Yet another use for Hosta ?

11 years ago

Have you ever left them on the ground when winter arrives? Just to see them go up a tree? Well, maybe not on there own.. but bundled tight in the mouth of a squirrel. I could see the multiple squirrels scrounging today and one was busy picking up the leaves I didn't. He/she almost appeared to be rolling a fat stogie to smoke later in the day.

It was in fact a bed or insulation that was being built I am sure. It worries me to see them this active as in the past they have been known to sense a coming storm. I recall one year how they seemed not to care when it snowed the first time that season. But when I heard there was a BAD storm coming the squirrels went the entire day RUNNING leaves up the tree and into the squirrel box homes I hung for them.

I know many of you have had bad experiences with these guys, as I do off and on. But looking up at the opening to the squirrel box on a rainy or snowy day. and seeing the squirrel head peering out you can read their minds..
"I am so glad I don't have to go out in this weather..."

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Comments (7)

peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
11 years ago
Too funny leafwatcher !!! Yes they are endlessly amusing aren't they. Very nice and brave of you to give them such a great home.
I am surrounded by forest and I could hear & see them tossing pine cones to the ground. Later watched as they perched on rocks to chew the cones apart.
As I was thinking how cute I was also thinking how many of those seedlings I would later be pulling.
Well adapted creatures they are. A new use for hostas indeed.
Babka NorCal 9b
11 years ago
Yes, they are cute stretched out on the top of our back fence in the warm sun, then sitting up with their adorable little white tummies and fluffy tails.

BUT, we have dozens of tree squirrels here in our very small suburban lots. They dig holes all over my yard to bury live oak acorns and peanuts. They especially like to put them in my hosta pots...all winter long. A day doesn't go by w/o seeing 5 or 6 of them. Here they even come out in the rain. They often run around on the roof leaving poop pellets that roll into the one 12 ft piece of gutter we have on our house. When it rains guess what pours out the end with the water. It ain't chocolate.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

-Babka
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don_in_colorado
11 years ago
They do some occasional shallow digging around the place, and leave shredded pine cones about, but I've never seen any evidence they actively mess with plants in the beds. So I let them live : )

Don B.
digger96 4b MN
11 years ago
bushy tailed tree rats

sorry but i've been bit by one before
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
Tree rats, indeed. Perhaps if I "leave the leaves" of the hosta for them they'll leave my conifers alone. I wish they'd just leave so they'd leave me alone.

tj
in ny zone5
11 years ago
Most of my squirrels emigrated several miles away and never came back. They never bothered using spent hosta leaves for upholstery in their homes, don't care what they do now, they are not missed.
User
11 years ago
Squirrels are jerks.

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt however, because I don't believe I've ever seen them do any damage to my hostas.

They do, however, eat plenty of the seed and suet I put out for the birds. So last summer I found 2 cute metal bird cages at a market and thought it would help deter the squirrels if I put the suet blocks inside the cages.

Wrong.

Jerks.