Do Red Squirrels Like Pine Cones??? (Especially when served on boats...)

[Old No7]

2023 was a banner year for pine cones in this part of Maine...

We've been here 12 years and have always had a few come down in the yard, but this year, likely due to a wet spring & summer and some seasonal changes with the pine trees -- we've had hundreds, if not thousands come down in the yard. A pine tree overhangs my driveway and by November, it was dotted white in spots from sap from the tree (luckily, it's not over our cars); again, we've never seen anything like that in 12 years.

But now -- after opening up my boat to get it over to the outboard shop -- I can finally answer the question that nobody has asked....

Do Red Squirrels Like Pine Cones??? (Especially when served on boats...)

The answer is YES -- per the images that follow below...

We've had signs of mice before -- and had 6 dead/drowned ones in the anti-freeze-filled bucket trap (No Tox) -- but nothing matches this!!!

I vacuumed out 30 gallons of Pine Cone scales with my dry vac -- as luckily, it has a 2.5" diameter hose.

And also luckily, there were no piles or smells from pee or poop.

Still, I feel SO violated...................

Old No7

Pine Cone scales 01.jpeg

Pine Cone scales 02.jpeg

Pine Cone scales 03.jpeg

[gcs]

That's what you get when you cover your boat....

[GunnyMack]

I was in a tree stand years ago, a red was bringing pine cones and stashing them in a hollow log. Along comes a grey and takes a cone out. Eventually they met as the grey was in the log. The sounds they were making would curdle your blood! Of course I was laughing so hard and loud my buddies could hear me!

[jeepnik]

Perhaps it looked/sounded funny, but to the critters involved it was a true fight for survival. Not necessarily at that moment but from starvation later.

[Ysabel Kid]

Darn tree rats vandalizing your boat!!!

[GunnyMack]

Trust me that red went Chuck Norris on that grey squirrel!

[2ndovc]

Those crazy little buggers.

I'm always cleaning up after them around our cabin and will knock off one or two every summer. I remember one trip up there, probably twenty years ago that I bagged a dozen of the little stinkers in one weekend. They can get pretty destructive in those kind of numbers.

We have a few around here in OH, but not a big population. My Rat Terrier had one cornered the other day and it made the mistake that he was fast enough to make it to the closest tree. Didn't work out well.

jb

[765x53]

Never seen a red squirrel. We only have fox squirrels and greys in Missouri. We also have very few pine cones.