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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Explain nicely that squirrels should not be fed for the following reasons:

1. They carry ticks and rabies.
2. They are in direct resource competition with birds, and some birds are endangered.

Encourage her to feed the birds, and point out that even if she gets a feeder that's squirrel-proof, squirrels will find ways to eat leftovers anyway. That way, she will prioritize birds, who need winter sustenance, but also help out squirrels (who don't really need it). Also, when it's below freezing, what birds really need is fresh water! That's why some people have heated bird fountains ;-)

[/quote]

according to the CDC squirrels almost never carry rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. (I'd think we'd have heard more about this given the fact that plenty of people try to befriend squirrels and sometimes succeed). They can carry ticks, mites, and fleas, and can transmit a variety of diseases (more often in the SW, think plague and hantavirus).

No opinion on whether OPs situation counts as an infestation, if the poop is from the squirrels vs rats as someone else suggested. The extent to which neighbor is promoting breeding depends I suppose on how much she is feeding. 
Population will drop eventually. Hawks will show up, they will get run over by cars, owls will find them. I have noticed where I live you might see young squirrels dashing all over the place in the spring and by fall there aren't very many to be seen.

For years a neighbor would put out stale bread and dried corn and peanuts for squirrels. Didn't make a difference in population when they moved away. [/quote]

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