It's been several years since I've written about our neighborhood problems. I hope you are free from troublesome neighbors: Neighbors who steal and damage possessions and show no signs of guilt.

We try our best to put up with these annoyances, but they continue year-round. As much as we try to ignore these situations, with the goal of being good neighbors, it grows more and more difficult. We don't want a feud like the infamous Hatfields and McCoys, but eventually we lose our patience and fight back.

The neighborhood youths are just as bad as the adults. Occasionally, I become so angry I run outside, followed by our springer spaniel, Blue, yelling at the top of my voice and chase the scheming neighbors from our property. Blue enjoys the barking and chasing, but the situation doesn't help my blood pressure. It's fruitless to call the police. They will not do anything about our unending problems.

In case you have not figured out by now, I've been describing the actions of our neighbors, the gray squirrels. My previous "Squirrel Wars" columns generated the most feedback from readers. Readers shared accounts of skirmishes and subsequent mental battle scars.

The stories have been enjoyable and fun to read. Their descriptions of efforts to outsmart the gray squirrels have filled several "Bud's View" columns. It's not "Fifty Shades of Grey." It's "Fifty Tales of Gray Squirrels."

The Bertsch-Hokendauqua-Catasauqua Watershed Association holds a free public nature program, 7 p.m. July 10, meeting hall, Blue Mountain Fish and Game Association 4190 Wood Drive, Walnutport, Lehigh Township.

A family-oriented wildlife program will be presented by the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Education Center. Attendees will learn about local animals. There were be mammals, raptors and an albino crow on display.

During a previous program, Kathy Uhler, founder and director of the education center, discussed several methods for observing flying squirrels. One way is to provide a peanut butter treat illuminated by a red light. The red light provides enough light to observe the flying squirrels. A regular light will frighten them away.

There are four squirrel species in Pennsylvania. The flying squirrel is the only nocturnal (active at night) one. Gray, red and fox squirrels are diurnal (active during the day). Although flying squirrels are quite common, they're rarely observed because of their nocturnal activities and their arboreal preferences.

Pennsylvania has two flying squirrel species: the northern and southern. The northern species is designated "threatened status" because of its dwindling populations. The smaller southern species has extended its range northward, creating problems for the northern variety. When the southern species moves in it tends to take over the habitat and in some cases hybridize or interbreed with the northern species.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission's "Wildlife Notes" describes the flying squirrel as 8 inches in length, including its 3-inch tail. The eyes are large and well-adapted for night vision. Fur is soft with the majority of the pelt grayish-brown with white underparts.

Bats are the only flying mammals. Flying squirrels do not fly. They use a loose flap of skin (patagium) to glide. The patagia is between the fore and hind legs. This skin stretches and becomes taut when the legs are extended, allowing the squirrel to soar or glide through the air. The broad flat tail is used as a rudder to steer while airborne. Flights vary from 20-to 40-yard glides in a downward direction, usually from tree to tree. A surprise glide-by can be quite a chilling experience.

Flying squirrels nest in hollow tree limbs and vacated woodpecker cavities. Two to six young are born in April and May. The gestation period is 40 days. They eat insects, acorns, beechnuts, berries, hickory nuts, walnuts, mushrooms, pine seeds and the seed embryo of corn kernels. Dogwood, wild cherry and black gum fruits are consumed in season and acorns are often stored for winter survival.

I took Uhler's advice. I purchased a red spotlight and attached it to a Japanese maple branch at the corner of our patio. Then I filled a suet feeder with suet and peanut butter and attached the feeder to the trunk of the white ash tree growing about six feet from the red light. A timer turns the light on shortly after sunset and off at sunrise.

No flying squirrels have been observed thus far, but each morning most of the peanut butter is gone. We are hoping the offered treat has been eaten by at least one flying squirrel. Staying awake most of the night to watch has been our major problem.

Gray squirrels have also been fighting for peanut-butter eating positions. They chase one another round and round and up and down the ash tree trunk. None will give up on the chase, so the peanut butter has remained intact.

Additional grays have approached with their beady-eyes, arched tails and coy smiles during the day, but none has established control over the feeder. They are too greedy to share.

I know one of the grays carrying the genius gene and Olympic gymnastics gene will figure out how to keep his-her relatives away while munching on the flying squirrels' treat. For now I will add peanut butter as needed and we will continue to wait for the gliders' nocturnal visits. I will keep you posted.

Please share any flying squirrel stories for a future column. Contact me at the email listed below.

That's the way I see it.

To schedule programs, hikes and birthday parties: 610-767-4043; comments: bbbcole@enter.net

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&Copy; 2015 Bud Cole