Squirrels and I have never got along. There are far too many of them. They are aggressive and greedy !
We have a biggish garden and it backs onto private woods. My wife has a mission in life to feed every bird in existence and so we have numerous bird-feeders and trays dotted around the place.
It is a delight to watch the birds go through their feeding routines - robin,tits ,finches,thrushes,starlings,blackbirds and occasionally some lovely woodpeckers who live in the woods at the back. There is also a sizable colony of pigeons and doves and the occasional visit from some pheasants (escapees from a breeding farm for shoots up the road)
All these birds share the food and seem to mix happily together.
ENTER THE SQUIRRELS !!!!!!!!!
Word has obviously got round that there is an abundance of food at our place and the squirrels seem intent on having the lot. We tried initially to have a feeder near the house exclusively for the birds, but this is what happened :
They would shimmy up the steel pole, hang on the feeder and gorge themselves.
We then started to grease the pole every day and watched them try to climb and slide back down again.But after the first few volunteers most of the grease would be absorbed on their fur and they could make it to the top again.
Eventually my wife found a device that seems thwart their best efforts to get to the top.
It's a plastic dome and, although some of them come every day to inspect the device, they have failed to crack it so far.
But I know how cunning they are and they'll keep working on a solution.
Although I despise the little culprits I do admire their persistence !!!!
Brilliant post. Good dome too.
Posted by: Ben | 05/30/2007 at 01:14 PM
My dad has recently had similar success with an upside down deep plastic tray. He did try greasing the pole, but the little beggars waited 'till it had rained heavily and tried again.
Great fun watching them slither down the greasy pole though.
Posted by: gemma | 06/02/2007 at 09:29 PM
Hello Harry - hope all's well with you and all your garden antics. Now - I will be needing some advice as I have just acquired a front one as well as a back one of my own. My plan is to put a museum in the back garden shed, and to tarmac over the rest for a car park.
Posted by: TomLR | 06/19/2007 at 09:43 AM
£250 to tidy my garden up ! What do you think of that Harry ? I tell you what I think of it ...I think I need to borrow some equipment from my neighbour.
Posted by: TomLR | 06/21/2007 at 02:26 PM
Hello Tom - nice to see you again - yes all is well with me. I have just returned from 10 days in Ireland. The hospitality was crippling but I expect to make a complete recovery in due course.
Now that you have two gardens I thought a priority for you would be to turn the shed in the back garden into a sound-proofed music studio to further your piping career !!
Perhaps part of the building could be used as a museum and house your now renowned knotting exhibition. You would need a visitors' car park for that.
Posted by: Harry C | 07/01/2007 at 05:03 PM
10 DAYS !!!!!
Wasn't that a bit expensive ????
Posted by: TomLR | 07/02/2007 at 10:00 AM
I also expect to recover financially in time.
I saw a very well dressed executive at Cork airport sporting PHC red socks.
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Make your own life time more simple get the business loans and everything you want.
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