Darn those squirrels! Will they never leave you alone????

This looks to me like the work of the crafty squirrelus insulticus, gray variety, which, among other things, ruins large garden vegetables but, ironically, leaves most of the vegetable intact. His diabolical work is usually done under cover of darkness, or at least when noone is around. His goal in life is to exasperate, confound, and drive his victims to their wit's end with cruel pranks and shocking behavior, such as destroying bird feeders and taunting dogs.

Experts speculate that this outrageous behavior stems from the fact that squirrels have to live in trees and that this has made them bitter. Go figure.

In this instance notice the stem of the pumpkin, which you can no longer use to lift it. Pumpkin guts have been strewn everywhere by the demented rodent, making the otherwise beautiful pumpkin, and your doormat, a mess. Much of the pumpkin is still there, but who wants to cook pumpkin that has been chewed by a rodent?

And note the signature of the squirrelus insulticus - pumpkin seeds scattered in a deliberately messy manner, almost as if to say "Ha! Trick or Treat! Smell my feet!" Messiness is their trademark, along with sarcasm.

These acts of wildlife vandalism have been enough to drive some people to swear they will never buy another pumpkin.

My sympathies. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to be victimized by the infuriating squirrelus insulticus. There is no real solution as long as we live with wildlife. Your best defense is a sense of humor.

Good luck!

Much funnier than my response, chickadee! Are you a fan of the road runner cartoons? I can just see that rodent in Paul's yard holding up the squirrelus insulticus sign-LOL. Paul, so glad you have been continuing to post-love your style and really, you make me laugh out loud!!!! Your posts about the baffles, etc. were hilarious. You should write a book!

Hehe

Since the original post, several other pumpkins have fallen victim to the pumpkin serial killer.

I had thought it was the really large raccoon, but then I caught the murderer red handed.

Now I know why they are keep climbing the tree to look in the window. They want to know if I am near the front door before they raid the pumpkins. Smart Bastards. Apparently, they don't raid my neighbor's pumpkins because she has two very large dogs.

I coated the last pumpkin with hot sauce. It seemed to have stopped them for now.

Paul

Terrific photo, Paul!

I actually leave my pumpkins out for the nasty little rodents. I think I suffer from a split personality when it comes to squirrels. Let the mongrel horde out to chase them in the backyard...feel awful when they actually catch one...feed them pumpkins in the front yard...with luck, they are as confused as I seem to be!

Cynthia

We grow pumpkins to
feed the critters, deer love to stomp on them mush them up and eat them too! No pumpkin gone unused here! Natures recycling.

LOL, Paul! That is too funny!

I put some peanuts in a carved pumpkin and put it out for the squirrels. It was hilarious watching them figure out how to get one!