As anyone who likes to cater to backyard wildlife knows, it’s not difficult to simply attract the common ones to your yard, if you really want to. But I said I’d relate my specific tale, so here it is. It’ll be long, because I tend to ramble in a disjointed fashion more and more, so fair warning there.
Our yard doesn’t actually have any trees within the fence borders, but all our neighbors do. The people behind us have a big, tall tree (maybe 35 feet?) that’s very close to our back fence, as well as a very large palm bush/tree that stands directly against the tree trunk. The squirrels seem to treat this is a main hangout and treetop-chase-playground. One neighbor side has the large avocado tree and a lot of smaller, skinny trees along the fence. The other side of our yard has a power pole in the corner and a widespread low tree in that neighbors yard that is also adjacent to the fence. Thus our entire yard is like a big open space surrounded by trees. So when we first moved here, the squirrels were many and obvious as they treated the fences and power wires as hiways and jumped from tree to tree.
Mid-summer last year I started putting out birdseed in a dish in the middle of the yard for the small birds. I noticed some squirrels coming to pick the sunflower seeds out of the birdfeed, which amused me. One day late last summer I decided to buy a big bag of roasted/unsalted peanuts in the shell and I’d occasionally leave a small pile of first-come, first-serve peanuts next to the birdseed, or sprinkled them around the lawn for the squirrels to sniff out. And I was happy with this arrangement, because my main goal - to have the squirrels come close enough for me to take photos of them now and then - was served well enough.
But then in late winter the bluebirds started coming. Apparently they like peanuts too, and would snatch them up faster than the squirrels ever did. I didn’t mind giving the birds a few peanuts, but the birds meant that the squirrels would often look in the yard and see nothing, so….I started carrying peanuts around in a pocket whenever I went outside. If I saw a squirrel in the yard/on the fence, I’d tap a finger along a peanut for a few seconds to make an associative sound, and then toss it in their direction. At first they’d run away as I made the throwing motion and wouldn’t come back to investigate the peanut for long minutes. But eventually some seemed to recognize I was tossing yummy food … they’d watch and wait for me to back away then go immediately for the peanut. I did more stuff like that which I won’t bother to describe … suffice to say they became used to my presence in the yard and slowly the distance I could gain before they’d run away became more.
Eventually, one squirrel was smart enough to completely associate the finger-tapping sound and me with “peanut” and began to run up to me. He’d get within a few feet and stop, I’d toss a peanut, and he’d sit and eat it. Often he’d turn his back to me, which by human standards seems insulting, haha, but by squirrel standards supposedly means they trust you/don’t see you as a threat. During this time I also began to put a dish of peanuts close to the sliding door, in an open-sided box to protect it from rain. The bluebirds were more hesitant to “steal” them so close to the door. But I began to worry whether peanuts were actually good for the squirrels - I’ve read that peanuts can lack in some nutrition and squirrels who eat nothing but peanuts (whether raw or roasted) can end up malnourished. While “my” squirrels aren’t eating only peanuts by any means, I started worrying and began buying a bigger variety of things to make sure no squirrel would OD on any one thing. I mostly use nuts, but occasionally I’ll put out slices of apple, grapes, dried corn, and other fruits. They obviously prefer nuts but if fruit is the only thing there they’ll eat it happily enough.
Initially the first brave squirrel was the only one who would come close to me and stand in the doorway. Then I guess the others started watching, and a few others also became bold enough to come close. I continue to put the variety of stuff in the dish in the morning, and most of the squirrels eat from that - most also still run away if I approach the doorway or open the door. But those few that are braver will, if I leave the door open, hop inside a few steps to see if I’ve left certain treats on the floor nearby. I didn’t intentionally entice them to do that - they were smart enough to associate “open door” with “human who hands out treats” and started hopping into the doorway on their own. It was an easy way to keep the bluebirds from stealing everything so I let them. Again, only the few with bold personalities will come inside like that, and I haven’t encouraged more to do so. Like any animal, squirrels have varying temperaments etc. The brave ones are the squirrels that go crazy about burying extra food. If I let them, a couple would run back and forth between yard and door all day, wanting nuts just to bury. But letting them take and grab nuts from my hand or shelf all day would be no good for them (or my wallet), so I limit it. Still, it’s often hard to resist since it’s a hilarious and cute delight during the periods where I stand in the door or sit on the couch letting them come in and out. One in particular will trot all the way inside to the table if I’m sitting there.
I suppose it sounds like I might be over-doing it, but I’m not. They’re all still wild - even the ones who come indoors a ways and take nuts from my fingers. I don’t put out enough food for them to not have to forage on their own. They aren’t getting fat and slow. Many a time I can go outside and there’s not a squirrel to be seen for hours. I think most treat the dish box as a ’spot to check’ during their foraging routine. If it’s empty/the door is closed they run on, but if the dish is full/the door is open they pause to eat/check it out. In the late spring/early summer I’ll fill the food dish less often, too, since “wild” food will be more abundant then.
And if you’re wondering, Baby-kitty leaves them alone. :D
