Evening star., 1949-02-07
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeu
HOBART STREET.

HOBART STREET.
Dear Sir:
"1s there any way to get rid of a squirrel?
Il am afraid he may bite or disease my
baby while she is airing in her carriage.
He jumps up on it and no amount of
seating or shooing or noise keeps him away
for long.
We've even tried throwing clods of dirt,
but he just moves few feet and comes right
back.
II don't think he's hungry-hes fed.up
and down the block. and know he's got
nuts hidden away
what is he looking for in the baby car
riage-besides the baby-and what can do
to discourage him?
Il would hate to be cruel to the little
thing as I've liked squirrels heretofore but
don't intend to let him bite the baby or
make her ILL., and I've read they have done
just that right here in Washington.
Il shall appreciate your advice
Very truly yours, M. G. K"
A persistent squirrel is a problem
Some of them are more curious than
others. and evidently Mrs. ks squirrel with
fondneSS for baby is one of these.
But no baby Is safe around a squirrel. not
so much from the standpoint of disease, as
from that of a bite.
A squirrel bite might be delivered on a
sudden turn Of the baby's head.
quick movement of the hand, and nip!
right down to the bone would go those sharp
teeth.
Even person with the greatest fondness
for squirrels could not feel that one would
make good playmate for baby.
Certainly every such child has the Ameri-
can right OF sleeping soundly in his carriage
without benefit of bushy-tailed rodent
One must sympathize with the curiosity Of
the four-legged one. For some reason this
particular specimen has hankering to in
vestigate this particular baby.
1t might be the odor of the milk bottle.
or other food if any. 1t might be the gleam
of the babys eyes. It could be some other
rel.
After all, squirrel has right, hasn't it.
to have its own squirrly ideas about things?
Emerson said that the thoughts of turtle
are all turtle.
Undoubtedly squirrel is an inGividualist,
and each one has different way OF look
ing at life; each one has its own ways Of &C
tions, unlike those of other squirrels All
of them will walk along electric and tele-
phone wires above the street All Of them
find that this is a safe passageWay.
But no two of them will approach the
problem of getting into difficult bird feed
ing station in the same way Just for fun
hang a coconut shell filled with seed or
suet in the middle of wire suspended be-
tween two posts. Then watch the squirrels
One will solve the problem offered in one
manner, another in different way; one
after the other, each approaching squirrel
will have his own method of getting to the
food Each one sees the other solve it. but
never initiates him.
Why the squirrel is trying to get into the
baby carriage is a problem.
1t might be a mother squirrel trying to
find good material for nest.
They build these large nests the year
around.
1t might be squirrel with a real admira-
tion for cute baby, who knows?
Whatever it is, a squirrel is no addition
to we'll filled baby carriage, and we would
advise Mrs. K. to get rid of the rodent as
quickly as possible
Trapping is the most humane way. In
this manner the creature may be taken clear
out of the neighborhood.
=. Lacking that a neat shot between the
squirrel eyes might help. 1t sounds cruel,
and it is but it would solve the problem.
Killing doesn't often solve problems, but 1t
probably would this one.
A less sanguinary scheme would be to rig
up a line around the baby carriage with
strips of cloth hanging down. Such scheme
sometimes keeps rabbits out of a carrot
patch. and maybe 1t would keep squirrel
out Of baby carriage.