would love to guarantee more food for my buddies for years to come. (I admit that may or may not be more complicated than it initially seems. For example, more food might or might not lead to a need for more housing/tree space, etc.)


*The definition of carrying capacity that I am using: The number of people, other living organisms, or crops that a region can support.

[DaSquirrelMom]

I like your idea, Rocky. I'm trying to cajole my husband into planting more evergreen conifers on our property. Unlike oak trees, which can take 30 years to produce acorns, they immediately begin to provide squirrel food/pine cones every spring.

Crickets would be a good source of protein, but are VERY stinky. Wax worms are 22% fat which would be great for squirrels.
http://www.grubco.com/nutritional_information.cfm

Raising/breeding waxworms:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vhd9LZpCW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koogjkLFMNA

[Mommaluvy]

Thank you for posting this. After reading it I decided that on my next trip to a town with a pet store I was going to get some live mealworms. In the meantime while shopping at Tractor Supply I saw and bought a container with dried mealworms. My squirrels love them! A great protein source for them.

I am doing song birds this year . ( and I have only had 10 squirrels all year ) Mealies can get pricey if your buying from a pet store. However they are easy to breed . You will attract squirrels and give healthy food out for birds. I buy them by the thousands though. So I am working on breeding then. To keep my costs down.

Pm me and I'll send you my set up.

My mentor may send me home with a humming bird .. So if I don't respond then please keep reminding me :)

[redwuff]

I think about that also and have planted several pecan trees and am looking for hickory nut trees. I have always hated mulberry trees and the mess they made until I found out that squirrels love them.

Trysh

[Lighten-Up]

Great idea, I have two thoughts...food for thought.

1. I love the idea of planting things that are wildlife supportive. I realize that much of the things we plant and call a garden does not have much value to wildlife. I am considering taking out a privet hedge that I think is on the toxic list of plants, and replacing it with something that provides food for squirrels and birds.

2. "Balance" seems to be the key word here. Anything out of balance will cause a problem, things in balance create harmony and beauty. Getting the perfect balance makes for enjoyment. When we change one thing, it changes everything else, and a chain reaction occurs, things that we never thought of. I am not suggesting that you not do anything, just think it through and make changes to achieve the thing you desire, while keeping balance in mind. I heard of someone feeding squirrels and that caused them to attract many more squirrels, and that caused hawk predators to move into the area because of the abundance of squirrel food they found there. I noticed that when I started to feed the birds, that attracted squirrels to raid the feeders, with all the birds and squirrels eating, I attracted several neighborhood cats that now stalk my feeders...one thing leads to another....keeping a healthy balance is key.

[Lighten-Up]

I like your idea, Rocky. I'm trying to cajole my husband into planting more evergreen conifers on our property. Unlike oak trees, which can take 30 years to produce acorns, they immediately begin to provide squirrel food/pine cones every spring.


I would like to know what species of evergreen conifers produce squirrel food. Please give a more specific name, unless you are saying that all evergreen conifers produce food pine cones. Are you talking about arborvitae, cedar, or red or white pine, spruce etc. I would be interested in adding these to my property.

Thanks for the suggestion! :-)

[DaSquirrelMom]

Conifers drop pine cones in the early spring. Squirrels love them.

For some unknown reason, the mulch under many of my trees is producing a lot of tall mushrooms this summer. My squirrels have been feasting on these. I don't know why these areas haven't previously grown wild mushrooms.

[Radagast]

I have been thinking about this very thing as well. I can't get my husband to agree to any nut trees. He cut down all of the mulberry trees because they hung over our driveway and mad a mess of out cars. I was upset, but then thought that perhaps this is good because the next owner of our house would just do the same. I would also like to know which conifers to get for Northern NJ to help them out. I will try to ask my question on the "Ask an expert" page. One thing I've noticed is that my non release orphan squirrel loves the wild hibiscus (with lavender colored flowers). She eats the leaves like mad. Hibiscus is a very pretty plant and makes no mess. I hope if I keep spreading their seeds and sprouts around the yard that the next owner would let them live. My squirrel baby also likes garden roses, the blossoms and the rose hips. Perhaps if there was a way to make a structure that squirrels could climb to avoid the thorns, like a gazebo or awning with lattice, and grew the roses around it, the next owners would just think it's pretty and not realize I was making squirrel food. I have between 2 and 6 years before my husband retires and wants to move somewhere cheaper, so I'm hurrying to find an answer to this same question.

[Radagast]

I found this pretty link: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/young_naturalists/young-naturalists-article/conifers/conifers.pdf and also this for pine trees of Massachusetts: http://www.treesforme.com/ma_pinus.html

[Lighten-Up]

I found this pretty link: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/young_naturalists/young-naturalists-article/conifers/conifers.pdf and also this for pine trees of Massachusetts: http://www.treesforme.com/ma_pinus.html

Thank you for this link. This answers my question, apparently everything I mentioned in my previous post is a conifer. It had not occurred to me that squirrels can eat the cones from these trees. I am so glad to know that.