Apr 04 2009
Hot Paws and Squirrel feeding
I cracked my screen door this morning and this guy (or girl) was sitting on the porch. He didn’t run away, it almost seemed like he was evaluating my intentions. I figured someone must have fed him before, so I grabbed the almost stale Kraft Mac and cheese crackers I was about to throw out and threw some his way. He had obviously had this experience before, because he immediately ran up and grabbed the food, scurrying just out of my reach to eat each cracker.
I kept an eye out for florescent orange paw prints, and made sure people passing by didn’t see our cracker transaction. The co-op board has put out numerous notices in the past about not feeding wildlife. Their reasoning is that feeders attract other wildlife that can damage the building. (Which is made of solid concrete.)
But feeding the squirrels can be dangerous. According to a 1969 study on Grey Squirrel metabolism (Ludwick, Fontenot, Mosby), an average sized squirrel needs 137 calories a day to get by. If given the chance, squirrels will voluntarily exceed this requirement and eat about 203 calories a day.There are about 203 calories in 55 Kraft Macaroni and Cheese crackers. If I fed my squirrel this many a day, he would exceed his energy requirements by about 66 calories a day. Over a year he would gain almost 7 pounds.
The nicely landscaped tree branches may no longer be able to support him at this size, and drama would ensue. Utility lines would collapse, causing massive power outages. If all this feeding attracted more 8 pound squirrels, building structures may indeed be threatened. 
Rules against feeding squirrels? Phooey. Feed them, I say.
We once through out a bunch of walnuts (wife and kids are allergic to them) in the backyard one fall. A squirrel spent the better part of a day collecting those nuts. We made the little fellow’s winter, I’m sure.