Mother Talkers

Peanuts in the Most Unlikely Places

by progressiveinky

Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 01:35:38 PM PDT

Peanut allergy seems to be a popular topic around here.  Personally, I'm glad that it's getting the necessary attention so that others will be aware of the growing problem.  My family has been learning to deal with our dear son's allergy to nuts for almost a year.  We are constantly on the lookout whenever we are in public or in another person's home.  We always have our Epi-pen.  Since he's still a toddler and not fully able to express if he is having a reaction, we watch his behavior for any signs that something may be wrong when he eats a relatively risky food (for example, some desserts may not be labeled for nuts but you just never know).  He's also too young to recognize and know to avoid nuts, so he needs us to watch out for him.  Our own home is the only place where we can feel completely safe and relaxed, since we know what lurks in our cupboards.  At least, we thought our home was safe.  As summer approaches and the weather is becoming warmer, we've been playing outdoors.  And we've been finding peanut shells all over our property.

It made me a little nervous to find a peanut shell on the back step, then in the driveway, then in the yard.  I figured that some neighbor probably puts peanuts in their squirrel feeder.  But today there were peanut shells in the sandbox and on his treehouse/swingset.  Short of taking out the squirrels (which is animal cruelty) and knocking on about 400 doors in the neighborhood, there's little I can do but be constantly on the lookout for peanut shells whenever we go out.  The one thing I can do is to let people know that putting peanuts in your feeders is dangerous to at least some of the children in your neighborhood.  I'm sure no one would ever think that squirrel feed could be so dangerous, but let me tell you that it is.  Not only to my son and the child next door who is also allergic, but to 1% of the children in any neighborhood in America.

Tags: peanut, allergy, squirrel (all tags)

Permalink | 16 comments

  • Oh, wow (0 / 0)

    I hope you are able to figure out who it is and that they are understanding. It must be very frightening to have to worry about that in your own backyard. Good luck!

    by Lisa in Austin on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 02:08:04 PM PDT

  • how freaky is that? (0 / 0)

    I would be as worried as you, Shannon. Wish I had any tips on tracking down the peanut-feeding animal-lover.

    by Rachel on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 02:58:39 PM PDT

  • Perhaps (0 / 0)

    post signs around the neighborhood? What an awful and akward situation to be in. Good luck to you.

    by GiGi on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 03:10:35 PM PDT

  • feeding squirrels (0 / 0)

    Why on earth would anyone feed squirrels, let alone in Kentucky? They are hardly a starving endangered species!  

    I feel for you, Shannon.  Perhaps you could at least let your immediate neighbors know.  If there are that many of them, I'd wager a guess that the peanut feeder can't be that far from your house.

    Miles and His Favorites: The World As Seen By an Eight Year Old

    by Hillary on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 05:37:32 PM PDT

  • I think I will ask around a bit (0 / 0)

    I don't know why people feed squirrels but I have to assume that's what's going on.  My grandmother and her friends have squirrel feeders in another part of KY.  We live in an area with lots of older people, so that has to be it.  How else would the empty shells end up in our yard?  The first time I saw them we had a painter working on the house and I almost accused him of it until DH found some on the roof.  

    "We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

    by progressiveinky on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 07:45:25 PM PDT

  • Or crows? (0 / 0)

    Yes, I feed crows...  they are some of the most intelligent wildlife that manages to coexist with us.  So, I find them fascinating.

    I'll stick to hardboiled egg from now on though.  They like it more than peanuts anyway.

    Thanks for the awareness.

    Mother wannabe, ETA Spring 09 if biology allows.

    by faedrake on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 09:32:11 PM PDT

  • Birds. (0 / 0)

    I'm pretty clueless about animal feeding other than dogs and cats, so forgive me for missing that people would feed birds peanuts.  I just know that my grandmother feeds the squirrels corn on the cob and peanuts with a feeder.  She did say it keeps them out of the bird feeders.  I'll take your suggestions for investigating.

    "We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

    by progressiveinky on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 10:34:21 PM PDT

  • Interesting (0 / 0)

    I can't believe people would feed squirrels.  There's a million of them, so they must be getting enough to eat in the wild.

    Bird feeders are also something I don't get, but I am not a big bird person.  Do people put them up so they can look at the birds eating?

    by NJmom on Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 06:47:34 AM PDT

    • We have a goldfinch feeder (0 / 0)

      It was attached to the deck when we moved to our house.  I get a kick out of them.  They are very pretty and the seed they eat is black thistle so it's not too messy and doesn't attract squirrels.  It's been entertaining for our cats too.  We get some junckos in the winter so there are different birds at it year round.  

      Also it's been educational for the boys.  The finches have different feathers during different parts of the year.  Now that is spring they are going from drab to vibrant yellow (the males anyway, the females are just getting a little less drab)

      by music teacher on Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 09:27:38 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • Dogs (0 / 0)

    We inadvertently solved our squirrel problem by having a dog acquire us. We joked that the dog was destructive, but marginally less destructive than the squirrels, so she could stay.

    by shenanigans on Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 11:24:32 AM PDT

  • I asked a neighbor (0 / 0)

    Apparently they've been baffled too.  The grandfather told the kids they were from monkeys that lurk at night.  Cute, but not so helpful.  I'll keep investigating.

    "We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts! So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"

    by progressiveinky on Mon Apr 30, 2007 at 06:58:20 PM PDT

Permalink | 16 comments