It is in late summer. From my home office window, I see a large yellow apple traveling across the top of my rear fence. Behind it, a small fluffy squirrel with a deep grip on this huge globe is desperately trying to navigate the freeway at the top of the fence without being able to see anything in front of him. This path is familiar, but it is dangerous. Eventually, he slips, drops the apple, drags himself down from the fence, collects his bulky treasure, and disappears into a dark spot that no human being can see.
Squirrels are parasites and can certainly cause some harm. But despite the damage from the squirrels, sometimes you approach the dining room window, balancing on the railing of the bridge. He will stand up with walnut or a crust of bread in his hand and will nibble the morsel between his agile legs, unaware as we try to take another picture of him. We love to take a shot of those soft little bellies.
Occasionally, I will watch one of these little clowns hanging completely upside down on a bird feeder, tail floating in the breeze as it deliciously steals breakfast from the birds. How can such a tender creature be a parasite? Let me count the ways.
Because squirrels are parasites
Squirrels in the garden are not always a good thing. They can cause a lot of damage to plants, steal delicacies from our feathered friends and dig holes, both to "plant" acorns that eventually become unwanted weeds (along with many others) or discover these nuts later on. And our garden bulbs are also tasty.
Eating is their thing ...
Chubby lemon cucumbers appear on the vine with a missing bite - big enough to know who did it. Why do they also love cucumbers? And how do they know when strawberries are about to be ripe?
Sometimes, I wonder if the squirrels watch me plant the bulbs and plan ahead for those to be dug up later. It is clear that, although many squirrels have fun running away and entertaining us, their main goal and intentions everyday concern the search for food, and my courtyard offers an irresistible party.
Such a cute rodent is still a rodent
Our flower beds are covered with hazelnut shells, a product in the north-west obtained from the huge walnut drying plants. Squirrels avoid those areas because the broken shells are sharply sharp and "hit", as my nephew would say. But the rest of the garden is fair game. We cover our raised beds infested with bulbs with chicken wire for the winter and the birds must always be content to share their seeds and their sod.
I don't want to attract unwanted rodents, but I'm always aware of the squirrels' need for livelihood, so attracting squirrels seems irresistible. Dried bread, dried nuts, and crackers regularly go to their feeder, and some giant sunflowers in summer help to detach the head from our vegetables, even if not completely.
Unlike most rodents, I imagine these kids make their way in the form of entertainment, so it's a pleasure to watch them find what they love, even if it's just an overripe apple from a nearby tree.
