The Downfalls of The New Age Squirrel

Sometimes having squirrels relying on human's for food is not good. If the squirrel begins to rely on humans too much, they will enter a state of dependence, Steele said. Since squirrels are still wild animals this can be very harmful to them. Squirrels will fluctuate in population with the seed crop since they are seed eating animals. Since it's common to find trees that humans fertilize and maintain in suburban and urban areas, these trees will produce more food for the squirrels. Diane Brown, an MSU Extension educator, runs into more problems with squirrels. Digging up bulbs, chewing branches, and chewing siding, which can be common with Red Squirrels, are a few of the things that Brown has had to deal with with squirrels. Although she said that they can be a nuisance, she also agreed that they help the environment. When squirrels bury nuts they are replanting trees and other things.

"Without squirrels, we wouldn't have oak forest," Brown said.

Squirrels are smart animals and understanding their behavior can often help you manage them as well. There will be many times people come upon squirrel encounters, but if you know how to deal with them and how they behave, it will be much easier to know what to do. So, next time you see a squirrel throw them an acorn, or two!