If you ever wondered why squirrels<\/a> are so infuriatingly effective at thwarting every garden solution you can come up with, just remember they have existed for 35 million years.<\/p>\n In comparison, our species, Homo sapiens<\/em>, is a measly 300,000 years old. Squirrels seem to have spent the extra 34.7 million years of evolution figuring out how to outsmart bird feeder technology before it was even developed.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just bird feeders. The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis<\/em>) is a master of all kinds of problem solving and garden thievery. They can gnaw their way into the minutest opening to gain access to your attic. They know just when your favorite tomato is at the perfect, \u201cI\u2019ll pick that one tomorrow\u201d stage. And if you\u2019ve ever tried to grow an oak from an acorn, you know that you can try to barricade the squirrels from your botanical bounty with everything from razor wire to armed militia, and the furry little thieves will plot a solution.<\/p>\n I\u2019d admire the little guys if I didn\u2019t think it would come across as a sign of weakness. But with fall firmly in place, the squirrels are plotting to reprise their annual assault on the primary signs of the season \u2014 bird feeders and pumpkins<\/a>.<\/p>\n