The squirrels are out and about preparing for the colder months. It has been an exceptional acorn year, so the blue jays and squirrels are competing for the best of the nuts!
It is unique that we are seeing them attack the pine oak trees this season, but actually leaving the white oaks and red oaks alone. You may be noticing a lot more branches on the ground this season. Take a close look, these little squirrel rodents have chewed them off!
Why?
Earlier in the year, they may have been doing this to build a nest.
Their front teeth never stop growing—so they have to constantly chew to keep them worn down.
They may actually be cutting down branches so they can pick up the acorns and bury them later.
We don’t worry if they chew twigs, but we do worry when they start attacking tree trunks or branches! Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to stop the twig chewing on larger trees. However, if you have a young tree that they are attacking, we would recommend tree wrap. Just make sure that it is not too tight—as you’ll want to avoid rubbing the tree, but keep the wrap tight/small enough so that the squirrels cannot get between the wrap and the tree.
You can also find some commercial repellants on the market with a little research.
