Ongoing Squirrel Saga - Me=2, Sq=0

[Russ Filtz]

If you've read some of my squirrel posts, you'd remember I've been having problems getting rid of them out of my attic. Tried everything, lights, noise, repellants, hot pepper vaseline, etc. to no avail. Finally decided to trap, and even that looked hopeless. Had the trap up there 4-5 days with no bites.

Had been checking it twice a day, but then yesterday I forgot in the morning. Checked around 4 PM and there was Mr Squirrel dead as a doornail. Probably from heat stroke as it was mid-90's around here and due to their antics, my attic fan is fried (they pushed the bird netting into the blades).

I feel kind of bad for it, as it probably suffered in the heat. I was going to trap them and release in a local park or something.

[Bruce Page]

If you've read some of my squirrel posts, you'd remember I've been having problems getting rid of them out of my attic. Tried everything, lights, noise, repellants, hot pepper vaseline, etc. to no avail. Finally decided to trap, and even that looked hopeless. Had the trap up there 4-5 days with no bites.

Had been checking it twice a day, but then yesterday I forgot in the morning. Checked around 4 PM and there was Mr Squirrel dead as a doornail. Probably from heat stroke as it was mid-90's around here and due to their antics, my attic fan is fried (they pushed the bird netting into the blades).

I feel kind of bad for it, as it probably suffered in the heat. I was going to trap them and release in a local park or something.
Stuff happens

[Lee DeRaud]

Ozzy the Shop Dog says, "Squirrels are EEEEVILL: ya done good!"

[Rich Konopka]

Ozzy the Shop Dog says, "Squirrels are EEEEVILL: ya done good!"

LOL, I trained my shop dog to chase the squirells out of the yard. I'll tell the Dog, " Lizzy, where's the kitty?" and the dog will fly to window and check the yard. We haven't seen a squirell in the yard in 2 years. She loves chasing them.

It is too bad that squirells are a real nuisance because they don't get credit for all of the Oak trees planted by these critters.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Russ.......there's a good chance the squirrel would have found its way back home anyway.

[Russ Filtz]

By that time, I'd have plugged up all the entry holes in the vents/fan. Hopefully it wouldn't have chewed through the roof itself, like someone told they had happen!

One other note, after I had pepper greased the wood leading to the roof, I heard one of them climbing inside a rain downspout to bypass the pepper! Very sneaky, so I promptly greased the heck out of it.

[Lee DeRaud]

One other note, after I had pepper greased the wood leading to the roof, I heard one of them climbing inside a rain downspout to bypass the pepper!If I ever heard a squirrel climbing up a drainspout, I'm afraid the temptation to just lob a couple of golf balls up onto the roof would be overwhelming:
"What's that funny noise, Rocky?"
"Dunno, Bullwinkle, sounds kinda like a golf ball rolling down a...AAARRRGGGHHH!"
:cool:

[Russ Filtz]

Sorry Ken, thought I'd sneak one by you!

Caught another one this morning. Ran him out to a forest preserve about 10+ miles away. If he finds his way home I give up! Should have tagged him with some paint or something to see if he returns.

[Lee Schierer]

You can relocate a squirrel, but you have to take it several miles away. I trapped one once and took it 2 miles away on the way to work. I think he darn near beat me home as he was back in the trap the next morning. So I took him on a five mile jaunt. Never saw that squirrel again.

[Jack Wood]

My Grandfathers house nearly burned up because of a tree rat that had chewed it's way into the attic and then proceded to cook it's self by chewing in to a electric wire!:eek: My Grandfather was sitting down to lunch when the power went out and then he started to smell the squirrel roast and added 2 and 2. He was able to put out the small fire himself with little damage thankfully:) It was open season on those guys from there on. He had a single shot pellet rifle and dropped em when ever he saw one, never had one get into the attic again:D

[Lee DeRaud]

You can relocate a squirrel, but you have to take it several miles away. I trapped one once and took it 2 miles away on the way to work. I think he darn near beat me home as he was back in the trap the next morning. So I took him on a five mile jaunt. Never saw that squirrel again.So...at the risk of turning this into a woodworking thread, anybody got plans for a catapult? :cool:

[Bill Lewis]

Caught another one this morning. Ran him out to a forest preserve about 10+ miles away. If he finds his way home I give up! Should have tagged him with some paint or something to see if he returns.Sounds like you need to update your "Scorecard" title. 2 to 0

[David Wilson]

Just a side note.

Squirrel's make a great stew.

[Mark Patoka]

So...at the risk of turning this into a woodworking thread, anybody got plans for a catapult? :cool:


At the risk of turning this into an event at the next Creek gathering: http://www.catapultkits.com/ or http://www.redstoneprojects.com/trebuchetstore/catapultstore.html

I've heard of pumpkin chucking but squirrel chucking would work just as well.

[Lee DeRaud]

I've heard of pumpkin chucking but squirrel chucking would work just as well.I don't think they fly straight: the aerodynamics are kinda wonky.

[Bob Oswin]

http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/rikfeed.jpg
Reds are endangered.
Very smart great yard pets.
They never do damage when you feed and house them.
http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/rik-in-pocket.jpg
Bob

[Lee DeRaud]

Reds are endangered.
Very smart great yard pets.
They never do damage when you feed and house them.Unfortunately, that's not what we have down here. We have these big nasty gray ones...the only way they're endangered is if they stay on the ground where a coyote (or Ozzy) can get hold of them.

[Vaughn McMillan]

The squirrel catapult concept and fried squirrel story remind me of the mouse cannon a friend claimed to have made when he and his buddies were spending time in a warehouse on a Navy base. They had a mouse problem, so they took a couple of small juice cans, removed the bottom from one and the top from both, then taped the two together into one long, narrow can. They then drilled a hole in the bottom of the can and passed one half of a two-conductor lamp cord through it (with the end bared and loaded with peanut butter). The other half of the lamp cord was soldered to the bottom of the can, and the whole contraption was plugged into the wall and placed along a known mouse path. They would then sit around in the warehouse (in the dark, drinking beer, according to the story I was told) and eventually they'd hear...

Skit...skit...skit...skit...............fawhOOOOOO OOOOOOmp!

and watch the ball of flaming mouse go shooting across the floor.

Still don't know if it was a true story -- coming from a former Navy Seal, anything is possible -- but it does paint a pretty funny picture.

- Vaughn

[Bob Oswin]

That sounds a bit cruel.
Isn't there a better way?

Bob

[Russ Filtz]

Not a catapult, but it looks like it works!

http://www.filecabi.net/v/file/1117744143/wmv

[Steve Jenkins]

http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/rikfeed.jpg
Reds are endangered.
Very smart great yard pets.
They never do damage when you feed and house them.
http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/rik-in-pocket.jpg
Bob
Bob Iwas training my pet parrot to eat out of my shirt pocket like that until he grabbed a very sensitive part of my anatomy and bit it. End of that idea. :) :)

[Bob Oswin]

Not a catapult, but it looks like it works!

http://www.filecabi.net/v/file/1117744143/wmv

I found a win - win solution for my guests.
I know from being brought up in the woods near Fort Nelson that Squirrels are territorial and will keep out all but themsleves when established.
So I built a suitable nest in a tree for my critter and baited it with nuts.
http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/grumps-house1.jpg
Next I built a feeder station for summer and winter with fresh water and a top to keep off the rain and snow.
I feed them every day.
See this is really about wood working after all. :)
http://www3.telus.net/public/ident/Drews%20woodstuff/grumps-house.jpg
Since I did this the first time about 50 years ago I have never had a problem with squirrels.
It might not work for you but it certainly deserves a bit of study cause the method you are using just makes another hole for another squirrel to fill.
Costs me about $50.00 a year in food and is a constant source of amusement and pleasure for the kids around the neighbourhood.
Since I did this I have never had a squirrel in my attic or my house although they live within feet of my buildings.
I have two squirrels now, Rik and Grump and they have each had a baby - Peep and Spike.
They had more but the ravens got em. :mad:

The older ones moved out and left the younger ones the digs.



Enjoy
Bob

[Bob Oswin]

I had a very similar experience with that one shown in my pocket.
She used to bite me all the time. I figured out the she had trouble seeing anything right close to her snout. They seem to know when they hurt you and often look at you when it happens to see your reaction.
Now she is so gentle she cleans peanut butter right off my finger without even grazing my skin.
A very gentle animal when you give it time.

Bob

[Bob Oswin]

This is Peep.
A small ( 6 weeks old) Red squirrel.
He is still making shy but has discovered a great space ship for himself filled with space food.
Might make a pic for the Coke company from it.


Happy Independence day to a lot of you!

Bob

[Michael Gibbons]

Vaughn, That story is a hoot. It reminds me of a time when I worked in a machine shop and after lunch we put our trash in the can(good idea). The next morning when we opened the shop I heard a rustling noise in the can. I slowly removed the trash from the can piece by piece and at the bottom was a mouse. The only way he could of got in there was by jumping in there from the table which was right next to the can. Gave me an idea. "Walking the plank!" I got a piece of aluminum sheet metal maybe 2" wide x 15" long and balanced it over the edge of the table. From then on, about every couple hours you'd hear "CLUNK". We would go see another mouse. Reset the trap. A few days went by and we had about 12 in the can. We painted all of them different colors then set them on fire and watch 'em run in circles trying to get out.


Mike:D