Beautiful morning

Good Morning Augusta.
This morning it is partly cloudy. High of 45F. Winds less than 5 mph.
Tonight it will be clear. Low of 28F. Winds less than 5 mph.
The readings outside right now, taken from my own weather instruments:
a relative humidity of 76% with a Dew Point of 27.2ºF.
The temperature is 34.0ºF with almost no wind chill.
Presently we have North Northwest winds between 1.3 mph and 3.0 mph.
Our Barometric pressure is 29.94 and rising with a weather graphic
indicating sun.
We had no precipitation overnight here.
Visibility is 10.0 miles with a great ceiling. .
Today we'll look at Sciurus carolinensis, the grey squirrel.
*Habitat and History:
Gray squirrels are rodents that can be found from Quebec, Ontario, and New
Brunswick as far south as Florida, and west into eastern Texas and Manitoba.
They have also been introduced into Washington, British Columbia and
Vancouver Island. In addition to suburban and urban settings, gray squirrels
prefer upland, hardwood forests.
Despite their name, gray squirrels exhibit various colors, including black
and red, though they are primarily gray, with white sides and underbellies.
They generally weigh from one to one and a half pounds and can be anywhere
from fifteen to twenty one inches long. They have bushy tails that are
usually as long as their head and body.
Gray squirrels are active year round. In the fall they gather and bury their
winter food supply. This burying is done randomly. They will dig for their
food supply as needed, using their sense of smell to locate and dig for it.
They live in trees, either in cavities or leaf nests they make and suspend
in the treetops. They are extreme climbers and jumpers who, when on the
ground are very cautious, wary, nervous, and excitable. When they sense
danger, they will immediately head for trees to escape danger. Gray
squirrels have keen senses of smell, hearing, and sight. They are somewhat
social, as opposed to their very territorial red squirrel cousins, and will
tolerate other squirrels in their habitat.
Gray squirrels are a popular small game species throughout much of their
range.
*Diet:
Gray squirrels eat a variety of mast including maple seeds, acorns, hickory
nuts, butternuts, and beechnuts, along with mushrooms, berries, and some
field crops, such as corn and pumpkins.
*Reproduction:
Gray squirrels mate in late winter and early spring. They have a forty four
day gestation period, and bear litters of two to seven young. They are born
blind and helpless, but are swiftly weaned and are independent at eight to
ten weeks. There is usually a second litter
in mid summer. The young are born in the parents' nest.
*Problems, Solutions and Health Concerns:
The most common problem associated with gray squirrels is their ability to
take up residence in people's homes. They associate holes in eaves, soffits
and roofs with a tree cavity, their natural nests, and move right in. Once
inside, they consider it theirs, and they can be very difficult to get rid
of.
Gray squirrels will tear up insulation in an attic and use it to make a
nest. They will also chew through electrical lines. If gray squirrels are in
your dwelling or building, it's usually because of an existing problem, such
as a small hole in a soffit or eave. One could also have a rotted louver
that enables them chew through to gain access to your attic. Scratching,
gnawing, and pitter-patter sounds are a sure clue that you have a squirrel
problem.
Prevention is key to keeping gray squirrels, or any other animal, from
taking up residence in your home or building. Keep trees and overhanging
branches away from your structure. Make sure all parts of the exterior of
your building are maintained, and repair any rotted or damaged areas of
eaves and soffits. Also, make sure your roof is in good condition.
The best approach to take, if you have an infestation of gray squirrels, is
to live trap them at their access point, if possible. Nail a live/box trap
at the opening and bait it with peanut butter, nuts, apple slices, etc. If
heights aren't your thing, you can place the traps in the heavily traveled
areas they are using to gain access. Once you've caught a squirrel, check to
make sure there are no young or other squirrels inside your home.

It is critically important that you check for more than one squirrel before
sealing up any opening. They are very excitable and will cause extensive
damage if trapped inside. Also, no one wants to leave behind defenseless
young in a nest. The young will most likely die, and the adults will try to
gain access to the area by any means, leaving you with more damage than you
had before you started.

If you're certain your home is free of squirrels, permanently seal up any
openings with galvanized 1/4" wire mesh, plywood, new siding, etc. Once the
opening is sealed, it should be safe to release the gray squirrel from the
trap, so long as you have made sure to eliminate any factors that might be
helping them to gain access.
If a gray squirrel somehow gains access to the living area of your home, do
not attempt to snare or noose it. As mentioned before, they are very
excitable creatures. If you run around a room or house trying to catch a
squirrel, they will tear up, knock down, and basically demolish your
property and furnishings. Instead, try to calmly and swiftly enter the area
and open a door or window. Then immediately leave the room and wait outside
for the squirrel to calm down and leave on its own.

Another common problem associated with gray squirrels is their propensity
for raiding, and sometimes even damaging, bird feeders. To prevent this
problem, make sure when installing bird feeders that they are placed on
steel poles at least six feet off the ground and far away from bushes and
overhanging branches. Install a metal, cone shaped baffle at the base of the
feeder. Do not hang bird feeders from anything. Squirrels have no trouble
climbing down ropes, wires, cables, and heavy duty strings to get what they
want.
One other problem that is encountered from time to time is that gray
squirrels will sometimes get stuck down inside a chimney and find themselves
unable to climb out. The best solution for this problem is to drop a rope
down the chimney until it hits the bottom. Then place the other end outside
on the ground. Weigh this end down, or tie it off. The squirrel will be able
to use the rope to climb out. Once the squirrel exits the chimney, pull the
rope out of it from the ground. Then install a chimney cap to keep
squirrels, or any other animal or bird for that matter, from entering the
chimney again.