Good Morning on 18th March...
Good Morning on Wednesday 18th March. It is a nice morning with temperatures of just 2 Degrees in our Bubble and North, North Westerly winds of 6mph. It is partly cloudy but, no rain forecast at the moment. Have a fantastic day everyone.
This beautiful photo of two Red Squirrels is just lovely. It looks like they are rubbing noses. It is mating season at the moment and you can see all the birds and animals in and around Formby mating. Look out for squirrels in your garden looking for materials such as moss for nest lining, or to drink from you garden pond, the biggest attraction for squirrels is food. Red squirrels can reproduce more than twice a year. However, this is dependent on there being an adequate food supply. If there is not, they may not even reproduce at all.
Regular feeding every few days is best rather than having food permanently available, as this will encourage the squirrels to forage for natural food too. This way, you are providing a supplementary food source rather than the only source of food and you will not encourage them into bad habits. However, please top up your feeders more regularly during the summer months when natural food is scarce.
Feed throughout the year. In the wild, red squirrels feed on shoots and flowers in spring, and nuts and fruits in autumn and winter. The critical period to feed reds is during the summer months before the fruits and nuts are ripe, when their natural food is in short supply. Continued feeding throughout the winter will also provide an additional boost to the squirrels in your area.
What Food Should you Provide for the Squirrels?.
It is best to feed a variety of different foods, similar to those that the squirrel might forage for in the wild. In fact, the red squirrel will pillage the nuts and seeds found naturally in your garden. The most suitable foods for red squirrels are hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, beech (cob) nuts and pine nuts. Sweet chestnuts and walnuts are also suitable. Unsalted peanuts are another favourite, but should be not be given in isolation. Some squirrels also like oats. Please note that red squirrels don’t usually like maize (sweet corn). Young red squirrels can suffer from calcium deficiency if they feed too often on the wrong sort of food. Therefore, peanuts should not be given exclusively, but as part of a varied diet. If available, an additional calcium source could be provided with your squirrel food. This is particularly valuable during the summer for juvenile and female squirrels. To reduce calcium deficiency provide: pieces of apple or carrot; a supplement added to the feed or a dish of drinking water.
Also provide a source of water if it is not naturally available.
(Please note that grey squirrels love maize and mixed squirrel food, therefore, to discourage them, don’t provide these foods).
What Precautions Should I Take When Feeding?
The following precautions are essential:
The feeder and the food must be kept as clean as possible to prevent the spread of disease, PARTICULARLY THE SQUIRREL POX VIRUS. Feeders should be regularly cleaned (preferably every week) with a disinfectant/water solution or a detergent that is safe for animals and that destroy bacteria and prevent cross-contamination. They are available from most animal feed stores and some garden centres.
Sweet, dried foods such as raisins and sultanas must be avoided, as these are hard to digest and can cause calcium deficiency.
The food should be placed as high as possible - a good feeder location is against a tree or wall so that the squirrel doesn't have to cross open ground. It must not be scattered on the ground as cats account for a high number of fatalities in gardens visited by squirrels.
