PS - Posted this in Wildlife Garden too - I don't think of squirrels as pests but their recent activity in our yard is at least pesky ;-) Steve

Howdy.... Looks like it is going to be a cold winter in our parts.... The Red Squirrels are packing away the 'pine' cones as fast as they can like they've not done since we lived here (15 years). I'm having to nearly daily clean off our driveway of all the Douglas Fir cones that the little devils are dropping from 6 or so Doug Fir in our front yard. I place the cones in separate piles in areas I see the squirrels scampering off to. These piles are usually gone within a week. I've been leaving the ones that they are tucking into our flower beds but these are starting to get a bit thick with cones - Oh Well - that's living in the woods. Just the last week they've even been putting them into a birdbath. It only takes them a couple of hours to fill the birdbath back up again when I clean it out and put in fresh water. My guess is that all the fir cone activity is due to a number of factors: 1) more Red Squirrels, 2) first year we've had an actual sprinkler system in the front yard (used to water by hose/sprinkler), 3) squirrel chasing dog in backyard (a kid's dog that is away at school), 4) just that kind of year for Douglas Fir, and maybe 5) we're gonna have a heck of a winter!

I've put some pix online at the link below. The driveway shot is the first bunch they brought down. I've raked the driveway twice and it is in this state again (maybe they are using me?!?). The birdbath is clean currently but has been this way (in pix) at least 5 times. Other pix are how deep they are piling them in the flower beds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Squirrels & Douglas Fir Cones