[Mr Ramsbotham]

I've got a pear tree in my back yard, and when the pears start to ripen all the squirrels in the vicinity come into the yard to get them. My big Sheltie waits quietly for them and chases them off when they get too close. On a couple of occasions he's caught one, but spat it right back out.

Squirrels are definitely cute.

[Jamestown1630]

I like squirrels (my husband’s Granny, from England, called them ‘Squee-rels’).

But they can become very bold and aggressive if they are used to being fed and then at some point the food is not forthcoming...

Be careful: it’s very unlikely, but *possible*, that a squirrel can carry rabies: I learned this when I encountered one who ‘bit the hand that fed him’ :-)

https://www.whatdosquirrelseat.org/do-squirrels-carry-rabies/

[Viking2002]

I hear that. We have two peach trees, a nectarine tree, one pear, and three apple. They’re young, but some are mature enough to fruit now. Last year they waited in the pine treetops until the fruit got large enough, and *poof* it was gone. I got some tree bags for them this year. Let’s see just how ingenious these little rodents are when I get done. (Failing that, I have three .22 pistols and a whole lotta ammo for target practice.)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I used to grow pears, peaches, two types of apples, peaches and apricots. The little bastards would pick a piece of fruit one or two days before the fruit reached tree-ripened perfection, take one bite and leave the rotting fruit carcass behind on a fence post. They would strip entire trees before you could say “Rocky and Bullwinkle.”

I solved the problem — I got rid of nearly 100 of the varmints over one spring and summer.