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Home BYGL Hort Shorts April 24, 2008 THAT SQUIRREL'S GOT GAME
THAT SQUIRREL'S GOT GAME Print E-mail
Several participants joined into the annual discussion regarding the propensity for squirrels to chew the tips off of tree branches. Is this a fact or urban legend? Yearly reports of this alleged activity involve stem cutting and bark stripping on evergreens and deciduous trees. The activity seems to occur in clusters in some, but not all, neighborhoods. No firm reason has been found, but obligate gnawing, nutrition and hydration have all been put forth possibilities.

Callers contributed individual reports and Tim Malinich shared an unusual mammalian attack from several seasons ago. Tim was holding a class under some large Norway spruce. The ground was littered with newly emerged candles and the trees were populated by squirrels. However, the arboreal mammals were frightened from the trees when the class drew near. No new stems fell until the squirrels gained confidence, re-entered the spruces and began to inadvertently pelt the speaker and students with a few well-dropped spruce candles. Having already made their opinion known, the squirrels were not asked to evaluate the class.

 

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Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 April 2008 16:57 )
 

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