DEAR JOAN: I have a pair of squirrels devouring my maple tree.
They race up and down and then pause as far out on a branch as they dare and nibble on the places where new leaves are sprouting. Must be something really delicious for them, but they sure make a mess of leaves and short ends dropped on the patio.
Pat Corr, Martinez
DEAR PAT: It sounds like they are trying to get some maple syrup for their pancakes.
OK, that’s not really what they’re up to. All that tip pruning could be done for one of two reasons, or perhaps both. First, squirrels have teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives. If they didn’t do something about it, their top teeth would grow down through their lower jaws and their lower teeth would grow into their brains.
So they chew on things to file their teeth down. That’s why you might see squirrels gnawing on your siding, your deck furniture and many other things. It turns out that the newest growth on trees, especially maple trees, are a favorite for the squirrels. I imagine the sap is tasty and serves the purpose.
The other reason they might be after your tree is that they are building their winter nests and are collecting supple material to help line it and make it more weather tight.
Other than the mess, the pruning probably isn’t harming the tree, which should be entering dormancy.
DEAR JOAN: We share a property line with Alvarado Park, which is part of Wildcat Canyon. We have all kinds of wildlife that visit us — a flock of 26 turkeys, a buck and a few does, three fawns; sweet, little, noisy screaming foxes, coyotes and coyote pups.
A few days ago my neighbor took his dog out his back door — there is no fence and there is direct access to the fire lane in the park — and a few feet away from him were two very young and playful coyote pups.
He wanted them to move so his little dog could do what she needed to do, so he picked up a lime and threw it in the direction of the pups.
One pup ran off and one pup ran after the lime, got it, brought it back to him and dropped it in front of him. He wanted to play fetch!
Our neighbor then just yelled at them and waved his arms and both pups ran off, but we’ve laughed over this.
Glorya N., Walnut Creek
DEAR GLORYA: It’s amazing how wild animals can be a lot like the domesticated ones, especially when they are young. I image several people who have tried with no success to get their dog to play fetch are seething with jealousy that a coyote pup mastered it without a single lesson.
It might seem cold-hearted to some that your neighbor didn’t take a few minutes to play with the coyote pup, but what he did is commendable. Coyotes and other wildlife need to remain wild, with a healthy fear or suspicion of humans.
If he had played with the pup, it would have gotten the notion that it’s OK to run up to humans (and their little dogs), and would expect the next person it saw to be just as friendly.
Unfortunately, the next person wouldn’t know the pup meant no harm and the result could be unfortunate for the coyote. Enjoy the memory of that brief moment, and know the coyote pup can grow up safely, or at least safer.
