22 October 2013- Rodent redux

I have been fighting rodents again. Well, one actually. One wily rock squirrel. By the end of July I had trapped and relocated 1 rat, 2 raccoons, 13 rock squirrels and 3 red squirrels. At that point I decided I could live with whoever was left.  Now, two and a half months later I changed my mind about the state of detente.

At least one rock squirrel has been busy digging tunnels under the playhouse, under the cement pad behind the garage, adding more tunnels in the new rock wall by the shop. I was living with this until he decided to climb the pole to the bird feeder. 

The red squirrels used to wrap around the outside of the feeder like a fur stole. This squirrel figured out how to get inside the feeder. 

I decided enough was enough, baited a trap and set it up close to the feeder. Yay! This morning the trap was sprung. What? Not the squirrel? Caught a rat. Took him for a ride up the canyon. 

I moved the feeder--hanging it from a branch in a tree thinking he could no longer reach it.  

First, it climbed up the pole and was stunned to find the food source missing. 

I don't know what was funnier, the astonishment when the food was gone or the glare he gave me before sliding backwards down the pole. heh heh. 

It took him less than five minutes (doubt the pronoun? Check out the picture) to find the new location and get in. 

Although he did have a false start with the hummingbird feeder. 

After taking this next picture I walked over to see if I could hold the lid down on the feeder and have a captive squirrel. Not one of my best ideas. 

I took the feeder down, baited the trap again and caught him. Triumph!  Another trip up the canyon and the rest of my day? Squirrel-less.