let the battles begin

[graue]

12 martins, some starlings, some sparrows, and a squirrel are busy with their annual battle to see who gets what compartment in the martin house.
The squirrel is really a bad actor. It has cut my tv cable several times, ate the caulking around roof vents, killed a queen palm by chewing off head of the palm, and tearing up martin nests. I do not understand how it can climb a 20 foot steel pole and get around the bottom of the house to get at the compartments but it does. It even is able to avoid capture by a red tailed hawk that chases it around a lot.

[klcretired]

graue ,
stay after them , don't give up , you will win !!!!!
it took me a few years but now i am free of The S & S's , i trapped the squirrels in live traps using Pecans & peanuts.
Persistance pays off , soon you will have nothing but Martins and Martins Only at your location

[Donnie Hurdt MN]

If a squirrel can climb your pole there are plenty of other critters around that can climb it as well anytime day or night. Why cant you put up a predator gaurd of some sort?

[DornCounty]

yes do your martins a favor.. Put a squirel baffle up.

http://www.purplemartin.org/update/PredBaff.html