Baby squirrels! These little guys amused themselves running up and down the roof of the house next door. Whenever a noise startled them, they zipped back into a hole visible under that angled section of roof beside the end of the rain gutter. They must be able to access the rafter area there and have been spending the winter in a nice cosy nest inside the attic. These little guys were about half the size of a grown gray squirrel and were absolutely adorable. But, like I said, perhaps not so cute if they're living in your house.
Showing posts with label squirrels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squirrels. Show all posts
Saturday, April 9, 2011
This probably isn't as cute if it's YOUR attic
I saw the most adorable thing when I glanced out the back window while on the telephone this evening. Baby squirrels! These little guys amused themselves running up and down the roof of the house next door. Whenever a noise startled them, they zipped back into a hole visible under that angled section of roof beside the end of the rain gutter. They must be able to access the rafter area there and have been spending the winter in a nice cosy nest inside the attic. These little guys were about half the size of a grown gray squirrel and were absolutely adorable. But, like I said, perhaps not so cute if they're living in your house.
Baby squirrels! These little guys amused themselves running up and down the roof of the house next door. Whenever a noise startled them, they zipped back into a hole visible under that angled section of roof beside the end of the rain gutter. They must be able to access the rafter area there and have been spending the winter in a nice cosy nest inside the attic. These little guys were about half the size of a grown gray squirrel and were absolutely adorable. But, like I said, perhaps not so cute if they're living in your house.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Requiem for a really unlucky squirrel
I was sitting at my computer this morning, eating a bowl of Cheerios while reading my email when BAM! suddenly there was a loud explosive noise from the backyard and my desk light went out. The UPS on the desktop computer started beeping. Oh darn, power outage.
I took a look out the back door but didn't see anything awry except for something that looked vaguely different about the transformer on the power pole behind the house which I couldn't pinpoint. I couldn't tell how many houses the outage impacted either. So, I looked up the power company outage hotline number (for the second time this month - there was a power interruption on Easter Sunday too) and reported it.
It wasn't more than 45 minutes before an electric company truck pulled up in front of my house. By then I was outside working so I walked over and told him what I had heard. He headed for the power pole on the back property line where my house feed originates. One look told him what was wrong - and what had done it. There's a type of fuse on the transformer, and it was blown. It would be a quick fix. The dangling disconnected end was what I had seen without realizing what was different. Then he pointed to the yard behind me. "Squirrel."
Yes indeed, there the poor thing lay, stiff as a board. It had evidently gotten on the top of the transformer and shorted across the poles with its body, the result being it was electrocuted immediately. Probably never knew what hit it. The power company guy said he had 10 or 12 of these happen a day. Man, it's hard being a squirrel.
I took a look out the back door but didn't see anything awry except for something that looked vaguely different about the transformer on the power pole behind the house which I couldn't pinpoint. I couldn't tell how many houses the outage impacted either. So, I looked up the power company outage hotline number (for the second time this month - there was a power interruption on Easter Sunday too) and reported it.
It wasn't more than 45 minutes before an electric company truck pulled up in front of my house. By then I was outside working so I walked over and told him what I had heard. He headed for the power pole on the back property line where my house feed originates. One look told him what was wrong - and what had done it. There's a type of fuse on the transformer, and it was blown. It would be a quick fix. The dangling disconnected end was what I had seen without realizing what was different. Then he pointed to the yard behind me. "Squirrel."
Yes indeed, there the poor thing lay, stiff as a board. It had evidently gotten on the top of the transformer and shorted across the poles with its body, the result being it was electrocuted immediately. Probably never knew what hit it. The power company guy said he had 10 or 12 of these happen a day. Man, it's hard being a squirrel.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Of course you know, this means war.
I was standing at the back door this afternoon, watching some much needed rain fall, when I noticed something funny about my patio bench cover. I went out to check it when I emptied the rain gauge after dinner.
A closer look:
And:
And:
More squirrel depredation. Why, oh why, would they want to chew up my patio furniture covers? Now I'll have to try to patch the chewed edges and replace the ties.
I'll add it to their tab: two bird feeders destroyed this summer, a handful of tomatoes filched, and a flat of marigolds dug up and killed. Not to mention the pounds and pounds of birdseed they steal and the holes they dig all over the lawn.
The swath of destruction continues.
A closer look:
And:And:
More squirrel depredation. Why, oh why, would they want to chew up my patio furniture covers? Now I'll have to try to patch the chewed edges and replace the ties.I'll add it to their tab: two bird feeders destroyed this summer, a handful of tomatoes filched, and a flat of marigolds dug up and killed. Not to mention the pounds and pounds of birdseed they steal and the holes they dig all over the lawn.
The swath of destruction continues.
Friday, May 8, 2009
A slight design flaw
I bought this bird feeder to replace one that had been chewed apart by the squirrels. It is a supposedly squirrel-proof model. The outer cage is atttached by two springs and "floats" over the inner tube. The cage has metal leaf shapes and it can be pushed down by extending the springs until the openings are covered by the leaves. If a lightweight bird lands on the perches, nothing happens, but if a heavier squirrel hangs on the outer cage, its weight is supposed to stretch the springs and pull the cage down to block access to the seeds. 
Well, that's how it's supposed to work. The problem is, the springs are so stiff and strong that my squirrels don't weigh enough to activate the squirrel-proof function. Maybe if they steal enough seeds, they will gain weight, and then. . .
Well, that's how it's supposed to work. The problem is, the springs are so stiff and strong that my squirrels don't weigh enough to activate the squirrel-proof function. Maybe if they steal enough seeds, they will gain weight, and then. . .
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