A Red Squirrel, a Mouse, and Some Peanuts- (I had to tell.)

Have I mentioned that I am overrun with squirrels? Although the small 'red' Douglas fir squirrel usually doesn't tolerate company, this time of year the female is a little less hostile to males and offspring. For several weeks, three red squirrels have scampered around on the deck and raided my squirrel-proof bird feeder. Today the hostilities escalated so I guess it is time for junior to flee. I don't know the relevance of the third one. Old boyfriend? I haven't seen him yet this morning.
Then there is the larger gray squirrel. It is more suited to residential areas and is crowding the Doug fir squirrels back to the forest. It isn't that they are aggressive, it's just that they run in packs. This is the species that chews my deck. No, this is the species that chews everything. I think you know the ones I mean- rats with bushy tails, or more briefly, tree rats.
The red squirrel is much more aggressive and can fight off the gray squirrel easily in spite of being less than half the size, but all the hermit-rage in the world can't win against a crowd. I sometimes use rat poison (very carefully) on the gray squirrels when the population gets troubling. I know Jerry objects to this in principle, but closes his eyes in practice.
There are only two gray squirrels currently visiting my back yard because the three red squirrels have them confused. It has been twenty five years since a chipmunk has visited. One year, long ago, a flying squirrel would plop down on the deck, long after dark, and eat sunflower seeds. I miss it, but I suppose if I found a dozen of them coming all the time, they would annoy me also. Hmm, I guess I'm a red squirrel type.
Nancy Sherer