Mark your calendars — January 21 is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. It’s a day well worth celebrating even if squirrels annoy you, and you’d sometimes rather observe Milwaukee Squirrel Removal Day. These animals provide benefits such as aerating your grass as they plant and dig up seeds and nuts. Plus, they entertain kids and adults alike with their antics.

If nothing else, squirrels are worth appreciating for their dexterity and intelligence. Just watch a squirrel outwit a bird feeder. So, here are some ideas to celebrate this squirrely holiday or to just enjoy squirrels in your yard.

Feed Squirrels

National Squirrel Appreciation Day began in 2001 with its founder Christy Hargrove. The Asheville, North Carolina, wildlife rehabilitator wanted a solution to dwindling squirrel food sources in late January. Hence, a holiday to get people to help.

• Place pieces of bread, even stale bread, on your porch. The squirrels that come will entertain your family for a good while.
• Coat a pinecone with peanut butter. Hang the cone on a tree.
• Suspend a corn cob from a tree.

These suggestions work great throughout the year, but squirrels really appreciate the food in winter.

Educate Yourself and the Kids on Squirrels

Watch YouTube videos of squirrels’ antics and read squirrel books to the kids. You can actually download the Thornton W. Burgess book, “The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel,“ online for free since it’s now in the public domain. Grace Marmor Spruch also penned a great book for children called “Squirrels at My Window.” Other books, particularly for the preschool set, include “I Want That Nut!“ by Madeline Valentine, “Squirrels“ by Brian Wildsmith, “Nutley, the Nut-Free Squirrel“ by Stephanie Sorkin and “Squirrels on Skis“ by J. Hamilton Ray.

Snap Pictures of the Animals

Squirrels possess incredible leaping abilities, and they’re compassionate toward one another. Their tails can serve as parachutes and as signal flags. These moments are precious to capture on camera but first, try these suggestions:

• Spend a few days observing squirrels to better understand their movements and behaviors.
• After a while, try to predict what squirrels will do next, such as where they will move or what action they will take.
• Squirrels are most active during the morning and late afternoon. Try to observe and photograph at those times if you can.

After a few days of observation, you have a better handle on squirrels’ patterns. Your chances for quality pictures go up.

• Use the highest shutter speed possible.
• Lower yourself to the ground or to the squirrels’ level.
• For truly great shots, you may need to stay on the ground for a few hours.
• Take lots and lots of photos. Edit them later to see which ones turned out well.

Build an Obstacle Course

Remember the section earlier about feeding squirrels? Time to make them work for food! On National Squirrel Appreciation Day, inject extra spice into their bird feeder break-in adventures. YouTube features hilarious videos of squirrel obstacle courses, and they make good references. Potential obstacles to enhance your course could include:

• Spinning platforms
• Mini bobsled tunnels
• Tightrope walks
• Rope bridges
• Slides
• Poles
• Pinwheels
• Plexiglass runs
• Bell runs

You could incorporate items such as tires, plungers, boots and lamps. Many household items could work, really. Use protective gear such as work gloves, goggles and steel-toed boots while building. The supplies you need may include a hammer, nails, saw, drill and tape measure. There are plenty of video and textual instruction guides online.

Opt for Humane Milwaukee Squirrel Removal

If you’ve had enough of the squirrels on your property, that’s understandable. After all, squirrels do chew holes in homes, build nests and cause damage. They also pose health risks. Get in touch with Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control for humane removal in Milwaukee. These squirrels on your property get to start their life over elsewhere, and our technicians work with you to prevent the return of any more squirrels.