Several years ago, I was walking to Washington Park along a street lined by large American Elm trees. Suddenly, I was hit on the head by a hot dog bun. I thought Amazon was working on a new hot dog delivery concept. I looked up and, rather than seeing a drone, I saw a squirrel chattering at me. He wanted his hot dog bun back and was adamant about it.
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, which includes small or medium-sized rodents, and they are ubiquitous to Denver’s urban forests. People seem to love or hate squirrels. I can be in both camps depending on my latest squirrel experience. My ex-wife hated squirrels. Maybe one bit her when she was a toddler.
Squirrel Friend or Foe Analysis
Cuteness: There is no doubt squirrels are cute. They are the first wild animal your kids get acquainted with when they are toddlers. They entertain by chasing each other through the trees, across fence tops, and along telephone lines. They genuinely look like they are having fun.
Intelligence: I used to do yard work for a radiologist in high school. He had a bird feeder and wired it to prevent squirrels from eating the seeds. If the squirrel touched the wire, the shock would knock them off the feeder. The guy might have gone to medical school and lived in a vast home, but the squirrels got the best of him each summer. The squirrels would immediately start figuring out a weakness in the wiring scheme by trial and error, with many falls onto the ground. They would eventually get to the feeder. It was fun to watch the doctor versus squirrel competition each summer.
Fast: We have had five dogs, each dreaming of catching a squirrel. None have. Enough said.
Tease: Squirrels understand that dogs cannot climb trees. It seems so unfair. Squirrels sit on a tree branch and chatter at dogs. The dogs jump and bark, and the squirrels keep up the chatter, driving the dogs up the wall. It reminds me of the Monty Python skit in The Holy Grail, where Arthur and his men get insults hurled at them by a French knight.
French Knight: You don’t frighten us, English pig dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person! I blow my nose at you, so-called “Arthur King,” you and all your silly English K-n-i-g-g-i-t-s.
Ever wonder what squirrels think of dogs?
Destructive: Recently, squirrels girdled a 10-year-old honeylocust in the neighborhood. The squirrels strip the bark to line their nests. They also eat the cambium layers in the winter and spring when food is scarce, sometimes killing tree limbs, which is called “squirrel kill”.
Thievery: Squirrel with ripe red tomatoes in clutches making a fast dash along the top of a fence is enough to get gardeners to call an exterminator or worse. Homeowners with bird feeders and gardens are always trying to out smart these little buggers.
Forgetful: Squirrels benefit plant and animal life by forgetting where they bury their nuts. Neighbors next to a homeowner who feeds squirrels shell peanuts will find them in their gardens. Peanut plants that sprout in the spring probably appreciate their squirrel relocation.
A bop on the head by a hot dog bun makes you wonder if squirrels are friends or foes. Loving squirrel antics and seeing cuteness or considering them a bane to backyard enjoyment depends on the person, but having dogs helps make it a draw.
Ross Tree writes often about tree and plant health care issues in Denver. This blog is a true story. We are the go to tree company in Denver. Homeowners with squirrel kill in their trees should contact Ross Tree. To make an appointment, call 303-871-9121 or click here to fill out a request service form.