Need help- squirrel eviction

[bigred292]

Help- I'm under attack by these tree rats- They've already chewed up alot of my exterior cedar trim trying to get inside.
Went out today and saw one poke his head out - they're inside!
My plan of attack today is to go into the attic with an airhose w/blower and try to scare them out before I close up access.
Any other ideas?
Have traps set up outside already- caught 2 yesterday. Getting a pellet rifle today.
Any advice would be great.

 

[BPJOOP93]

poison, live traps, 5 gallon bucket of water with bird seed on the top of the water bucket filled 1/3 full place board as ramp to let them crawl up and in. they dont swim real well.

 

[5lima30]

A high power adult pellet rifle or .22 rifle loaded w/ CB shorts should do the trick. Squirrels seem to love chewing on cedar. You may want to consider switching to a Hardi-trim product. The Hardi-type products seem to be insect and rodent resistant.

 

[bigred292]

Put up $2000 worth of cedar so replacing it isn't an option- another day of this and I'm calling in an airstrike!

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Rat traps with peanut butter. Screw them to trees around the property to keep the pets from getting at them.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Oh, and then you need to scrub the house with bleach to kill the scent trail. So others don't find their way to the old entrance.

 

[Stuart in MN]

You have to get rid of every squirrel in the area that has knowledge of the entrance into the house...they're single minded and determined, if you just patch the hole they'll chew a new hole in no time flat.

When I was having problems with them, I had to trap about 30 of the little buggers. More squirrels moved into the yard later, but by then the damage had been repaired and they've left the house alone.

 

[Jackfre]

For pellet rifles and accessories, try www.straightshooters.com i have an HW-95 Weirauch with the 4x14 scope. We had an infestation of ground squirrels and out to 40 yds it has been extremely effective.

Get some 3/4" pvc and kind feed it up into that are. Connect your air compressor and you will move them. Connect a small piece of air hose to the end of the pvc and it will whip all over. I've done this with skunks undet the deck and they didn't spray or come back. Once they are gone you are probably going to need some substantial wire mesh. I hate poison primarily because I know how long a squirrel can stink good luck

 

[kv501]

Traps aren't going to do ****. You better plan on trapping every squirrel in town for as long as you live there. Trap 20 of them and 20 will move in; it's pointless.

Killing them is kinda fun and makes you feel a little better, but again, it will do zero to keep the new ones from getting in. New ones will be right behind the dead ones.

The ONLY thing you can do about it is to prevent access. Period.

 

[Snafu]

Hook a tazer to some aluminum foil pads. So they get zapped when they walk in

 

[89GLH]

Sounds weird, but human hair is also a good deterrent. It works for chipmunks, I know that. When you get a haircut, put the clippings where they go in and out. They smell the human scent and stay away.

You could try what works for deer and use piss, but it might take some practice to nail the roof of your house.

 

[GarageEnvy]

We had the same problem. We also had rats. We have above ground power lines so they were everywhere. Our dog took care of a few on the ground and kept the yard clear but eventually the population grew so large that it attracted a couple of hawks to the neighborhood. Problem solved. Several people in the neighborhood have owl boxes and I know the hawks are happy, the owls are happy and the neighborhood is happy. Rats and squirrels, not so much. Do whatever you can to attract hawks and owls and let nature take its course. We've enjoyed watching the birds pick them off the power lines.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I used an ultrasonic in my attic to get rid of them here in VA. It worked very well.

Be warned though, it only works for a few days. But that was long enough to get them out so I could patch the holes they got in from.

Jim

 

[volvo]

...
. I have wasted $$ on all the cure alls and they do NOT work. Only one thing really works and that is trap them then take them for a swim. Been trapping about 35 per summer trying to keep up with the neighbors feeding them. They can do a lot of damage.
Found this site to be the best and DEAD on with all its information.Also check out the message board, great support and stuff.

http://unexco.com/SQ1.html

and

http://unexco.com/squirrel/squirrel.mv

 

[Super Sport]

I'm having the same problem. I just moved in a few months ago and I know the PO had squirrels in the attic. By the sounds I'm hearing they are back. Definitely subscribed!

 

[Jagmandave]

I had the same problem, they sat in the gutters and used their claws to dig thru the pine soffit and fascia boards, then into the attic they went. I borrowed a neighbor's pellet gun and crawled up into the attic, I had to lie there for a while before I saw it's little furry head silhouetted agains the backlight, then I popped him. I saw three more in the gutter when I went outside (fortunately when I hit him he ran, then promptly died and fell to the driveway, so I didn't have to clean him out of the attic) and very carefully shot them too. I think if you get the ones that are the problem, the rest don't try to follow the scent.

I put metal flashing over the wood they destroyed when I replaced it - they can't dig thru metal - I just painted it to match the rest of the trim and it doesn't show.

I bought my own pellet gun and spent the next few days shooting every one I could find, and managed to get about 10 of them, till one day as I'm stalking one in a tree in the front yard I heard an amplified voice say "Put the gun down and show me your hands!"

Three cop cars parked about three houses down from mine, and all the cops well protected behind the doors of their cars, just like on TV! I broke the rifle open, showed them it was an air rifle, then layed it down and walked away. When they saw it was an air rifle they relaxed considerably and as we talked they explained that it was illegal to shoot an air rifle in the city! News to me, as the sporting goods store I bought it from said it was legal - so I wound up taking it back and getting my money back. Moral of the story, check your local ordinances before buying a gun/shooting them.

I haven't had any problems with them since.

I have noticed tho, that nature does take care of her problem - just as the other poster related, one year we had a real surplus of them, and that summer I noticed a frequent appearance of two hawks. This year we've only had a few squirrels, and they're much fatter than normal. I think that means fewer tree rats sharing the same amount of food, which probably means we'll have a bumper crop of them next spring - it will be interesting to see what happens.

One last note, I've seen the same one in our back yard now for almost 5 years - his tail is mostly gone, whether from a predator or just the way he was born - that's how we recognize him - and I had no idea they lived that long! But we've been watching him since he was a pup!

 

[bigred292]

Follow-up question:
Will the squirrels leave the attic/nest during the daytime and look for food?
Before I close it up I plan on going in the attic and check things out.
I'm just wondering if they are like bees and leave in the a.m. and return in the afternoon.
Meeting a guy with a pellet gun for sale at lunchtime.

 

[kv501]

I keep seeing visions of John Goodman in Arachnophobia.

 

[Jagmandave]

They'll be in and out all day.....at least mine were.

You need to get them out now, if they stay in till spring there will be babies in the nest and you'll have a tougher time of it.

Do you have good attic access? Cause mine was a biotch - the roof pitch is 6/12 so the edges really pinch down, and my house is a split level, so the rafters/joists were on a several different levels and went every which way!

I was lucky, it was a warm summer day and they were mostly staying outside, I only had one in the attic and I shot him coming in, then caught the rest while they were still outside. Then I quickly got the holes patched up with metal flashing that they couldn't tear out again.

 

[bigred292]

This is more like it!

 

[bigred292]

I do have access in the main attic but recently put my addition/garage on.

I'll know in a little bit if I can get in there. How about some sort of loud noise?

Maybe one of those boat horns? Dog whistle? Air line? Loud music?

 

[mmb617]

I feel your pain as I've been engaged in an ongoing battle against squirrels that want to live inside for years. At the present time the house is squirrel free but I know they haven't given up and will mount a new offensive at any time.

I found a headless squirrel in the yard last week. Obviously one of the dogs had listened to my "take no prisoners speech". It's a war and there will be more casualties that's for sure.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Havahart traps.

Use peanut butter and peanuts as bait inside trap and put several bricks on top of trap to keep squrrels from tossing trap around.

Relocate squirrels as you catch them or "off them" with your chioce of means. (I've done 32 gal trash can filled with water a'la The Soprano's, used a 22 cal pistol and several other means.)

Fix access and be done.

I had squirrels rip into the eve's of a former house for winter homes only to have raccoon's come and bully the squirrels out creating a bigger problem.

They may be cute and cuddly but they sure are a nuiscence. And often pissed off if trapped. LOLOLOL.

BTW-if you relocate, put newspaper down in ur trunk before the trap as frightened squirrels pee often when nervous and trapped and that shizz will stink up the car.

 

[mackrmnn]

You need a good cat!

 

[superspec]

i used rat poision in my attic. cant remember the brand but it wasnt the standard decon ****. ive seen this stuff in action before. eat it in the attic and go looking for water outside and they fall over within minutes of drinking water.

 

[6768rogues]

 

[bigred292]

Update on score- Homeowner 6, Squirrels 0.
Stay tuned for the second period.