I may have to kill that squirrel

I have a bird feeder in the apple tree just outside my kitchen window.  A regular crew of chickadees, Oregon thrush, and sparrows, plus a couple other types occasionally pop in.  Rock doves (pigeons) eat the leftovers from the ground and if there is snow some robins will show up and join the pigeons.

I now have a black squirrel who digs at the feeder until it has been completely emptied onto the ground.  He can empty a feeder, which will feed the birds all day, in about fifteen minutes.  I bear no ill will towards any creature but the feeder is there for the birds so I went the webbie-web-web to see what to do.

"Feed the squirrel and he won't eat the bird seed" says one web site.  "Since squirrels are territorial you won't get other squirrels coming around" says another.

OK.  I can do that.  I bought a squirrel feeder and a bag of corn.  This morning I watched him sitting on a branch by the squirrel feeder eating corn while the birds fed from the bird feeder.  It was a picture of Christmas tranquility so I left to get a couple last minute errands done.

What should I find when I get back?  An empty squirrel feeder, an empty bird feeder, and a big pile of bird seed on the ground.  The little pig ate all the corn I gave him, then emptied the bird feeder as well.

He may not be long for this world.