By Jude Mead

On a good day it seems like there’s an overpopulation of squirrels this year, but the professionals disagree. According to Michael Gregonis, a wildlife biologist at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the number of squirrels racing about in our backyards is actually lower than last year. “There has been lots of squirrel talk and even articles stating that the squirrel population has greatly increased, but it just isn’t true,” said Gregonis.

Some who believe there’s a boom in the squirrel population attribute it to last year’s bumper crop of acorns and nuts from the oaks, hickory and beech trees. Gregonis agreed that last year had an abundant food supply for squirrels, which allowed for a healthy squirrel population, but not to the degree of overpopulation. He said the high number of squirrels spotted this year is likely due to this year’s lack of food supply. “When food is scarce, squirrels move in large groups to find some. This happens when food years are followed by years of low nut production. It only appears that there are a lot more squirrels around.” He added that populations do fluctuate and can sometimes change dramatically during successive years of good acorn production or when no food can be found, but such major changes are not common.

Overpopulation or not, everyone seems to be discussing squirrels and their activities. They can be seen scrambling up trees, chasing each other around the lawn, gathering food for winter storage and dashing across streets. Their unusual behavior has left neighbors baffled. Drew Quale caught squirrels in his yard stealing his apples. He said they normally snack on the drops, but this year they were skittering up the trees and nibbling on the ripe apples that still hung from the branches. A single bite is all it takes to ruin the fruit. “They completely destroyed my apple crop, and I had to take my peaches in early or they would have gotten them as well,” said Quale.

Some people enjoy seeing so many squirrels. Darla Lovett, a longtime squirrel enthusiast, feeds them regularly. This year she had to buy bigger bags of peanuts for her feeders. “There seem to be so many more squirrels and not as many acorns or nuts for them this year,” said Lovett.

Unfortunately, there is also a notable presence of squirrels that have met their demise on the roads. Susan Levin, another avid squirrel watcher, noticed the higher rate of squirrels being hit by motor vehicles. “I have never before seen so many squirrels on the side of the roads. It is hard to avoid hitting them,” said Levin.

Everyone is familiar with the gray squirrel. They are an extremely adaptable species that can be seen everywhere from city parks to woodlands, but they favor oak-dominated, hardwood forests. They are tree dwellers and build their summer homes in the fork of a tree with twigs and dry leaves. Sometimes they may use abandoned nests of birds. In the colder weather, however, they seek shelter in hollow branches of trees.

Their life span is short, according to Gregonis. He said an average squirrel can expect to live three to four years. “They are the prey for other animals. Hawks, bobcats, coyotes and foxes will all eat them,” said Gregonis. Sometimes, he added, people hunt them for sport or food, but most are victims of automobiles.

There have also been many sightings of black squirrels this year, which is a rare occurrence. The black squirrel is actually the same species as the gray squirrel, but inherits the genetic condition of melanism. “This only means there is a change in the pigmentation gene that causes them to appear black in color. Their diet and behavior are similar to the gray squirrel,” explained Gregonis.

The gray squirrel is here to stay because it adapts well to any environment. It is also a primary source of food for many animals and ranks second to birds in value to nature watchers. The next time you see squirrels running about in your yard or elsewhere, remember that while they seem abundant, they may just be hungry.