Why are squirrels doing this to our tree?

Does anyone know why the squirrels are stripping all the leaves from our Ash tree?  Any suggestions on how to make them stop?  I'm worried about the health of the tree and am really tried of cleaning up after them.

I was watching some squirrels in a tree this morning - looked like they were eating the buds.  Each time, a hunk of leaves would fall on the ground.

And look what they did to that other tree! Cut it clean right down!

In addition to munching on the buds, they could be taking them off the twigs to build a comfy drey. Just like birds build nests in trees. Those really big nests you see are probably for squirrels. Have you observed any of the squirrels taking those things up into a tree?

tourn said:

And look what they did to that other tree! Cut it clean right down!

No, that was the artificial fertilizers that did that.   

If only we could do something about that...

Are the squirrels snacking on cicadas? Aren't we due for a big invasion this year?

Eek. No cicadas. Please. God, how I hate locust years. But up to that point I was really enjoying this thread. 

Apologies for thread drift - but Sweetsnuggles - I sent you a pm on another topic . . .

Why are squirrels doing that to your tree? Because they are a55holes, that's why. 

tourn said:

And look what they did to that other tree! Cut it clean right down!

Thanks for the laugh!  My husband found your comment hilarious!

@bikefixed -- At first I thought they were building nests, but that's not the case.  They aren't taking any of the branches back up into the tree.  I've observed up to six squirrels at a time sitting in the tree gnawing away, dropping branches. 

Yesterday while walking around the neighborhood I saw an Ash tree on Brookside Lane that is also being attacked by the squirrels. 

@kthnry -- I haven't seen a single cicada.  Isn't it too early for them to be active?

spontaneous said:

Why are squirrels doing that to your tree? Because they are a55holes, that's why. 

And to think that when we first moved here I actually put food out for them. 

We have one tree in our back yard that happens to every year. I always assumed that it was like the "helicopter" seeds of a maple tree that fall off. Just looked, and maybe you're right. The twig does look like it could have been chewed off. Don't know what you can do about it.

Squirrels are jerks.

From animals.mom.me

Teeth Maintenance

If a nameless critter has been chewing away at the branches in your backyard, it could be a squirrel who is looking to keep his teeth tidy and in good working condition. When squirrels chew on branches, they're not only often trying to spruce up their teeth, they're also often trying to keep them razor-edged. If a squirrel has been using your trees as massive toothbrushes, you might see many fallen tiny branches surrounding them.

Branches and Nesting

Trees squirrels frequently chew off trees branches as a means of constructing nests -- or dreys. Dreys are usually situated about 30 feet up in the air. They consist of branches squirrels chew off, and also of foliage and pine needles.

Desire for Sodium

Some squirrels have habits of going after bark that comes from the highest branches of trees. Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) as an example are big on this. When they pull off the bark on these branches, they're trying to get their sodium requirements, as the sap underneath is packed with the element. Some squirrels do this at the beginning of both the spring and autumn seasons every year. If this is a concern for you, you can help squirrels out by offering them tiny salt blocks that are usually easily available at pet goods shops. If you leave these blocks by the foundations of trees in your yard, it might keep them away from your branches.

Food Shortages and Tree Bark

Competition for food can be intense in the squirrel world, especially when numbers of the furry guys are higher than normal. When squirrels can't access their favorite dietary staples, they sometimes resort to chewing tree bark, often from the branches. Fox and gray squirrels alike do this regularly -- both types of tree squirrels. The dilemma of scant sustenance often occurs in the winter and at the start of the spring. When squirrels have to be more resourceful about food, they also dine on tree buds. They regularly extract bark from trunks and branches alike.

Overall Diet

While squirrels are capable of inflicting destruction on bark from trunks and branches, the foods they commonly munch on go a lot broader and more diverse than just those things. Some typical components in squirrels' feeding plans include acorns, nuts, seeds, foliage and berries, just to start. They often eat whatever it takes to ensure their continued survival, whether corn, mushrooms, eggs from birds or bugs.

Couldn't resist:

https://youtu.be/TS7dVHSHICY

"Like"

spontaneous said:

Why are squirrels doing that to your tree? Because they are a55holes, that's why. 

YES!!  And that should be the end of the discussion.

Just leave out some leftover pizza.  Plenty of salt.  Plus it's cute watching squirrels drag pizza up trees.

nan said:

Just leave out some leftover pizza.  Plenty of salt.  Plus it's cute watching squirrels drag pizza up trees.

Found this article on their intelligence by Melissa Schindler

How Smart Is a Squirrel.

Animal Intelligence

While a squirrel isn’t going to pen the next bestseller or ace a calculus class, the squirrel is smart in his own way. When looking at animal intelligence, humans shouldn’t judge animals by human standards. The best way to judge animal intelligence is how well they adapt and make use of the world around them. Squirrels are experts at adapting, capable of living almost anywhere, so much so that in some areas they are viewed as pests. Memory and abstract thought are two hallmarks of intelligence that squirrels have proven they are capable of.

Quick Learners

Squirrels are quick studies, capable of learning by observation. In a study performed at the University of Exeter, squirrels would watch another squirrel remove a nut from one of two pots. The squirrels learned quickly that if the squirrel they watched took the nut, the pot would be empty and that going for the opposite pot was the better bet. When having to choose a pot without watching a fellow squirrel first, they showed no preference. Being able to learn by observation is an indicator of abstract thought.

Memory

Squirrels bury nuts in order to have access to them later, a skill that’s not very helpful if they can’t remember where they hid them. Squirrels have shown they are capable of remembering where they have buried nuts. In study performed at Princeton University, grey squirrels were capable of using spatial memory to retrieve nut caches they had buried. They can remember good sources of food from year to year. Squirrels are also capable of memorizing the easiest route up a tree to get back and forth from their nests.

Deterring Thieves

If a squirrel comes across another squirrel’s cache of nuts, he’ll happily take them for himself. To deter would-be robbers, squirrels will rebury a cache of nuts over and over. Moving food around makes it harder for another squirrel to find the store. Squirrels will pretend to bury a nut if they know they are being watched and wait until they are alone to actually hide it. Being capable of actively deceiving another squirrel

When I was at Ohio State (where I saw squirrels dragging pizza up trees), the squirrels used to gang us on us trying to steel food.  If I was eating lunch out of a bag under a tree, one squirrel would do a dance in front of me, while the other would sneak around the back and try to grab the bag.  Maybe they audited classes too, I'm not sure.

Setup some hav-a-heart cages to snatch the culprits and transport them far away from home -- worked for me

Trapping leaves the babies to die.

When I took some babies that fell from their nest to a wildlife rehab, the woman was overjoyed that they were females as there  was a declining population that year. She suspected it was due to pesticides. She nursed them back and I picked them up at maturity to release them on my property. The little ones are not good at finding food the first year so I was provided with a squirrel nesting box and told to feed them over their first winter.

Hopefully people will treat them with compassion but if that is not motivator enough we have learned from experience that when we have less of one species other species are effected.

Live and let live.