Squirrels

[Plantaholic]

Do squirrels hibernate? I want to feed the birds now it is getting cold, I had to stop because the squirrels were such a nuisance. Living as we do backing onto woods, not much I can do now that we have no cats or a dog, so I hope they are sleeping.

[Daisy]

Plant - I'm not sure. I think they do hibernate but a warm spell can wake them up. I have to use squirrel-proof feeders so I don't see any in the garden, but I haven't noticed any around in the forest , so perhaps they are hibernating.

[Gemini]

I'm not sure either!

[Oma]

I'm not sure either , but our resident Squirrels have not been seen by us or our neighbour for a few weeks , not sure if that's because of the cold or not

[Plantaholic]

I have put some bits out for the birds so will watch for the squirrels.

[Daisy]

Fingers crossed for the birds’ sakes, Plant. We are getting lots of (feathered) visitors to our feeders with the cold weather.

[Clover]

I think squirrels do hibernate but come out if it gets a bit warmer.This is why they bury nuts in Autumn so they’ll have food when they wake up.

[Daisy]

Clover - that's what I thought as well, but they'd be a bit silly to wake up in this weather, so Plant's bird feeders should be squirrel-free.

[Grauntie Mag]

Reporting two squirrel sightings here today.

[Daisy]

GM - it must be warm there, GM!!! Or you've got very reckless squirrels.

[Plantaholic]

Put some bits out for the birds yesterday and no squirrels arrived so will fill the feeders today.

[Glammanana]

Just catching up on the squirrel sightings,we have a family living at the rear and they spend all day running across the back walls of the garden,hubby has put a feeder out for them which they can easily get to filled with monkey nuts for them to bury if need be,he has also bought bird feeders which squirrels can't access, the squirrels are very active at the moment and are about every day much to Olivers disgust he is not confident enough to climb the back wall but I think this time next year he will be after them no problem.

[Plantaholic]

Can't stand the creatures, they are rats with tails. I am going to buy a squirrel proof feeder, the feeders I have came with the feeding station.

[Clover]

Well I “googled” this and apparently squirrels do not actually hibernate as such but do go to sleep for long periods in the winter. Therefore I suppose they could be around anytime.

[Daisy]

I'm with Plant on squirrels - grey ones anyway. They carry diseases which affect our small population of red squirrels. They do untold damage to trees - stripping the bark from them - and steal food put out for little song birds. But I remember Rusty and Clyde once very nearly catching one, and I really didn't want them to succeed. Apart from anything else they wouldn't have been very good at despatching it quickly, and it was only a baby. Illogical, I know!