I appreciate a silly Prudie, and this is quite silly.

mrsconn23

Dear Prudence,

My mom and I have been living together in a town house complex for the past seven years. We have a tall tree in front of our unit that is home to a couple of squirrels. My mom and I leave nuts along the stone wall border of our front yard directly in front of our door. In the seven years that we’ve been doing this, we haven’t noticed any increase in the squirrel population or any mess apart from the nutshells that are left along our wall. We haven’t gotten any complaints either—until now. My mother found a note on our wall from one of our neighbors. In the note, we were asked not to place food on their side of the wall as “the squirrels will attract fleas.”

We have never placed food close to the neighbor’s side of the wall. We always keep it in front of our door. My mother and I have not noticed any fleas, nor have we been bitten. We do not have pets. I don’t think our neighbors on either side of us have pets.

I tried doing my own research and came up with conflicting answers. Some sources said that the fleas that are attracted to squirrels don’t usually prey on humans or cats and dogs. But other sources have said that they do. I’m unsure how to approach this, as my mother and I are really fond of the squirrels and want to keep feeding them. We also want to acknowledge our neighbor’s concerns as well, without this issue escalating to the point of getting HOA involved.

—Squirrelly Neighbors

banana468

Well, this is NUTS.  (Pun intended).  

Look at the HOA laws.   Is there a rule about leaving food out for animals?  If not, abide by the wishes of the other person and keep the nuts in front of your front door. 

kvruns

LOL Banana

climbingsingle

I feel like this squirrel feeding would annoy me. Maybe I'm just cranky. 

charlotte989875

I hate squirrels. I think they’re assholes that would pounce on you and steal your food if given the chance. 

But yeah, check the HOA, make sure you’re following the rules and do what you want. 

MissKittyDanger

Squirrels don't attract fleas. They CAN get mange, but it's not contagious.

That being said, LW should talk to HOA because they CAN do damage to the house. {nests in bad spots, chew wires, etc}

short+sassy

Squirrels=Rats with fuzzy tails

I wouldn't be happy if one of my neighbors was attracting those gross animals right up to our building either.  Actually, I'm generally a "don't leave food out for animals" person.  Whether they're animal species I like or not.  It can just get out of control and cause problems too fast.

Unfortunately, there is a nest of squirrels that live in my neighbor's tree that has large branches that hang over my deck.  Both my dog and cat are fascinated by them, lol.  I especially love my cat's reaction because she is a true predator.  She gives them a look like, "If I were 5 years younger, I'd kill you where you stand." 

OliveOilsMom

This reminds me of an issue we had at our shore house!  The house is on a barrier island, so I think just due to logistics, there were never any squirrels on the island.  About 15-20 years ago, I was walking to my summer job and out in front of me stepped 3 confused squirrels crossing the street and heading towards the most tree filled backyard in the area.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  

Anyway, there are more squirrels on the island now.  About 5-6 years ago, we kept finding peanut shells at the base of our tree that is in front of the house.  We had no idea how they were getting there.  One day, my sister walks out of the house and finds the neighbor dumping a bag of peanuts on the ground!  So my sister goes off on the neighbor.  The neighbor says they are just trying to feed the squirrels since they don't have a lot of food sources on the island.  My sister then asked why aren't they dumping the peanuts at the base of their trees (they have 4 and we only have 1 - all equal sized trees too.)  The stammering starts and neighbor then just picks up every peanut he dumped and walks back across the street.  He has never dumped peanuts in our front yard again!

However for this letter, if LW and her mom are putting the peanuts in their yard - as long as the HOA doesn't forbid feeding animals, they should continue to feed them.  

MissKittyDanger

short+sassy said:

Squirrels=Rats with fuzzy tails

I wouldn't be happy if one of my neighbors was attracting those gross animals right up to our building either.  Actually, I'm generally a "don't leave food out for animals" person.  Whether they're animal species I like or not.  It can just get out of control and cause problems too fast.

Unfortunately, there is a nest of squirrels that live in my neighbor's tree that has large branches that hang over my deck.  Both my dog and cat are fascinated by them, lol.  I especially love my cat's reaction because she is a true predator.  She gives them a look like, "If I were 5 years younger, I'd kill you where you stand." 

lol your cat cracks me up

Angel is a predator more than Penny - and Penny was feral! Angel has murdered a mouse where as Penny hasn't and idk if she would if given chance.
And I don't mean killed. He murdered the damn thing. A few years ago my parents were cleaning stuff for spring and later they figured they prob disturbed a mouse home.
I got home at 2am from the bar. By 7am there was a dead mouse on the floor. No blood but the head slit so much it was barely hanging on. My dad had to pick it up so carefully as to not have it be super gross lol

banana468

We have so many animals in our yard.   Squirrels are just part of the deal.   We don't feed them but I'll see squirrels and chipmunks on our deck all the time.

Also spotted in the backyard: deer, rabbits, coyote, owls, foxes and wild turkeys.   The wild turkeys travel as a family.   One afternoon I had 29 as I looked out my office window. 

Oh - and while I don't see them there are mice.   Those fuckers nested in one of our cars a few winters ago.   

kerbohl

If this were my area, you think you are feeding the squirrels but you are actually feeding the rats.  
I don't know - I get the appeal of feeding wild animals, but at the same time it raises a host of problems.  Unless it is winter, they can usually get their own food pretty readily, and you might be making them unhealthy.  And you might make them trust people too much.  I mean, I raise flowers that attract bees, and one of the affects has been it brings them within close proximity of my dog so she can snap at them and eat them - I'm sort of luring them in to the slaughter.  I would check with HOA for sure, but also read up a bit on the squirrel situation in LW's city.

STARMOON44

Wild animals do not need you to feed them. 

short+sassy

MissKittyDanger said:

short+sassy said:

Squirrels=Rats with fuzzy tails

I wouldn't be happy if one of my neighbors was attracting those gross animals right up to our building either.  Actually, I'm generally a "don't leave food out for animals" person.  Whether they're animal species I like or not.  It can just get out of control and cause problems too fast.

Unfortunately, there is a nest of squirrels that live in my neighbor's tree that has large branches that hang over my deck.  Both my dog and cat are fascinated by them, lol.  I especially love my cat's reaction because she is a true predator.  She gives them a look like, "If I were 5 years younger, I'd kill you where you stand." 

lol your cat cracks me up

Angel is a predator more than Penny - and Penny was feral! Angel has murdered a mouse where as Penny hasn't and idk if she would if given chance.
And I don't mean killed. He murdered the damn thing. A few years ago my parents were cleaning stuff for spring and later they figured they prob disturbed a mouse home.
I got home at 2am from the bar. By 7am there was a dead mouse on the floor. No blood but the head slit so much it was barely hanging on. My dad had to pick it up so carefully as to not have it be super gross lol

Fun cat fact.  Killing prey is an instinctive behavior.  But eating prey is a learned behavior.

We had a mouse problem when we first got our cat (different house).  Usually we just found the dead bodies.  Which looked perfectly fine and intact.  But a few times we saw her catch one and, I hate to sound morbid, but it was really interesting.  She wouldn't kill it right away.  She would play with it, like it was an interactive toy.  She'd smack it and then push it with her paw, so it would slide across the floor.  Chase it as it slid and then pounce on it again.  But once it died and stopped moving.  Then it was boring and she'd wander away to go find something else to do. 

MissKittyDanger

short+sassy said:

MissKittyDanger said:

short+sassy said:

Squirrels=Rats with fuzzy tails

I wouldn't be happy if one of my neighbors was attracting those gross animals right up to our building either.  Actually, I'm generally a "don't leave food out for animals" person.  Whether they're animal species I like or not.  It can just get out of control and cause problems too fast.

Unfortunately, there is a nest of squirrels that live in my neighbor's tree that has large branches that hang over my deck.  Both my dog and cat are fascinated by them, lol.  I especially love my cat's reaction because she is a true predator.  She gives them a look like, "If I were 5 years younger, I'd kill you where you stand." 

lol your cat cracks me up

Angel is a predator more than Penny - and Penny was feral! Angel has murdered a mouse where as Penny hasn't and idk if she would if given chance.
And I don't mean killed. He murdered the damn thing. A few years ago my parents were cleaning stuff for spring and later they figured they prob disturbed a mouse home.
I got home at 2am from the bar. By 7am there was a dead mouse on the floor. No blood but the head slit so much it was barely hanging on. My dad had to pick it up so carefully as to not have it be super gross lol

Fun cat fact.  Killing prey is an instinctive behavior.  But eating prey is a learned behavior.

We had a mouse problem when we first got our cat (different house).  Usually we just found the dead bodies.  Which looked perfectly fine and intact.  But a few times we saw her catch one and, I hate to sound morbid, but it was really interesting.  She wouldn't kill it right away.  She would play with it, like it was an interactive toy.  She'd smack it and then push it with her paw, so it would slide across the floor.  Chase it as it slid and then pounce on it again.  But once it died and stopped moving.  Then it was boring and she'd wander away to go find something else to do. 

We had a former cat that would do that. He would be brought up to my grandparents cottage to help kill any mice still alive before getting everything set up.
One time he kept playing with the mouse, and my poppa told him to stop playing and kill it. Cat ignored. My poppa took a slipper and hit the mouse. Cat got mad and huffed away.
He later killed a mouse and brought it to him as if to show he could do it. lol

Ro041

I lived in an apartment building in the basement level for a few years in law school.  There were these awful neighbors on the second floor who once complained that my two chihuahuas brought fleas into the building.  My landlord called me and relayed the complaint.  I had to go to my vet and have my vet examine the dogs and write me a note stating that they didn't have fleas and were regularly kept on preventative.  I sent a copy of the note to my landlord and walked a copy up to the neighbors.  When they answered the door, I said (with a huge grin) that I paid for an extra vet exam, had a note for them, and if they ever had any issues with whether my dogs were being cared for, they could come to me directly.  You should have seen the look on their faces.  Ha!  I hated those neighbors.  

littlemushroom

When my grandma was alive and living in a nursing home, my dad would buy all the food for the bird and squirrel feeders at the home and keep them filled.  The residents loved sitting in the activity room or on the enclosed patio when it was nice and watching the animals.  Since she passed he has started doing the same thing at his house.  Bird and squirrel feeders always full so he and my mom can watch the animals from the front room. 

They also have a pair of ducks that nest in the yard every year for a few weeks even though there is no body of water around.  They go for walks on the sidewalk.