6066-R2_ML&P_LSLA_2018_Web_WinterNewsletter_Web

Those Nutty Squirrels! Deb Gellerson

to satisfy the huge population. So, they branched out by swimming across the lake in search of more food. Many of us observed squirrels try to climb on to the backs of boats and up on to rafts in search of a resting spot midstream. According to these biologists, the food shortage combined with the dry summer, caused poor decision making for many of these critters, including their often-unsuccessful attempts to cross roadways. Many of us who had lived on the lake for years had never seen such behavior. The Little Sebago Lake Facebook page was humming with videos and sightings of the crazy creatures as they made their way across Little Sebago. We also saw a lot of reports of an increase in other critters, including mice and moles. There were reports from lake areas from Maine to Michigan of these pesky swimmers. It will be interesting to see if we will see an increased population of their predators next spring, such as owls, hawks, eagles, weasels, and others.

There was much excitement on Little Sebago with reports of squirrels seen swimming across the lake. Why, you ask, does a squirrel cross the lake? Not just to get to the other side! Fish and Game Wildlife Biologists both in Maine and New Hampshire reported that the last few years there were a huge number of acorns and pine cones available for these pesky critters. Because of that they had an extra litter, or two, of babies. This year there just wasn’t enough food around

Email us your stories from yesterday or from years ago at: memories@littlesebagolake.com Mail us at: Little Sebago Lake Association, P.O. Box 912, Windham, ME 04062-0912 or you may even Call us at: (207) 809-4706 and we will come to you!

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