Death of a Baby Squirrel

Does anyone remember the little lizard I killed in Florida? I mistakenly thought it was a cockroach and emptied a bottle of Raid on the poor thing. Well, today I killed a baby squirrel.

It was sunny and gorgeous out today...for a Canadian Spring...and I thought it was a good opportunity to do some yard work. I gathered all my tools (broom, rake, garbage containers) and started cleaning up the twigs and branches left behind when one of my sons-in-law (haven't found out yet which one) trimmed the big tree in the backyard away from the roof after I left last Fall.

I was sweeping off the deck when I noticed a huge nest of the twigs stuck in behind the awning on the upper deck. I often get bird's nests in there and that's what I thought it was so I decided to get rid of it before any birds laid their eggs in it.

As I poked and pushed with the end of the broom in an attempt to dislodge the nest, I sort of wondered what kind of bird would build a nest out of such large twigs. Just then, most of the nest came free and a little hairless creature fell out barely able to hang on to what was left in the awning. It creeped me out to see this little thing because I couldn't tell if it was a squirrel or a rat.

I raced into the house and called the S.P.C.A. who were not the least concerned that this little creature might be freezing to death and who told me to call Animal Control at City Hall. Animal Control told me to phone a pest removal company. I phoned one of those companies and they would be delighted to come to my house and take care of the problem...for $240 plus taxes. I told them, "no thanks!".

My 2 grandsons arrived moments later to help me with my yard work and I showed them the nest and the poor little thing (most likely a squirrel) which was now laying on the patio, possibly dead or dying. My big, strapping grandsons didn't want to go near it at first but I think I shamed them when I moaned "do you really want your poor old Gramma to handle it?".

After a great deal of arguing who was going to move it, Chooch got a dustpan and handed it to Nick who tenderly picked the little creature up and laid it way in the back of the yard under a bush. Chooch gathered what he could of the nest and covered the little guy up. We hoped it's mother would come back and tend to it before it froze to death.

I'm afraid their work was probably in vain and I'm becoming a serial killer of wildlife. It sort of ruined the day for all of us.