Squirrel Defamation League

nclivingwaters

Funny how insecticides and insect eradication discussions are widely accepted, yet start a thread on dealing with squirrels and the damage they cause to bonsai and it will surely soon be closed. Does an aphid, mite, or Japanese beetle value its existence less than a squirrel?Or a cat for that matter?http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthr...post169579 Are not those on the opposition side of dealing with squirrels hypocrites if the have ever squished an aphid between their fingers? Do the same folks lament on the right for mice and rats to live in their homes? Remove the fuzzy tail, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a rat and a squirrel. To the mod that closes this thread, I call on you to close all threads that discuss insecticides, or other means of insect murder also.

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malhomme

I lost a crape myrtle this year because a rodent ringed it. The crape myrtle was in training and a small loss, but if it had decided to gnaw on one of my tastier specimen trees it would have been a significant loss. I see deer, squirrels and other rodents as problems to gardeners, as real as any insect infestation.

Cheers,
Jim

Selah_Tree

rant:

LOL Jim, I make the same argument to people... except I ask them why they don't eat cats and dogs. If its a fat ugly pig, people are okay with it, but if I were to skin my cute, furry dog and cook him in a stew, I would have the ASPCA on me before I could even serve my guests.

To everyone else: No, don't take my words the words the wrong way. I'm not some sort of sissy(not that it would matter if I were). I'm guilty of killin' and skinnin' the occasional small furry animal in my day. And I have no problem with eliminating a parasite (such as aphids or bugs) or for that matter, any animal who could harm me, my family, pets, or even some posessions (like that big ol' rattlesnake a few months ago).

I just thought it was funny that the website pointed out how much damage squirrels have done to humans... when in fact it is the humans who destroy their habitats and sources of food... then call them the pests when they live in our yards!

/rant


Thanks
Craig

BONSAI_OUTLAW

NOOOOOOOOO......WE HAVE MADE LIVES MUCH MUCH MUCH BETTER FOR THEM.

We have eliminated all predators except for dogs and cats from urban areas. You can't eliminate thier food from this area...the eat worms, bugs, all kinds of seeds like pecans and acorns, fruits and vegatables, and even french fries. I live in a nieghborhood that has an abundance of oaks and there are too many squirrels here...many tmes what you would find out in nature. I kill at least 100 a year in my yard alone.
My nieghbors have declared war and put rat poison up in the trees and cars kill them everyday, but every morning when go outside there are 15 or 20 of them.
My next door nieghbors 3 year old was attacked a few weeks ago when it was playing outside too close to a so called squirrel proof bird feeder. It punctured his ear...scratched his face all up and also scratched his, forgot what it is called, cornea? He had to wear a patch over one eye for about a week. Had to get stitches in his ear.
The knock out the power here all the time. Knock out the cable. Knock out the phone lines. They have chewed holes into my house and made nests.


Worst thing they do is throw stuff at me when i am outside the lil ****** *******.

Keep loving your squirrels...I'll keep killing mine.

Cathie

Just another example of how those with guns think they give them the right to wipe out anything in their way. The squirrels are trying to survive (in a world in which we've taken away more and more and more of their homes) but apparently that's less important than stuff. Children should also be taught to stay far away from them and/or watched carefully if they're not responsible enough yet.

Ashbarns9999

It was brought to my attention the other day that squirrels can be a little tough to eat. This is probably because they are eaten too fresh, all meat should be hung for a while. However I have a recipe for a marinade that should tenderize the tasty morsels. This can also be used with deer and rabbit.

1 cup of red wine
splash of olive oil
2 teaspoons of redcurrant jelly
freshly ground pepper
dash of soy and worcestershire sauce


Whisk the ingredients pour over meat seal put into fridge. Keep there for two days, turning the meat occasionally.

Ash

__________________
Better to procrastinate than lose sight of the objective by rash deeds.


http://bonsaivaultforum.freeforums.org

astrobee

"NOOOOOOOOO......WE HAVE MADE LIVES MUCH MUCH MUCH BETTER FOR THEM.

We have eliminated all predators"

Why do think there are so many of them? Man has destroyed their natural preditors. Funny how humans refuse to open there eyes to the consequences
of their actions. The question is, will humans choose to keep theirs eyes closed in the near future as melting ice. rising sea levels, raging storms and everlasting droughts change the face of the planet.
Who will have the last laugh?

Factoid: 99% of all species that have ever populated the planet are extinct.

Can the human race beat the odds?

BONSAI_OUTLAW

Cathie...99% of the time I use a sling shot... Keep barking...

Astrobee living in rancho cucamonga, ca.....lol... Not even going to dignify this with a response... turn the tv off (that is the commercial on the history channel)and go outside and enjoy the last days on earth....

malhomme

I don't own a gun. I am actually anti-gun now that I have a family and no longer live in the woods where I needed one for sustenance.

However, I do not take issue with other people having guns. It is theirs to have, and I see them displaying no more of a "wipe anything in their way" attitude than you have displayed here. Your blanket condemnation of them is the very behavior you decry. You don't seem to like gun owners so you wipe their platform because it is in the way of your idealism.

Squirrels and birds are territorial even in the midst of hundreds of acres of forest. They are territorial by nature.

My child is not "stuff"? Also, I don't regard my bonsai as "stuff". They are living things and they make a valuable contribution to my community each year as they are seen and enjoyed at shows. Trees touch the hearts of people in a special way. When it is a work of art the effect is even more profound.

Do you live in a home or just sleep out on the prairie and use sweetgrass for a blanket? I mean to say, do you think you are exempt?

I'm not going to prevent my toddler child from going into the backyard because a bird is terrorizing him and I should just co-exist with that bird. It is smug and simplistic to say that he should be taught to stay away from them. I can make the decision to kill that animal. It is my burden and not yours if I make the decision to kill an animal.

Again, this is why I am not an absolutist. You do not live my life and cannot possibly know the circumstances that lead me to make the decisions I have made. I certainly do not know yours. But rather than judge me outright, you can instead trust that I am a person that is sensitive to the death of anything, and that I weigh my options with an educated heart and mind. You can understand that I am no more of a barbarian than you are.

Regards,
Jim