Q: Yesterday I saw a fat little squirrel licking the brick and mortar on my front steps over a two square foot area. It was quite moist with saliva. If he had kept going I wouldn’t have to pressure wash for a while!

A: Squirrels have a reasonably diverse diet during summer but fall ushers in a period of scarce food. Despite the abundance of acorns we’ve had this year, I suspect the squirrel is looking for minerals in your mortar. Buy a small salt lick from a pet store and place it near the saliva-slicked area. The squirrel will get what it needs without bringing your house down.