Chestnuts For Squirrels?

[Tilly2]

I have some left over chestnuts which have gone past their best.

We have a squirrel that frequents the garden, raiding the peanut holder. I put four of the unpeeled chestnuts on the lawn this morning, hoping that the squirrel would take them. All day, it's been running around the garden, up and down the tree, burying peanuts in the borders, ignoring the chestnuts.

I have just been out to pick up the chestnuts and they have gone. Do you think the squirrel found them, eventually or has something else picked them up? Do squirrels eat chestnuts?

[MargoTester]

They eat anything! We put out one of those red net bags of peanuts on a hanger and one of the little pests unhooked the whole bag and legged it up a tree , greedy little beggar!

[Tilly2]

I'll try another few tomorrow and see if I can 'catch' it in the act.

[Tilly2]

Margo, I'll bet it left the net up the tree!

[Bigbad]

Don't know about eat anything - I read they like corn, but when I bought it for them, they didn't touch it!
Mine like coconut best.

[MargoTester]

We're inundated with them, sometimes 6/8 at a time. They dig up the garden to bury stuff they can't eat and are areal pest. They even eat flowers. We back into woods so they are always about. As you can tell I am not a fan of them

[Tilly2]

Do you buy coconuts for your squirrels, Bigbad? How do you 'serve' them?

[Tilly2]

I can see why you are not a fan, Margo. We have only one visiting. It makes me laugh, dashing about.

[MargoTester]

Agreed Tilly they are comical. They chase one another around up and down the fences, we reckon they look like scalectrix cars. It just really annoys me the damage they do to the garden that I spend a lot of money, and hours, on.

[Tilly2]

You need a dog to chase 'em off. That works.

[viv41]

I love them, Mum has one in her garden and we love watching it ..

[Tilly2]

What does it eat, Viv?

[Islay]

We used to have 2 in our garden - I happily fed them happy little creatures so they are.

[viv41]

Mum puts peanuts out in their shells Tilly, he (or she) goes mad for them. I love to see him burying them and patting the soil down with his little paws ..

[Tilly2]

That patting the peanuts into the ground is funny to watch. It's a good job that the peanuts don't germinate.

[MargoTester]

If you want to encourage them Tilly they REALLY like digestive biscuits. We used to put whole ones out and they would turn them round and round before scoffing them. When my OH was made redundant we broke them in half, you should have seen the dirty looks we got! They would even come to the patio doors and tap on the window to attract attention. They would come and take them from you hands at the back door.

[woofgang]

I have got dogs and squirrels. They keep a close eye on the dogs and giggle at them.

[Tilly2]

If I put biscuits out, Margo, Tilly will find them.

Yes, Woof, they get just out of reach, don't they?

[Bigbad]

I also border woods, and have up to 7 or 8 some days.
Tilly, I drain and shell the coconuts, then chop them up.
Do several at a time, and then freeze them.

[jomifl]

When you say squirrels I guess you mean the grey variety?

[Bigbad]

Yep, at least I do.
Never seen a red one.