How to make a sliding screen door squirrel proof?

[Chevy-SS]

Squirrels like to climb on my sliding screen door. They don't do any damage to the screen, so I don't really care about that part of the problem.... BUT.... they ruin it in another way, they pull it apart. The screen comes out of the tracks (shown in pic below).

I put this screen on just a few months ago, but now I need a new one, and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to make the screen more resilient to squirrel climbing?

Thanks for any tips......................

 

[nbpt100]

Here are some ideas.

10 Scents That Squirrels Hate (and How to Use Them) - Pest Pointers

Although cute from a distance, squirrels can be surprisingly destructive – especially when they set their sights on your home or garden. Squirrels mate and

pestpointers.com

 

[Toomanytools?]

You could put a piece of acrylic (plexi) glass on the bottom 2 feet make it harder to get on. Problem is they can jump up like 4 feet.
Get a dog.
Get a .22 or high powered pellet gun.

 

[mv213]

I would get some expanded sheet metal and screw to the screen frame over the screen. You can get it in various patterns and can paint it. Could go all the way to the top if necessary.

 

[yatg]

Your squirrels are being polite. They can chew right though that screen if they want.

 

[WoodsTruck]

Have you given one of these a try? They work so well in other applications.

 

[Chevy-SS]

I would get some expanded sheet metal and screw to the screen frame over the screen. You can get it in various patterns and can paint it. Could go all the way to the top if necessary.

Good idea, I will look around for some metal trim pieces that could work. They might have something like that at one of the big box stores. Thanks

 

[Chevy-SS]

You could put a piece of acrylic (plexi) glass on the bottom 2 feet make it harder to get on. Problem is they can jump up like 4 feet.
Get a dog.
Get a .22 or high powered pellet gun.

I actually thought about all of these options, haha. The little buggers can jump so freakin high I would have to cover almost the whole screen with plexi, and at that point.... why have a screen door!

In my younger days, I would indeed shoot them, but now at 71, I have no desire to harm anyone or anything.

Dog is a good option, squirrels make good chase toys!

 

[Toolfool]

Dog is a good option, squirrels make good chase toys!

Until you find out the squirrels like to tease your dog, causing your dog to run through the screen, or window ! Ask me how I know ...

 

[LXCam]

Sounds like when I thought it was funny watching my cat chase the bubbles around my unsheeted waterbed.



You ever tried to sleep in a shallow pool??


I bet razor wire would end their fun, you’d just need to be careful

 

[slowtwitch73]

My rule is any rodent that touches the house or a vehicle gets taken out will a pellet gun.

 

[gahrajmahal]

FYI trapping the buggers. Where we live is semi wooded so we Have every sort of creature you can imagine. Our rule is, as long as they stay outside of the house and aren’t too destructive in the garden live long and prosper. Recently we have had a rabbit sampling my wife’s new garden plantings, so out comes the have-a-heart trap and a planned relocation of said rabbit. Using our kitchen compost scraps of peach peels or strawberry tops I have caught two squirrels and a raccoon (a small one) the last week. I just released the unintended captives. Switching to broccoli pieces and lettuce have not enticed the rascally rabbit though!

i may have to cover the trap with a towel to mimic a tunnel.

This was last winter at our kitchen window bird feeder.



I counted 11

 

[gahrajmahal]

Re. Squirrel resistant screen.

Heavy duty screen or use a solid panel screen system screwed to your existing door Something like this .

 

[Chevy-SS]

Re. Squirrel resistant screen.

Heavy duty screen or use a solid panel screen system screwed to your existing door Something like this .

Nice links and ideas... thanks...

 

[brianh]

I actually thought about all of these options, haha. The little buggers can jump so freakin high I would have to cover almost the whole screen with plexi, and at that point.... why have a screen door!

In my younger days, I would indeed shoot them, but now at 71, I have no desire to harm anyone or anything.

Dog is a good option, squirrels make good chase toys!

Shooting varmints is a last option for me too, but when they start wrecking things or trying to chew a hole in the soffit it is time to eliminate.
It is time to break out the pellet rifles. The break barrel german Diana is very accurate and cheap on ammo. I also got a Beeman break barrel with a .177 and .22 barrels at Wal-Mart very accurate did take the trigger apart and smooth it for better pull it works well on the woodchucks burrowing under my shop slab and raiding the garden with the .22 barrel.

 

[Monza Harry]

Weave an electric fence wire across the door, live of course, and make sure you warn the Missus or else you will be living with them, outside! Harry

 

[kinmadehardware]

Perhaps you can install screens in the squirrels' tree holes to make them decorative. When these screens become part of their lives, they will lose interest in tearing.

 

[southalabama]

22 LR

Tree rats.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Install new screen with nasty adhesive behind that little rod that holds the screen.

 

[bb29510]

shoot the squirrel

 

[bb29510]

get a weiny dog

 

[no704]

Attach a battery operated pet training mat to the door. Fun for friends too! Kinda spendy, but you can get them on eBay.

 

[dchawk81]

Lace the screen with arsenic.

 

[Bill T]

Squirrel dumplings aren't bad.