Squirrels under the shed. It's personal this time...

[ScaldedDog]

I have 7 or 8, or maybe 9, if dad isn't out being a dog, who've taken up residence under my shed in the last two weeks. They can dig new holes faster than I can fill them, and find the aroma of mothballs rather pleasant. How do I get rid of these things, for at least long enough so I can prevent them from getting back under there? I'd rather not shoot them, as it would require a weapon I'd rather not deploy in the neighborhood, unless I have no other choice.

Once out, I'm thinking of filling the holes with concrete, or perhaps Great Stuff. (Any reason not to do the latter, other than that I'd have to cover it? My mitigation plan is to staple a couple layers of wire fence to the ground out away from the shed 2-3 feet. Is that likely to work, or do I need a better idea?

Mark

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[Los_Control]

Dogs ... just get dogs ... they love to chase squirrels.

On the other hand, squirrels love to play with dogs.
I have a squirrel that would never touch ground in my yard, but will come by and tease my 2 dogs a sheppard and a rottweiler, for 2 hours at a time .... I get it, animals like to play ... My dogs think they got this squirrel trapped or treed ... the old squirrel just dancing around and playing with the dogs ... Sometimes I just need to intervene and chase the squirrel away ... he always comes back.

The car insurance commercial where the squirrel runs out and wrecks the car, then high five each other .... this is how squirrels act in real life.

I have no opinion

 

[Daedalus]

The noise from all the construction when you redo your siding and doors ASAP will probably chase them away.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm siding my garage right now and having just a fantastic time.

 

[JRC3]

I'd rather not shoot them, as it would require a weapon I'd rather not deploy in the neighborhood, unless I have no other choice.

I use these. In my bolt-action rifle they are as loud as a BB gun and dead-nuts at squirrel dispatching distances in my half acre lot community.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I have a rat terrier, we dont have rats around here for her to chase, but I do call the squirrels, "tree rats", and call her a " squirrel terrier ".

She absolutely loses her mind for the opportunity to chase squirrels. I live on heavily wooded acreage featuring allot of mature oak trees,.... lots of squirrels to chase.

The dog is effective, when I moved in, they where on the wrap around porch all the time, climbing on my truck, youd see several all day playing near the house, now you would not even know there are squirrels on the property, they have relocated to the back 40 to avoid her, and I mostly keep her in the house.

As far as filling the holes don't they make some kind of 2 part epoxy expanding polyurethane concrete replacement for setting posts ? Might be the ticket over expanding foam... ?

 

[Kodiak]

I typically try to get along with all the wildlife until squirrels started ripping apart my Green Giant Arborviti trees. They were left looking like manicured French Poodles at the top. And if you know anything about Arborviti, they don't grow back quickly. An RWS 34 air rifle has brought things under control. Quieter than a .22 if your property requires it. I didn't want to wait for them to invade my attic or get under the hood of our cars.

I've read that it's uncommon to see more than three or four running around together. I had like six or eight all running around at one time. I'm not trying to eradicate them, just keep the population under control. Have you noticed increased predator activity? Since the squirrel population exploded in my neighborhood, I've got three hawks that always visit and I've seen some fur here and there.

 

[gunguy]

I had a buddy who used to play an old radio loudly in the barn to keep varmits out. Don't know how well it worked. If you have an old radio, it might be worth giving it a try.

Have you seen any owls or hawks around?

Jim

 

[oldmachinenut]

 

[welder4956]

I've found powdered cayenne pepper around the holes works well as a chipmunk repellant. Should work for squirrels as well. Spread it all around the perimeter.

 

[LeonardY]

Live trap them and relocate 5 plus miles away. Some say 10 miles.

Or cats.

 

[Wrench97]

I live trapped them, caught one every work day for 3 weeks took them the 25 miles to work and released them for the feral cats to chase, I have more Squirrels now the I did before....................................................

 

[Bigblockyeti]

At my parents, they've chewed on my Dodge, Pontiac, dad's Nissan & Ford, bro's Mazda, all except for the Dodge they've disabled. Peppermint oil, ultrasonic repeller and some other kinda of super nasty stuff for keeping anything from chewing have been the attempted remedies. I'll venture into the woods with low brass 12ga. #7 1/2 shot and inside of 20 yards it will liquify them. At home, they're steal my peaches right off the trees and a .177 GAMO air rifle does a pretty good job. I also have #110 body traps I bait with fallen fruit and they've gotten opossum, squirrels and chipmunks.

 

[nadogail]

I live trapped them, caught one every work day for 3 weeks took them the 25 miles to work and released them for the feral cats to chase, I have more Squirrels now the I did before....................................................

By reducing the adult squirrel population, you have increased the available food for the remaining adults which gives them more incentive to breed.

 

[Wrench97]

By reducing the adult squirrel population, you have increased the available food for the remaining adults which gives them more incentive to breed.

Yes they chew holes in the bottom of my trash cans, the lids, hang on the handles and chew on the sides, I tried metal but the trash men destroy them faster then the Squirrels..............................................

 

[steve308]

Stick a lit road flair down the hole then cover the hole with a metal trash can lid held down with a bag of dirt.

 

[LeonardY]

You might want to try this.

https://www.automatictrap.com/

It was developed in New Zealand to eradicate invasive pests.

 

[manwithtools]

Improve your aim! Get a .177 pellet gun - Gammo makes some good ones. Favorite beverage and a chalk board to keep score. Be sure the neighbors are not in the line of fire. Have Fun!

 

[sweetk30]

I use these. In my bolt-action rifle they are as loud as a BB gun and dead-nuts at squirrel dispatching distances in my half acre lot community.

got me a woodchuck between the eye after i sighted the rifle in for them and my scope . mom had back door open on house and didnt here a thing .

i did make sure i had the high ground and used a tri pod and waited and 1 shot 1 kill .

 

[Rc_Guy]

Bb gun

 

[Pathfinders]

Conibear 110.

 

[txvwnut]

Get a decent air rifle in either .177 or .22 cal. I’ve got a RWS Diana 34 and no squirrels any more. Set up a hide and toss some peanuts by their hole and then sit and pic them off.

 

[vertguy]

Get a decent air rifle in either .177 or .22 cal. I’ve got a RWS Diana 34 and no squirrels any more. Set up a hide and toss some peanuts by their hole and then sit and pic them off.

Yep, I did the same thing for what seemed like an endless number of chipmunks around our yard. And in typical GJ style, I went all out and bought a very nice PCP 22 cal air gun that sounds like a puff of air when shot. It became a bit of game for me as I was baiting them with sunflower seeds and used a HF motion sensor. And with this gun setup, I could stack pellets out to 40 plus yards... so it was almost too easy[emoji3]

I took 30 plus each of the first couple years and now it has dwindled to 1 or 2. But the yard and our beds (including several of our close neighbors) are no longer getting dug up.


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[Ralf11]

Rent a badger

 

[Outlander]

If it helps, I ran over one yesterday with my truck.

 

[PelicanPines]

Send them here... we have an outside cat named Mongo... Mongo will eat. Mongo eats everything.

 

[Firebrick43]

I live trapped them, caught one every work day for 3 weeks took them the 25 miles to work and released them for the feral cats to chase, I have more Squirrels now the I did before....................................................

Serves you right for foisting your problem on someone else. Out here in rural area we are sick of suburbanites bringing their unwanted pest and dumping them.

 

[gnpenning]

In most if not all states relocating wildlife is illegal. Plus it's just plain wrong. If you you can't dispose of them properly don't make it someone else's problem.

For those that do and delude themselves into thinking it's okay have bigger problems.

 

[JRC3]

Send them here... we have an outside cat named Mongo... Mongo will eat. Mongo eats everything.

Mongo only pawn in game of life.

 

[killahog]

If I wanted them gone I would invest in good pellet gun, I have them all around my place but they don't cause any problems. I set up steel targets and bait the back of them with peanut butter and when they get behind it I GONG em. I think its hillarios to watch their reaction.

 

[pizza]

as others have said, just shoot them with an airgun or a .22LR

no mercy

 

[Jazz1]

I ran exhaust under shed to exterminate rats. Dog had killed two rats in a week so safe to assume the hole dog was hovering over was entrance. No sign of rats 2 weeks now

 

[pizza]

I ran exhaust under shed to exterminate rats. Dog had killed two rats in a week so safe to assume the hole dog was hovering over was entrance. No sign of rats 2 weeks now

haha
innovative

 

[4 FN 27]

I am on my way...

 

[Ilikeike]

For squreels we use
Zinc phosphide "Prozap" oat baits, usually single feed kill.
Diphacinone baits. takes a couple of feedings. If the pest has an abundant food source near by,these baits don't work as well.

Our guaranteed kill is Aluminium phosphide "Phostoxin" we use this when there's still good moisture in the ground, throw it in the burrow,cover it, anything in there is dead. but you can't use this near inhabited dwellings.

We have a rodex 4000 propane device, it's fun but more work than it's worth, and would blow up your shed.

a .22 if you can use a firearm, more fun, but more time.

 

[ScaldedDog]

You guys have made this a funny thread. Thanks!!

The local barn cat hangs around the hole, but I haven't see her catch any of these. There's also a fox living in a nearby culvert under my driveway, (yes, I live in a zoo), and he was out by the shed the other morning. Again, though, I see no signs of his success.

I use these. In my bolt-action rifle they are as loud as a BB gun and dead-nuts at squirrel dispatching distances in my half acre lot community.

I can't see the pic well. Are those their sub-sonic rounds? We live on 5 acres, but my neighbor's house is behind what I was thinking would be my firing line. I think I came up with another one yesterday that would eliminate that problem, so these may be the solution. My .22 bolt action is a Mossberg from the 1930's that belonged to my dad. I haven't shot the thing in 50 years, so it would be a hoot to use it the way he did, growing up in the hills of WV.

As far as filling the holes don't they make some kind of 2 part epoxy expanding polyurethane concrete replacement for setting posts ? Might be the ticket over expanding foam... ?

That's a good idea. I used that stuff to set my mailbox.

I've found powdered cayenne pepper around the holes works well as a chipmunk repellant. Should work for squirrels as well. Spread it all around the perimeter.

I tried that, along with the moth balls. They asked for rice...

By reducing the adult squirrel population, you have increased the available food for the remaining adults which gives them more incentive to breed.

Ahhh, they don't seem to need much of an incentive...

I ran exhaust under shed to exterminate rats. Dog had killed two rats in a week so safe to assume the hole dog was hovering over was entrance. No sign of rats 2 weeks now

Did they die under the shed, or bug out? The chief problem I'm trying to avoid is a bunch of dead squirrels under the shed, and the accompanying lovely smell of decomp.

Mark

 

[jonshonda]

I was able to get my 8yo son's pellet gun to be pretty darn accurate with a red dot scope and some practice. A rifle w/ bipod legs would be really really accurate, and not create enough noise for your neighbors to care.

 

[58Yeoman]

I gassed an animal under my shed once, many years ago. Big mistake. Summer heat made it stink, and no way to get it out. Had to endure it until it rotted away.

 

[JRC3]

I can't see the pic well. Are those their sub-sonic rounds? We live on 5 acres, but my neighbor's house is behind what I was thinking would be my firing line. I think I came up with another one yesterday that would eliminate that problem, so these may be the solution. My .22 bolt action is a Mossberg from the 1930's that belonged to my dad. I haven't shot the thing in 50 years, so it would be a hoot to use it the way he did, growing up in the hills of WV.

Old bolt action, funny because I use a 1960 Marlin as my beater varmint gun. It was my dad's too and it sat at my grandmother's in his old room for 40 years before she died and they sold the house.

The CCI 'Quiet" round only travel at 710 fps and are 40 grain so they do damage when they hit. I've never noticed an exit wound. I headshot but still have hit the neck before, but still don't remember seeing an exit.

My beater varmint Marlin.

CCI Quiet 22: https://www.cci-ammunition.com/rimfire/cci/quiet-22/6-960.html

 

[bbbarracuda]

Them's good eatin

 

[PelicanPines]

Them's good eatin

ONE properly prepared Squirrel costs $99 here...

https://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/category-s/321.htm