The End... My plan to stop feeding & watering and to move out.

[Rocky1]

For years, I have fed and watered beloved wild pet squirrels from my balcony, but now i have to move. Neighbors are not fond of squirrels. We are having the worst drought in 25 years. I live in a crowded suburb with very small shared yards and multiple families per building. Here's my plan, please critique.

Squirrel Plan
1. Put out shelled nuts in a location other than my property every day hoping they get scatter hoarded.
2. Stop putting delicious food on my balcony. Instead limit it to rodent blocks and water as a first step.
3. After a week, no more rodent blocks, only water on balcony.
4. After a few days of only water, start putting nothing out on rainy days and the day after a rainy day.
5. Then put water out only in the early am and at dusk. No water in the middle of the day.
6. Hum, not sure what the next step will be. Maybe sitting on the balcony every evening and morning supervising to ensure that there is no visible problem overlooked. Plus being there might discourage squirrels from coming up.
7. Put out a deterrent like peppermint and moth balls.
8. Add fox urine.
9. Hopefully move out.

I plan to post any unexpected problems with my plan on this thread. Unit will go under construction once I move out. Squirrels have a habit of entering the apartment through any open door.

(I may have posted a similar thread a while back, but this one is more detailed and current. Once I move, I will probably no longer have wild pet squirrels, so you will probably see much less of me on the forum - and fewer threads by me. I will remember to thank TSB. And I may even proceed to do something much greater for squirrels at a later date. I will never forget my wild buddies and what they have taught me.)

Neighbor Plan
Make a couple documents. I'm thinking one might be a cute document called why I like squirrels, fuzzy teddy bears, purr, hold babies like people, etc. (will include a draft on this thread to ensure accuracy). Another one might be about local wildlife in general with a facts section and numbers for questions like animal control, and for rescue like animal rescue league. I will later decide if the documents are adequate and who if anyone will get them. A third document might be a letter to the new occupants of my unit with information about wildlife and squirrels, and that I hope they enjoy living here as much as I did, blah blah...

[Rexie]

I am sad for you having to move away from your buddy's

[pappy1264]

I think that sounds like a good plan. Squirrels are squirrels and they find a way. Yes, helping makes it easier, but trust me, if it was not there, they would still find a way. It is better to do all you can to stop them from coming now so in the hopes they stay away from someone who may not be so squirrel friendly. Good luck with your move.

[stosh2010]

. Once I move, I will probably no longer have wild pet squirrels, so you will probably see much less of me on the forum - and fewer threads by me. I will remember to thank TSB. And I may even proceed to do something much greater for squirrels at a later date. I will never forget my wild buddies and what they have taught me.)

..

No Vanishing Act---Por favor.....
Make it a point to stop by and say Hi !

Good Luck in you new CASA.....

[Lighten-Up]

I think your plan sounds fine.

From what I see, squirrels really do "roll with things", and they adapt to whatever each new day brings it seems better than humans do. [Ever read 'Who moved my cheese?'] Kind of like that. So your weaning them off of what they have expected will help them adjust. I really do feel they'll do well.

It was wonderful that you cared for them for so long here. And it would be just great if the new occupants take up an interest in caring for them, that would be the optimum.

Best to you in your new house/location. :hug

[Rocky1]

Okay, a couple questions:

1. Should I be concerned about flies landing on the Kaytee Rodent Blocks I'm leaving out?
2. How long is too long to leave these blocks out?

Non-delicious food, so far, isn't that popular. (They use to eat the blocks until I started hiding nuts elsewhere.) The problem with non-delicious food is that it doesn't get eaten, so spoiling may or may not be a concern, is it for Kaytee blocks? - And the flies.

[Rhapsody]

Place the rodent blocks out in the morning when the squirrels are most hungry, therefore, willing to eat...... then place the yummy food out for lunch or dinner.

Never leave food out over night, take up all uneaten food and throw away, replace with new food the next morning.

[Rocky1]

Place the rodent blocks out in the morning when the squirrels are most hungry, therefore, willing to eat...... then place the yummy food out for lunch or dinner.

Never leave food out over night, take up all uneaten food and throw away, replace with new food the next morning.


My goal is to get them to stop eating from my balcony, so no delicious food on the balcony ever again. Only blocks and water, then water, then nothing. Meanwhile, I will put some delicious food away from the house as an incentive to get them to stop coming up here. That's what's going on. Do Kaytee Rodent blocks really go bad in 24 hours outside?

[Lighten-Up]

Rocky1,

I don't have a complete answer to your questions, only my experience and what I've read here on TSB.

Flies land on everything that I put out for just about everybody, except they don't bother seeds and nuts, but they land on the block, the veggies fruit etc. I'm guessing this has to be okay. There is not much that can be done about it, as flies are everywhere outside, and that's where the squirrels live. Maybe someone else has a better answer to this, but I have just made peace with the flies, and let it be.

I myself don't put out much block, but I have heard a lot of people ask this question, because also when you put block into a squirrel cage, they eat some and stash some, thus it is left in their cage for days, weeks, before being cleaned out. And many people put block outside, and know the squirrel bury it like nuts, and have asked what happens.

In my experience, I know that HHB (block) will mold if left in the plastic bag, out of a refrigerator. But HHB when stashed in a dry space as in a squirrel cage by a squirrel, just dried out dry hard and don't mold. Others have asked about what if they stash HHB's outside in the dirt, and the answer has been, they will disintegrate by the time they would ever find them. This seems logical. You are speaking of Kaytee blocks, which I have not used, but I believe they have a preservative in them. Where HHB's do not. So I will assume that the Kaytee blocks will do the same or better. It is also my best guess, that if the blocks are not touched for a few days and left out, they will not be enticing for a squirrel, same as they rarely touch wilted veggies left out for a day, unless they're really hungry. And thus, if you are not around to take in the old block, they will dry out, or mold, flies will eat them, and they will disappear but not harm the squirrels because they won't want them in that state. This is only my opinion.

[Rocky1]

I'm worried. Earlier today, I saw a normal number of squirrels around here. Some were carrying something yellow in their mouths. Couldn't really see what exactly it was. Yesterday I put some fox urine in my neighbor's place and he was moving stuff out of his apartment today. Then in the late afternoon there was sort of a noisy (just loud talking) bbq, and no squirrels anywhere in sight, not even in the neighbor's yards. I was glad that they didn't show up for the bbq and further irritate my downstairs neighbors, but I didn't see the in the adjacent yards even at dusk as usually. There are a couple mother squirrels with nests nearby, and I at least expected to see them a few yards over foraging. I just hope they weren't poisoned or captured....

[Rocky1]

I'm worried. Earlier today, I saw a normal number of squirrels around here. Some were carrying something yellow in their mouths. Couldn't really see what exactly it was. Yesterday I put some fox urine in my neighbor's place and he was moving stuff out of his apartment today. Then in the late afternoon there was sort of a noisy (just loud talking) bbq, and no squirrels anywhere in sight, not even in the neighbor's yards. I was glad that they didn't show up for the bbq and further irritate my downstairs neighbors, but I didn't see the in the adjacent yards even at dusk as usually. There are a couple mother squirrels with nests nearby, and I at least expected to see them a few yards over foraging. I just hope they weren't poisoned or captured....

A few days ago, I overheard my downstairs neighbor say he was going to poison squirrels. I made the mistake of asking a different neighbor for help who was previously friendly, but this time out of nowhere raised her voice and snapped at me, "When you meet someone new, you can't talk to them about squirrels in your first conversation or they'll think you're crazy." I think I saw her cutting nests out of her tree today. I'm feeling sick... I hope I'm mistaken.