Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-12-04
This and That
By Charles Z. TrdceUeu.

FALLS Cf1OHCd, VA.
Dear Sir:
Il have always been fond of squirrels,
since my childhood, when they were
tanned as pets for my pleasure by a
patient father, and I was just planning
to set up housing quarters for the few
which feed regularly, when I dis
covered the damage to the interior
Of my cabin home by a single squirrel
"He had gnawed the window sashes
In the kitchen, sun room and drawing
room, had been on every ledge Of fur
niture, going from room to room and
finally to the bedroom where he pulled
down lace curtain, bedspread and
also tried to gnaw the window frame
in the bathroom, as well as overturning
q number of house plants and other
breakable articles and 1t was not until
discovered that he came down a small
chimney, not now used, in the bedroom,
that learned how he got in.
Il am still intent on constructing a
few houses for the comfort of the squir-
rels, which as you have said, are hav-
ing more of a struggle for existence
this year on account of the shortage
of acorns.
Sincerely yours o. E. c."
X
This is first-hand evidence of the
damage squirrel can do indoors.
The answer is to keep them out
Chimneys are the usual entrances, so
in wooded areas it is best to keep them
screened. Screens will keep out leaves
and an occasional bird, too.
Dampers should be kept closed when
fireplaces are not in use.
This demands enough memory to
know that the damper is closed, of
course. 1t is not pleasant to start a
fire with the fiue closed up. Which
brings us around to fireplace technique.
1t is always a good idea for some one
person to run the fireplace, so that
there will be no mixing of ways Of
doing 1t. In this way one technique
invariably will be in force, and the
one will know when the damper Is shut
and when it ought to be opened.
1t may be bit of trouble to close
a fireplace damper between fires, but
one has only to read the above letter
to see the value of it. And that is just
one standpoint. There are other bene-
fits. Leaving it open may provide some
sort of ventilation, but 1t is not enough
to Offset squirrel. Read our cor
respondent again, If you are a fresh
air fiend.
People are not fresh air fans" as
they used to be, anyway Lessened fuel
has seen to that. It is interesting to
watch houses and notice how few per-
sons 60 in for wide open windows any
more. The truth seems to be that
unless the sleeping quarters are packed
with people there is enough good air
in any room to last the night through.
And it is much warmer!
After a day at the ONCE it is no fun
to come home and find that squirrel
has gotten in and not been able to
get out.
1t is the getting out, of course, that
makes the damage. These animals
never seem to be able to 60 out as they
came in. Undoubtedly their small minds
are not SUFFICIENT for that. Once in,
they become upset because they do not
find the way out, and then occurs what
the ancients called the panic terror"
This is pure animal, and is seen at its
worst among human beings in theater
fires, etc.
Such terror besets the squirrel swiftly.
He is prisoner! The fact that he
brought 1t on himself land it serves
him right does not enter his mind. He
has no mind for that sort of thing.
All he can think Of is to get out He
can see the outdoors from which he
came and to which he desires to return.
But he cannot get out. Certainly it
would stampede any one.
Let us not be too hard on a poor
animal which gets itself into such a sit
uation. It is partly our own fault.
With superior minds, we ought to have
provided against such a contingency.
Maybe We will be caught. ourselves.
some day, and there is no telling what
We may do in our effort to get out.
Follow the good example Of our cor
respondent and construct . few small
houses for the squirrels. With plenty
Of houses outdoors. and some food, they
VIII mot be tempted TO come In.
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