HELP! Neighbor below me threatens to kill my squirrels

[tigerstripes]

I live on the second floor apartment in a rental apartment community. It's a pretty wooded area, and with that comes the critters! I fell in love with squirrels last winter (2014) when I saw a squirrel eat a nut I put out for the birds. It was one of the coldest winters I have ever experienced (mind you I live in upstate NY so we have extremely frigid weathers, but last year definitely takes the cake). I began feeding them everyday on a paper plate of nuts for the squirrels. I absolutely love my squirrels. Since I don't have any pets of my own, I treat them as though they are my babies. Anyway, I haven't had any problems with the neighbors in terms of feeding my squirrels, until a few days ago. A person just moved in below me a few months ago, and so I began to keep my eye on the mess downstairs, but my squirrels are just so messy! I put shelled unsalted peanuts on the ledge my balcony, and so the shell of the peanuts fall underneath my neighbors space. (he works a 9-5job, so I try to clean up while he's away). But I guess he had enough of it so this past sunday, I found him and his friend throwing his cigarette butts onto my balcony. He was obviously drunk and when I opened my window to tell him to please stop, he said that I had to "do something about the squirrels" other he would "kill them". I really don't think he was joking because my boyfriend went downstairs to talk to him, and apparently he hunts squirrels back where he is from. PLUS I heard him shoot a BB gun outside his window (which is very illegal, ESPECIALLY when you aim at animals in a residential community). Anyway, I don't want to stop feeding my squirrels, so I'm thinking about putting a tarp underneath my deck so that the droppings from the peanuts don't fall into his area. PLEASE if you know of any trick to going about this, I would appreciate any and all advice! Thank you.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi tigerstripes
to TheSquirrelBoard

I'm really sorry that you have this situation. I REALLY hate to say this but the only way to keep your friends safe is to stop feeding from your porch. Is there some other place on the property where you can take their nuts? As long as you feed from your porch, the squirrels will come. Even if you fed shelled nuts they will be at risk from this 'loose cannon', especially a drinking one. You won't be able to change a cruel person. Even if you threaten him with the laws about firearms, your friends will pay the price. He will sprinkle rat poison when you are not looking or complain about the nuisance squirrels that YOU are drawing. The apartment management will call exterminators. We have seen this before. It makes me sick.

I wish it was a battle you could win but I've seen too much cruelty from ********s to believe that you will prevail. Find another place to feed, for their safety.

[Spanky]

Hi tigerstripes
to TheSquirrelBoard

I'm really sorry that you have this situation. I REALLY hate to say this but the only way to keep your friends safe is to stop feeding from your porch. Is there some other place on the property where you can take their nuts? As long as you feed from your porch, the squirrels will come. Even if you fed shelled nuts they will be at risk from this 'loose cannon', especially a drinking one. You won't be able to change a cruel person. Even if you threaten him with the laws about firearms, your friends will pay the price. He will sprinkle rat poison when you are not looking or complain about the nuisance squirrels that YOU are drawing. The apartment management will call exterminators. We have seen this before. It makes me sick.

I wish it was a battle you could win but I've seen too much cruelty from ********s to believe that you will prevail. Find another place to feed, for their safety.

The big advantage you have, that many that come here never got, is the advanced warning. Too many times there is no warning, just squirrels that disappear or are found dead. I would follow H4S's advice and find a safe zone to feed your friends and spend time with them!

[tigerstripes]

Hi tigerstripes
to TheSquirrelBoard

I'm really sorry that you have this situation. I REALLY hate to say this but the only way to keep your friends safe is to stop feeding from your porch. Is there some other place on the property where you can take their nuts? As long as you feed from your porch, the squirrels will come. Even if you fed shelled nuts they will be at risk from this 'loose cannon', especially a drinking one. You won't be able to change a cruel person. Even if you threaten him with the laws about firearms, your friends will pay the price. He will sprinkle rat poison when you are not looking or complain about the nuisance squirrels that YOU are drawing. The apartment management will call exterminators. We have seen this before. It makes me sick.

I wish it was a battle you could win but I've seen too much cruelty from ********s to believe that you will prevail. Find another place to feed, for their safety.

Thank you for your advice. I was wondering, do squirrels eat rat poison?? how does that work? omg now I am really nervous now... I've been really vigilant about making sure my neighbors backyard is clean from peanut shells... Do you think that if I talked to him and ask if he wouldn't mind if I cleaned up after my squirrels that he just let them be? Oh and I doubt he will call management.. he smokes weed in the bathroom all the time, which is why I bet he hasn't called them...

[HRT4SQRLS]

Thank you for your advice. I was wondering, do squirrels eat rat poison?? how does that work? omg now I am really nervous now... I've been really vigilant about making sure my neighbors backyard is clean from peanut shells... Do you think that if I talked to him and ask if he wouldn't mind if I cleaned up after my squirrels that he just let them be? Oh and I doubt he will call management.. he smokes weed in the bathroom all the time, which is why I bet he hasn't called them...

Yes, squirrels are rodents just like rats. Rat poison is made of seed and grains that they like to eat. It is laced with anticoagulants that cause them to bleed out. It is deadly to squirrels just like rats.

You might be able to talk to him but I would bet that he is a dope smokin', squirrel killin', drunken redneck that really won't care. He doesn't sound like a reasonable, upstanding, understanding citizen to me. I'm afraid he will cause you more problems in the future. Neighbors like that are TROUBLE. I could never live in an apartment.

If you really want to go to battle with him, you could threaten him with the police and the dope smoking but that could go down really bad. I'm older now and have come to the conclusion that a lot of people are totally CRAZY. It's best to avoid them. I guess I've watched too much crime TV. Hopefully he will move soon.

[tigerstripes]

Hi tigerstripes
to TheSquirrelBoard

I'm really sorry that you have this situation. I REALLY hate to say this but the only way to keep your friends safe is to stop feeding from your porch. Is there some other place on the property where you can take their nuts? As long as you feed from your porch, the squirrels will come. Even if you fed shelled nuts they will be at risk from this 'loose cannon', especially a drinking one. You won't be able to change a cruel person. Even if you threaten him with the laws about firearms, your friends will pay the price. He will sprinkle rat poison when you are not looking or complain about the nuisance squirrels that YOU are drawing. The apartment management will call exterminators. We have seen this before. It makes me sick.

I wish it was a battle you could win but I've seen too much cruelty from ********s to believe that you will prevail. Find another place to feed, for their safety.

Yes, squirrels are rodents just like rats. Rat poison is made of seed and grains that they like to eat. It is laced with anticoagulants that cause them to bleed out. It is deadly to squirrels just like rats.

You might be able to talk to him but I would bet that he is a dope smokin', squirrel killin', drunken redneck that really won't care. He doesn't sound like a reasonable, upstanding, understanding citizen to me. I'm afraid he will cause you more problems in the future. Neighbors like that are TROUBLE. I could never live in an apartment.

If you really want to go to battle with him, you could threaten him with the police and the dope smoking but that could go down really bad. I'm older now and have come to the conclusion that a lot of people are totally CRAZY. It's best to avoid them. I guess I've watched too much crime TV. Hopefully he will move soon.

you are right on the money! He's a pothead and a redneck piece of crap that I doubt he cares about what I want. I really hate this I wish he would just move out and live his dirty life somewhere else...

[HRT4SQRLS]

you are right on the money! He's a pothead and a redneck piece of crap that I doubt he cares about what I want. I really hate this I wish he would just move out and live his dirty life somewhere else...

I know TS. Those types aren't usually known for their compassion. Until the turdhead moves I wouldn't put the squirrels in his crosshairs. I'm sorry.

[island rehabber]

HRT4SQRLS said it perfectly; you cannot win this one, tigerstripes.
I don't feed squirrels at my condo but I have managed a colony of feral cats for 15 yrs. My condo neighbors hate them and have threatened to poison them, sue me for scratches on their cars, blah blah yuck. I have had to alter my behavior because there is no winning for me here. I feed them in a dark waterfront area, and only after 10pm...what else can I do? Same in your case.

[Bravo]

Agree with everything here. The smoking thing may just tip the scales if management finds out, and chances are good you're not the only one who isn't impressed with their new neighbor. Hopefully he's just passing through.

[JRSherlock]

can you get the jerk evicted somehow??? This is only the beginning of your troubles. You can't be expected to suffer such an antisocial neighbor. People who throw cigarette buts on your porch and threaten to kill animals are seriously disturbed. Many states now have adopted laws criminalizing animal abuse and senseless murder. It has been found time and again that abuse or indiscriminate killing of animals is a sign of psychopathy and further violence escalates from there. What are your states laws? What is your legal recourse if he harms one of your squirrels?

[JRSherlock]

Agree with everything here. The smoking thing may just tip the scales if management finds out, and chances are good you're not the only one who isn't impressed with their new neighbor. Hopefully he's just passing through.

I am a smoker myself, but would NEVER in a million years throw cigarette butts on a neighbors porch out of spite or anger. This is of course insane behavior.

[stepnstone]

I had a problem here with feeding shelled peanuts that of course resulted in shells strewn everywhere and rats carrying
them into neighbors yards, sheds and such using them in their nests. Some neighbors were using poisons to eliminate the
rats which resulted in poisoning squirrels. I quit feeding shelled peanuts and now feed un-shelled. It didn't take long for my
wilds to adjust, I'm still able to feed them. It was a compromise that has worked out well for all concerned.

[BigNibbler]

this world is a terrible place.
very few care.
fewer really care.
there is such evil, prejudice and ignorance in such abundance.
dwelling on it is crippling.
ignoring it leads to guilt ridden apathy.
trying to do something, eventually results in others reminding you of all of the above.

[TubeDriver]

People like this just don't have much to lose, so escalating things usually turns into a war of attrition and not worth it.

I think you have received some solid advice, move your feeding station to somewhere outside where it will not attract the notice of your loser neighbor.

Yes, squirrels are rodents just like rats. Rat poison is made of seed and grains that they like to eat. It is laced with anticoagulants that cause them to bleed out. It is deadly to squirrels just like rats.

You might be able to talk to him but I would bet that he is a dope smokin', squirrel killin', drunken redneck that really won't care. He doesn't sound like a reasonable, upstanding, understanding citizen to me. I'm afraid he will cause you more problems in the future. Neighbors like that are TROUBLE. I could never live in an apartment.

If you really want to go to battle with him, you could threaten him with the police and the dope smoking but that could go down really bad. I'm older now and have come to the conclusion that a lot of people are totally CRAZY. It's best to avoid them. I guess PeI've watched too much crime TV. Hopefully he will move soon.

[Appel]

Know your State Laws when it comes to Squirrels, they happen to be protected here in Georgia. Keep an eye out for that yellow D-Con Box. Consider putting up a wifi camera up that may record any wacko activities (ask some kid family member for help if needed, they are cheap and easy to use). Even a fake camera may deter him. Finally, yes, your best bet is to stop feeding them, although it sucks, not everyone appreciates these wonderful creatures.

[Spanky]

Know your State Laws when it comes to Squirrels, they happen to be protected here in Georgia. Keep an eye out for that yellow D-Con Box. Consider putting up a wifi camera up that may record any wacko activities (ask some kid family member for help if needed, they are cheap and easy to use). Even a fake camera may deter him. Finally, yes, your best bet is to stop feeding them, although it sucks, not everyone appreciates these wonderful creatures.

Squirrels are treated as "game animals" in Georgia. I just did not want there to be any confusion about what "protected" means.