rusty1
Well-known member
...have a 12'X20' shed built on treated 4X4's, critters have been living under it; what's best way to get rid of them?
critters under a shed?
- Thread starter rusty1
- Start date
Beau Nugget
Active member
Shoot them
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Get it up higher off the ground.
Tommy
Tommy
WisJim
Well-known member
What kind of critters? I had woodchucks both under slabs and under sheds built on stringers. They seem to move quicker than my trigger finger so I had better luck trapping them. Then I drowned them, shot them, or gave them to a friend who ate them. After the woodchucks, I had skunks or possums move it, which I dealt with the same way. Blocking access was the solution.
velocipede
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Depends on how much work you want to do. Dig an 18" deep trench around the perimeter. Install 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth from the bottom of the trench to the bottom of the shed floor. Back fill the trench with lava rock, Stalite Permatil, or washed #57 stone. This will keep out most rodents and snakes, but not insects. Add finer screen to keep out insects.
Kaizen
Well-known member
Mine is 6-10 inches off the ground and never get them although they make burrows in other parts of the yard. Jack it up. They hate light. Be aware if they already have babies or pregnant they won’t move till they finish that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Yeldogt knows the deal...
For some reason people want their shed almost on the ground. Anyone who ever built a shed, feed crib or small coop on a farm puts it up at least 6". My neighbor actually argued about it with me when he went to replace the rotted old shed that was in his yard. The original one was 8" up and had no critter problems. He put the new one flat on gravel. Groundhogs, skunks and rodents have forced him to tear it down and replace it twice. Still puts it on the ground. Mine's been 100% critter free since long before he replaced the orignal shed. It's 6" up on concrete blocks...
Tommy
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I have preached this for years on GJ ! Critters won't nest where there is light and good air flow.
(My son learned his lesson when a possum DIED under a section of deck built directly on the ground. We were gagging as we pulled up deck board to find the rotting remains !)
Sevenhills1952
Well-known member
Growing up we had a shed like that rats got under.
Here's what my Dad did that worked. He and I chinked it all around with old rags, newspapers, anything to seal it pretty airtight. Then he drove his Packard over beside it, ran a vacuum cleaner hose from tailpipe to up under shed. He let it idle for a couple hours.
Shut it off and we removed all paper and rags.
Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk
Here's what my Dad did that worked. He and I chinked it all around with old rags, newspapers, anything to seal it pretty airtight. Then he drove his Packard over beside it, ran a vacuum cleaner hose from tailpipe to up under shed. He let it idle for a couple hours.
Shut it off and we removed all paper and rags.
Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk
nadogail
Well-known member
Do critters dig under concrete slabs with footings?
Buford T. Justice
Well-known member
Live traps
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
When I shave my head with clippers... I gather all that's cut and stuff it in to the spaces under my big shed (16'x12'). Every 5 years or so... I toss a few moth balls under the shed as well.
Doesn't seem to keep out chipmunks but skunks, opossums and wood chucks hate the hair. Racoons and cats hate the mothballs.
Word of caution... Mothballs can be dangerous to children, dogs etc. In NJ... most health departments will frown upon it as well.
Doesn't seem to keep out chipmunks but skunks, opossums and wood chucks hate the hair. Racoons and cats hate the mothballs.
Word of caution... Mothballs can be dangerous to children, dogs etc. In NJ... most health departments will frown upon it as well.
couch67
Well-known member
If its a skunk and you just want it to move on, playing a radio under the shed will get rid of them. Put it on a talk channel and leave it there 24/7, they will move on. Then you can do what you need to make it critter-proof.
Ray-CA
Well-known member
Small dog (terrier, dachshund etc.) that by nature and breeding is genetically programmed to find/chase varmints. They’re also small enough to get under the shed.
Ray-CA
Well-known member
I did the same thing to get rid of a relative. Put the shop radio on conservative talk radio and they left two days later.
Shoot the offenders or trap them and shoot them.
CraigStu
Well-known member
Whatever you do, do NOT poison them. They will manage to get to their hideaway under you shed and then croak. The smell a week + later will then keep you away.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
A common term for a footing is a "rat wall" ! Not sure how deep it needs to go but probably at least a foot.
The other method is get some 4' medium duty fencing. Sometime called "welded wire" fencing, but the holes can not be more than 1/2". It has to be galvanized and heavier than "chicken wire". When you cut your sod out, go about 2' wider around the whole area. Lay the fencing down first with at least 2' outside of where you are going to lay the forms for the slab.
You can lay the sod back on top of this fencing and be certain no critters will burrow underneath.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
More like a MONTH !
Jazz1
Well-known member
I used flex pipe from my trucks exhaust and ran for 1/2 hour under sons shed. No sign of critters anymore.
Dogs would have to be permanent. Both my hounds are live game hunters. Ibizan and Portuguese Podenco. They are deterrent to any critter trying to move onto property and they get sprayed once a year by skunk
Dogs would have to be permanent. Both my hounds are live game hunters. Ibizan and Portuguese Podenco. They are deterrent to any critter trying to move onto property and they get sprayed once a year by skunk
Attachments
23ford
Well-known member
Do these methods work for rabbbits also?
brianh
Well-known member
Yes I had a woodchuck get under mine I heard a weird noise whil in the shop went out and found dirt kicked out. Grabbed the 22 and got it. I inspect on a regular basis now.
nadogail
Well-known member
Critters need Food, Water and Concealment. Depriving them of all of these will make your property less attractive to the Critters.
rburke65
Well-known member
Send them to see Jesus....
ZRX61
Well-known member
Mothballs, the smell of the Naptha drives them away