laura10801's Full Review: Wildlife Book: Squirrel Proofing Your Home or Gard...
You would think a book with the title Squirrel Proofing Your Home or Garden would actually give you advice on how to get rid of squirrels from your house and maybe even your yard. In 153 pages, author, Rhonda Massingham Hart, gives almost no valuable information about ridding your premises of those annoying tree rats, known as squirrels.
While the book is filled with interesting facts about squirrels, like how they raise their young, what kind of environment they seek, how they socialize, it fails to give anything other than common sense advice on squirrel proofing your home.
The book has 7 chapters:
1. Squirrels are in control
2. A lesson on squirreldom
3. Identifying the enemy
4. Revenge of the squirrels: The damage they do
5. Defending your feeder
6. Protecting your garden and house
7. Squirrel proof by design.
The tone of the book is set with the very first chapter, Squirrels are in control. The message Rhonda Massingham Hart gives us is that squirrels are forever a part of our environment and even if you get rid of your squirrels, more squirrels will take their place. All of this is done in a light-hearted, fun to read manner, but I don't think it is particularly helpful in actually handling the problem.
I do think there is information that is important. For example catching a squirrel in "humane" cages and shipping them off to another location is actually cruel and will probably kill the poor critter by scaring it to death, or by placing it in an environment it is unfamiliar with so that it cannot find food or shelter. GEEZ! Reading this actually made me feel protective of those darned rodents. It is more humane to just poison the critters, which is not an option as far as I am concerned, but even if you do poison them Hart is quick to point out that others will take their place fairly soon.
The final chapter does discuss how to rid the inside of your home of a squirrel infestation and how to lessen the chances of that happening. Again this is loaded with plain old common sense, like remove branches of trees that over-hang your roof so that squirrels don't have as easy access in and out of your attic.
I enjoyed reading this book. Hart is a good writer and the book is certainly entertaining education about squirrels, but it doesn't really do what its title promises to do. In fairness, it follows through on most of the promises on the back cover:
Defend your home and garden from squirrels!
The bestselling author of Deer Proofing Your Yard & Garden helps homeowners battle one of nature's most wily and persistent creatures--squirrels--with a storehouse of environmentally responsible techniques that really work.
In her trademark light-hearted yet practical and authoritative style, Rhonda Massingham Hart explains how to
--Understand squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, and other squirrel relatives
--Defend your birdfeeders and design and build squirrel-proof feeders
--Banish squirrels and their relatives from your garden
--Protect your attic, garage, and basement from invasion
--Find and choose effective household and commercial repellents
In addition, you'll find lists of feeder foods and plants squirrels love--and those they'll prefer to avoid.
I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in squirrels and finds them annoying, but it is a waste for someone who has a serious problem with squirrels and needs workable solutions.
This best selling author of Deer Proofing Your Yard and Garden helps homeowners battle one of nature's most wily and persistent creatures, squirrels. ...More at MasterGardening.com
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