Save our Squirrels

September 28, 2009 10:52 AM

How do we minimize the death and destruction of cute woodland creatures while have a couple of pine trees cut down?

I've got a total of three pine trees in my backyard, two of which are looking rather sickly and I would like to have cut down.

I've also got a family of squirrels (more than one family?). Why they chose my backyard I have no idea--you'd think they'd get tired of my dog chasing them.

I'm not sure exactly which tree(s) they're living in as I've seen them in all three--they're pretty close together so I'm sure there's lots of aerobatic feats of limb jumping involved.

Anyhoo, they are awfully cute and I'd like to keep them alive and happy.

Teh Googles leads me to some sites I'd rather not visit again =)

We've also got a nice bird population in the warmer months that I'd like to keep happy too. Well, that is until the crows come along and throw their nests to the ground. Jerks.

QUERY: Is there a time of year that's better than others to cut down trees to minimize their discomfort (and avoid their deaths)? Are there any tricks I can use to try to lure them into the tree that's staying put?

Thanks much!

posted by Zoyashka to home & garden (7 comments total)

Once the chain saw starts up, the cute cuddly creatures will make themselves scarce. You don't need to worry about it.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:09 AM on September 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Once the chain saw starts up, the cute cuddly creatures will make themselves scarce.

Assuming they're grown. Baby squirrels will just die.

PAWS Wildlife Center (Lynnwood, WA) says:

From March through September, assume there are juveniles in the nest, and wait until the babies are old enough to leave on their own.

If that's right, you may have baby squirrels right now. Contact PAWS and ask them for advice on local squirrel (and maybe tree) removal.
posted by pracowity at 11:38 AM on September 28, 2009

Will the squirrels have someplace else to go once the trees are gone? If not, they may start eyeballing your house. If you want to provide some nesting area for them, toss a (yes) owl house up into a tree. You may or may not get a screech owl, but you'll almost certainly see the squirrels move in pretty quick. The boxes are simple (here's one made from a single board) and screech owls are great. Giving a squirrel somewhere to nest is great too*.

* but not as great as having screech owls around, purring in the trees at night.
posted by jquinby at 11:45 AM on September 28, 2009

The wind loading on the remaining tree will be different after the other two are gone. Does your arborist think leaving one is a good idea ?
posted by llc at 1:14 PM on September 28, 2009

I didn't even think about checking with PAWS...good idea!

A squirrel house! That actually sounds like fun =)

LLC--good thinking. I didn't even think about that! I'll be sure to find a professional tree "doctor" to come take a look before I do anything drastic.

Thanks!
posted by Zoyashka at 2:02 PM on September 28, 2009

Also, consider having the arborist (and you *are* working with a certified arborist, right?) leave the standing de-limbed/topped trees as snags. Snags provide much more habitat for lifeforms that even living trees do. You might get to see some awesome woodpecker activitiy.
posted by dbmcd at 2:23 PM on September 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Snags are fine, provided they're not within striking distance of anything. After a few years of sitting in the ground the parts below the soil decompose and eventually stop anchoring what's left.
If the squirrels have a nest, it should be visible from the ground (somewhere, walk around looking into the crowns) as a clump of twigs and leaves a fork somewhere, either at a clump of branches or where main leaders split. If you don't find one, it could well be that they are using the trees only as travel routes or for food. You didn't say what kind of pines or where you are, so (no insult to you) you could actually be talking about spruce trees, which squirrels love to chew cones on, and often nibble twigs. They'll eat pine cones at times also, and now is the time of year for cones.
What llc mentioned can be true; trees growing in close proximity to other trees expend energy trying to reach light, and because they are protecting each other from wind, they do not put on as much wood for girth. You may notice a tree growing by itself in a field is stout, compared to trees growing in a forest (in general, mind you). If you remove trees around a previously protected tree, it can be more susceptible to failure, though still, most trees without defects are crazy strong.
You absolutely should have a good arborist look at them for you. Use your judgment, because even some certified arborists can be dumbasses. The test is not incredibly difficult, but it's definitely a good starting point for weeding out the chaff.
posted by Red Loop at 4:55 PM on September 28, 2009