Pavlov's Addendum

So, read the previous post (it actually appears beneath this one). Awesome. Now on to the addendum...

I know - this person. I'm not going to name him, because PeTA is on the rampage with this whole Michael Vick thing. Anyway, this individual I know has apparently learned a little about Classical Conditioning. And he has employed it against squirrels. Wait for it.
...
So, this individual is fond of birds. He has been feeding birds in his backyard for quite some time. When he began using a hanging feeder, he spent a great deal of time figuring out how to keep the squirrels off the feeder. He developed a bunch of different methods. Then (I think) he gave up. He wanted to get the birds closer, so he just laid the seed out on the deck for them.
As was inevitable, the squirrels began feasting! The bird population was very nice to watch as well. We would sit out on the enclosed porch and watch the wildlife and chat about them. It was quite relaxing. After a while, things became "normal."
...
One day, a squirrel or two (not completely certain on the specifics) clawed through the screen and got into the porch area. And that's just crossing the line. I mean, c'mon squirrels ... that's a home. You don't break and enter. IT'S AGAINST THE LAW! Anyway, it was pretty obvious is that the cause was the seed on the deck. So, naturally, it had to stop.
Option one - and the first that the individual in question tried - was squirting them with the hose any time they came around the seed he continued to provide for the birds. And it sort of worked. I mean, it worked a little bit. On to plan 2 ...
But first, a little background. He's a trained electrical engineer.
Awesome.
So, in order to encourage the squirrels to stay away from the seed intended for the birds, he devised a special greeting for them. He took a regular power cord like would be attached to a lamp, and modified it. He opened it up, and attached some extensions that were left to the elements. That is to say, they were exposed. So anytime the squirrels came around, they got a taste. Don't worry, the lines weren't permanently connected. He needs to be in the porch to plug in the cord and give it the juice. And he doesn't even plug it in all the way - that's how quickly he unplugs it. He's not trying to kill anything. He's just conditioning them. For the first few days it was relatively fruitless. But then, in order to (again) condition them to the understanding that the seed is not for them, he laid some seed in the path of the electrical charge ... and waited.
And the squirrels are no longer a problem.