ottotheboar

We have noticed a definite reduction in squirrel numbers this year in rural Virginia possibly a result of the acorn shortage last year.
Has anyone else noticed this ?

robin1234

More likely the locals have finally realised how mediocre the quality of meat sold at Walmart, so they're reverting to their old fashioned diet of squirrel kebabs, squirrel brains etc.

Pulaski

No, but then as we had a good crop of acorns and other tree nuts last year, and a bumper crop this year, the squirrel's have been having it good!

N1cky

They've all moved to my back garden, to torment my dog

fozzyb

Hi N1cky,

I was driving round MV yesterday for a bit of a reminisce, and noticed that where the walnut farm used to be is now a building site. That place always used to be heaving with squirrels. So there is probably a whole army of homeless squirrels roaming the streets round you...

robin1234

Must be regional.. We have a record acorn crop both this year and last year. We have good numbers of red squirrels, gray squirrels, and chipmunks. Also, I've noticed very good germination of new oak trees everywhere on my land the last several years. Some of these are far from any mature oak tree, so probably from acorns relocated by chipmunks etc.

Pulaski

Squirrels and chipmunks are the world's most effective tree farmers. I found a pecan near the corner of my house when I was blowing leaves a couple of weeks ago, and I don't even know where there is a pecan tree near my house. I am certain I don't own any, and none of my neighbours do as far as I (literally) can see.

Hotscot

Peaches, plums, apples, almonds, pears.

They ate all mine...saves us harvesting them. I don't mind...

md95065

WEBlue

How does one count squirrel numbers? It must be an inexact science at best... akin to herding cats.

If our local squirrel numbers have declined, I know the exact cause. We have a fox (at least one) on the next parcel of land to ours, which has no house on it and is all forest. His den must be very near us, as I often see him (or maybe his mate, never the two together though) on our property or the property of our neighbor across the street.

Last winter and early spring, a fox would haunt our bird feeders, watching from a little ridge nearby, and whipping down the hill to the bird feeders to try to nab the squirrels and doves that scout for dropped seeds underneath the feeders. I expect to see him/her again once I start to fill the bird feeders again....

As for acorns, we had none last autumn, and very few this year either--very puzzling! But we do have squirrels, in spite of that and in spite of the fox....

Pulaski

With that much fruit in them they'll probably taste pretty good! (I never thought I'd say that about squirrel. ) ..... I hear mid-western venison is best because the deer eat mostly corn.

Mrs Danvers

We still have many squirrels in Colorado. I remember in England exclaiming "Cor! There's a squirrel!" As they were so few and far between. Every backyard in this neighborhood has three. In Michigan they had black squirrels and the ones in Florida look like the American grey squirrel but smaller than the Coloradan ones.

Anyway, those are the only places in the USA I've been this year and I've noticed no decline in their number.

scrubbedexpat099

Dog chased one up a sapling. Then jumped on it. Tree bent, dog let go and squirrel went flying.

Pulaski

I didn't know you have flying squirrels in Colorado?

N1cky

I didn't know there used to be a walnut farm, is that what the patch of land next to WS on Ferguson was?

Hope you're having fun in MV