As a child I loved squirrels. There weren’t any in my immediate neighbourhood, so I was always very excited to spot them on trips Stanley Park in Vancouver. I loved their fluffy tails and their twitchy little noses. I would totally have had one as a pet if my mother weren’t so dead set against it. She was always ruining my fun, let me tell you.
My love of squirrels ended abruptly in 1997. I moved into a third-floor apartment surrounded by trees and a lot of squirrels, who took up residence on our balcony. There was no sliding screen door, so in the heat of summer we had to keep the patio door shut tight. It was a minor annoyance, but I could live with them. That is, until they crossed the proverbial line.
A squirrel we came across on a recent walk
I bought a window box and planted bulbs, my first foray into a garden of my own. I carefully chose crocuses and tulips and an expensive bearded iris. I planted the cheap bulbs first, to see what the squirrels would do. And…nothing. But no sooner did I decide it would be safe to plant the iris than there were four squirrels digging that bulb up. That flower represented all my hopes and dreams and $10 I didn’t want to see wasted.
Your charms will not work on me, Mr. Squirrel
I tried to discourage the squirrels. I yelled and hollered and banged on the glass, but they were unmoved. I stepped outside and waved brooms in their general direction. I tried tricks involving plants squirrels dislike and spices. The squirrels were completely unconcerned about my various efforts. I’m pretty sure some of them even laughed at me.
These days I have a kid of my own and she’s very excited when she sees a squirrel in the yard. Now she wants one as a pet and I am ruining her fun. But after my experience squirrels are no longer cute and furry creatures in my book, they are pests and rodents and they had just better stay out of my garden. Nobody wants me to be forced to break out my completely ineffective squirrel deterrents, let me tell you. 
PS – You may have noticed that blog ads went up on this site last night. I will be talking about that tomorrow, so check back if you’re curious. I don’t want you think that I’m trying to sneak something past you, like I’m some sort of cheeky squirrel or something.
I love the squirrels in my yard but I have never seen them dig up my bulbs. If I catch them my opinion is likely to change though.
Cayenne pepper didn’t work? My sister said it doesn’t work for her either, but it’s the only thing that even slows them down from their nightly banquet on my front bed around the lamp post which is full of bulbs. Maybe they’re just playing with me (aw, she’s so cute — she thinks that stuff will stop us — thanks for the cajun bulbs, babe!)
As I read this I remembered a commercial I saw recently with 2 squirrels giving each other high fives after almost causing a car to crash.
I think there is something to that. The secret, “oh we’re so cute, but actually out to get the humans,” thing. Hmmmm…..
The squirrels at a park in our old neighborhood were so notoriously bold that they made the news. We’d see them dive into stroller baskets where parents had stashed food.
SQUIRREL!
I still think they are cute, but that’s only because there are none in my yard…. dog, cat, ravens or racoons keeping them away?
They are cunning at getting food NO MATTER WHAT (or so I have been told).
Baby squirrels (so I’m told) make sweet, cute little pets until they suddenly become adults. At that point they develop some kind of age-related insanity, bite their previously beloved caretaker and playmate, and then scurry off into the underbrush without a backward glance. Beware!
There’s a local squirrel that I have a bit of a fondness for, since she seems to always be either pregnant or nursing. Her idea of gratitude for a nice meal of peanuts (stolen from the birdfeeder) is a gently-laid turd on the porch railing.
Bah. Squirrels.
The weirdest thing to me is that your squirrels look black!!! Ours in Minnesota are light brown or silver/gray. Your squirrels look like rats!
Cute post! My son loves squirrels too, probably because we don’t see them in our neighborhood. I also find it fascinating the squirrels in your neighborhood are black. The ones we have here are grey.
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