Mangy Squirrels!

(Squirrel Central)

That's not a pejorative. They have mange. Really. So I went to the Backyard Birdshop where I buy squirrel food and asked what they know about squirrels with mange. I left with a recipe for "treatment":

Flax seed oil, peanut butter, and brewer's yeast on whole wheat bread. Roll it into a log and cut it into about four pieces. Then feed it to the affected squirrel.

I don't have all the ingredients on hand, so I decided to improvise: Every other day or so, I give them a piece of Surviva bread with bacon grease on it and sprinkle it with nutritional yeast. I cut the slathered bread into squares and place it on an aluminum pie plate with the sides cut down--otherwise, they step on the side trying to get to the food, flip the food all over the place, scare themselves, and make a huge mess on the deck.

They love it. I don't know if the treatment is magic or not, but the one who has the worst case is actually starting to grow some fuzz back. I am sure that the extra nutrition and energy-producing fat must help.

What you see above is the squirrel pantry, and what they don't know about yet is that the leftover homemade sourdough bread (all organic ingredients) will convey their next treatment. Why you ask? Well, let me put it this way...if I can cut the bread I will feed it to them. I might have to break it. With a hammer.

(No, I am not going to serve them tea. That's just where the teapot lives.)