Where have all my squirrels gone?

[Mel1959]

I’m trying to understand what is going on in my neighborhood. For the last 10-14 days I have seen very few squirrels come to my yard at any time of the day. All of the adult males and even females seem to have vanished. Unfortunately my beloved Peepers is among the crew that has vanished. :boohoo:boohoo. We last saw him a week ago on Tuesday. Nibbles disappeared the beginning of May, which I assumed was a territory thing.

My neighborhood has 4 streets, all ending in cul-de-sacs. I have ridden my bike around at the times of the day that the squirrels are most active but see no one. The furthest Peeps has travelled that I’m aware of has been about 4-5 houses on either side of mine. I fear someone in the neighborhood has trapped and killed or relocated the squirrels. :( How would I ever find out? My immediate neighbors know that I have raised squirrels, but others further up the street may not.

I am trying to remain optimistic that the missing squirrels have something to do with the time of year or some other natural squirrel behavior. It is completely out of character for Peeps to be gone for more than a few days, which is why I’m so worried. May and two other females are the only squirrels I see. They all have nests no further away than neighboring houses.

I could ask the question in the neighborhood forum, but I doubt anyone would be honest in answering. Are obvious traps in neighbors backyards the only clue I can look for? Also, if someone knows if this sounds like some type of normal squirrel behavior would you please post it?

[SammysMom]

I have had times when they all disappear for as month and then come back like nothing happened. I would post in the neighborhood group asking if anyone else seems to be having "squirrel issues". They might come forward to help you solve your "problem" and then you can address it.

[cava]

I don't know how hot it is there but I see the squirrels for an hour at dawn and dusk and I think the rest of the time they are hiding from the sun or migrating nearer to water during the day.

Could this be true at your place?

[Mel1959]

I don't know how hot it is there but I see the squirrels for an hour at dawn and dusk and I think the rest of the time they are hiding from the sun or migrating nearer to water during the day.

Could this be true at your place?

Yes, it’s plenty hot and they do seem to disappear during the day. But in the early evening I used to have about 10 that would come for handouts. Now the only ones that come are the three local females and one younger male.

[Mel1959]

I have had times when they all disappear for as month and then come back like nothing happened. I would post in the neighborhood group asking if anyone else seems to be having "squirrel issues". They might come forward to help you solve your "problem" and then you can address it.

I will try this. I’m almost scared to hear what people may say.

[missPixy]

Yes, it’s plenty hot and they do seem to disappear during the day. But in the early evening I used to have about 10 that would come for handouts. Now the only ones that come are the three local females and one younger male.

I have the same situation where I am, but it coincided completely with the hot and humid weather.

Also, I assumed since it's baby season again (mating/nesting/preparing for birth) that some have moved further out in search of their own territory. Or may be nursing babies.

I haven't seen any dead squirrels from cars and I live in a low-traffic suburb.

There seems to be a natural "turnover" of the population every year.

[CritterMom]

Mine disappear for a while in the fall, and since I feed a mob of them daily, I can immediately tell by food intake when this happens. As fall turns to winter they all return. I have always assumed that they either find large numbers of nuts in another area and hang there for a while, taking advantage of it. Or perhaps they all get together and rent a place at the shore...

[BamaHam]

Mine all stay away a lot during hot months. I see very little of them. They stay in the woods and in cool areas and this is the time they eat insects and vegetation that are not available in cold months. They’ll come at daybreak before it gets hot and late in afternoon, almost dusk. You’ll see them when weather cools off a little.

[Mel1959]

Thanks everyone for your encouraging responses.

I think what has me concerned is that I have no large expanses of land adjacent to any of the houses, except at the entrance to the subdivision. Each road in my neighborhood is separated by a canal so the only way to get to any other streets requires the squirrels to travel from my Cul-de-sac all the way up to the end of the street then head either north or south to an adjacent street. On each street they are limited to the yards on each side of the street because water is behind each house. I am very hopeful that they have just moved to a different street and will return as the weather cools.

I have asked that the HOA director send an inquiry out to the neighborhood asking if anyone has had rat or squirrel issues hoping that someone will speak up and admit to doing something to the neighborhood squirrels. Wishful thinking, I know. I’m actually scared of what I might hear. Squirrels and boats don’t mix. They have chewed my sail twice and I know they have gotten into people’s boat motors and chewed wires. This makes them unwelcome by some folks in the neighborhood. :(

[JLM27]

Mine have disappeared too, coinciding with stifling heat and humidity. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that our little friends will return.

[Allymichelle01]

Your inbox was full. Dr. E was amazing!!!!! She was so sweet and thorough. Hercules is recovering great! He is still trying to mess with the sutures, so I’ve held him since surgery. I feed and water him in my hands, so he only gets down to potty. lol His sutures have started dissolving! In just couple days he should be almost completely healed.

[JLM27]

OK, two to four squirrels have been checking on me every day once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. BUT where are the rest of them? The babies, the mamas, the geezers? All I am seeing are male youngsters. I think I'm being minded as an outlying piece of their territory!

I want my little buddies back!

[SophieSquirrel]

There is a lot to squirrel migration and territory but here are the basics. A squirrel's range is between 2 and 7 acres but can extend to as much as 100 acres. When fall arrives they can and do migrate due lack of suitable habitat for a safe winter drey or lack of food. A feeder is certainly a draw but only so many squirrels can be supported in one particular area. Even if you put up 100 boxes and unlimited food ingrained territorial behavior would cause many to be driven off. If your favorite squirrels are gone it doesn't necessarily mean the worst, they may have just moved to more suitable areas. As the story goes in the 1800s one mass Midwest migration lasted for a month and involved millions of squirrels. Not sure how accurate that tale is but that's the story. I am sure there were many such mass migrations until urbanization fragmented the forest. Squirrels can and do move long distances when the drive to do so kicks in. The last big migration was in 1968 after a bumper crop of acorns (and squirrels) in 1967 waned. Hoards of hungry squirrels were on the move across the east coast. Once you open the release door there is no guarantee your favorite squirrel will hang around. Sometimes the nuts are greener on the other side of the fence.

:squirrel3

[cava]

Mel, I'm in the same boat. My four spring releases, Frances and Basil and the local wilds are MIA. I saw one young male two days ago at dusk.

I stop by the corner Elm tree daily and check out the acorns ripening on the tree and there are no squirrels there. Here's what I think, once they ripen a hoard of squirrels will be back. There's also one in the neighbor's back yard next to the my big Maple and part of the squirrel branch network. I can see 6 abandoned dreys up there but nobody living in them.

I think they'll come back and they are off to places with food and when that tree/plant is done giving they'll move to the next place.

[Mel1959]

Mel, I'm in the same boat. My four spring releases, Frances and Basil and the local wilds are MIA. I saw one young male two days ago at dusk.

I stop by the corner Elm tree daily and check out the acorns ripening on the tree and there are no squirrels there. Here's what I think, once they ripen a hoard of squirrels will be back. There's also one in the neighbor's back yard next to the my big Maple and part of the squirrel branch network. I can see 6 abandoned dreys up there but nobody living in them.

I think they'll come back and they are off to places with food and when that tree/plant is done giving they'll move to the next place.

I hope you’re right, Cava. It’s the weirdest thing. Nibbles left the beginning of May. Peepers, who was definitely more dependent, has been gone for about a month. I see some young adolescent squirrels hanging around, 2 females and a couple of others, one older male, but that’s it. The other older squirrels are gone....about the same time that Peeps left. I am the feeding station here, which is more confusing.

I really hope that my beloved Peeps and Nibbs will return when the season changes. :Love_Icon

[PennyCash]

I had this very same situation last summer. Posed the very same question. In less than a month we went from 27 known regulars (plus youngsters) down to 1 young Male at my house alone. Neighbors and friends from 5 miles away were asking me where the squirrels went. Like your describing we went from a squirrel in every tree to none to be seen. I drove around looking, walked the woods, etc. there were no bodies found, overnight at least a dozen would disappear. It was truly bizarre.
I talked to people in a 10 mile radius and all were wondering what was happening to the squirrels. Throughout the winter there was maybe 1 - 2 squirrels in a yard that once had double digits.
Hrt had mentioned the possibility of a mass migration. In my situation I believe that is precisely what happened. Come Feb I started to see more moving back in, the first was a mom with 2 youngsters, followed by another female in March. I'm now back up to more than a dozen.
I hope that yours are just staying cool in the woods but did want to share my experience with you.:grouphug

[cava]

The Ohio river is about 5 miles as the crow flies. I wonder if ours are all in the woods along the river trying to stay cool.

[JLM27]

One of the ways they stay cool is pancaking on a big tree branch. Living branches are cool. Dead ones are not. I'm praying it's the heat and ripened nuts, and they will be back in September.

[Javarat]

This appears to be a normal cycle.

Two months ago I was counting up to 25 in my yard (in Georgia) after I whistled 'dinner time'.
Now I am getting 6 to 8.

I am only seeing males and young females.
The new mamas are probably staying within sight of their nests.

Also they disappear when certain types of trees are budding.
They stay up in the tops, fill up on the buds, and never come down.
.

[Mel1959]

Thanks guys! I am seeing more squirrels come by for meal time. :dance A friendly female yard squirrel was in estrus a couple days ago and I was hopeful Peepers would make an appearance...but he didn’t. :sadness:sadness There were two of the older grizzled squirrels chasing her, though and I’m certain she’s pregnant now. :dance

I am still hopeful that as temperatures cool off here my boys might return. Of course, temperatures don’t cool off here till January, so I still have months of waiting. :shakehead