Since I relocated 15 abandoned (and now neutered) cats to my barn the squirrel population has either thinned or moved deeper into the woods.
> -----Original Message----- > From: Mercedes [mailto:mercedes-boun...@okiebenz.com] On Behalf Of > Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes > Sent: Monday, March 18, 2019 12:05 PM > To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Cc: Andrew Strasfogel <astrasfo...@gmail.com> > Subject: [MBZ] OT: New England Squirrel Boom > > Curt already knows about this. > > NEW ENGLANDSquirrel boom does a number on maple syrup > operationsPublished: > Friday, March 15, 2019 > > Maple syrup producers have more than the weather to worry about. Frenetic > squirrels are chomping on equipment, crimping the flow of sap at some > operations. > > Damage from wildlife — deer, bear woodpeckers and squirrels — is not > unusual for maple producers, but this year an abundant population of > squirrels is disrupting plastic sap tubing and spouts at some sugaring > operations in New England. > > That means producers must go out into sometimes deep snow to find and > replace the damaged lines that transport the sap from the maple trees or other > chewed or missing equipment, which producers say can be time-consuming > and expensive. > > "Occasionally they declare war. And it seems like they have this year," > said Ruth Goodrich of Goodrich's Maple Farm in Danville, Vt., the largest > maple-producing state. > > The boom in the squirrel population is mostly tied to an increase in food > source, such as acorns and other mast from trees, said Mark Isselhardt, maple > specialist with the University of Vermont Extension. But the squirrels aren't > causing problems for all producers, he said. > > The varmints haven't been any worse than normal this year for Bascom Maple > Farms in Alstead, N.H. > > "We haven't had a lot of snow cover," said Bruce Bascom. "We've only got > about a foot of snow here. I think the squirrels are not having that hard a > winter." > > But Lyle Merrifield of Gorham, Maine, said he's had to fix about 60 spots in > his > operation damaged by the chomping critters. > > The trouble is the squirrels could take one bite of tubing and move another > 100 feet, where they could take another bite, making the damage hard to find, > said Merrifield, who is president of the Maine Maple Producers Association. > > "I've heard a lot of people talk about squirrel damage, so it's probably the > worst we've seen, combined with the deep snow, just that combination," > he said. > > There's no way to completely control the squirrels, Isselhardt said. *— Lisa > Rathke, Associated Press* _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
