Sun Journal speaks with Dill for report on squirrel deaths
The Sun Journal spoke with Griffin Dill, an integrated pest management professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for a report on why so many squirrels are dying on Maine roadways this summer. An abundance of food sources last fall led to a population increase this year, the article states. According to Dill, it’s now the season for young squirrels to venture out on their own and begin storing food for the winter, and the increased population means they are more likely to cross roads in larger numbers. “They’re really quite active right now, which of course leads them to wander across roads. Things are winding down for the year for them and they know it,” said Dill, who has previously been contacted by Maine residents concerned about increasing numbers of gray squirrels. “Bangor in particular had several neighborhoods where the residents felt like they were being overrun,” Dill told the Sun Journal.