Squirrels Aargh!!!

[Lee Schierer]

For the past two weeks since we returned from a trip we heard a scratching noise in the wall almost above our bow window. It wasn't continuous and didn't occur at night. We thought it was something that was trapped in our leaf guard gutters. I pulled off several covers to look inside and the gutters looked clear. While I had one cover off I heard the noise and determined wit was coming from the soffit. Our soffits are totally enclosed with perforated vinyl panels held in place by the F-channel, one nail in each panel into the fascia and the aluminum fascia panel. In other words not easy to get into.

With some effort and carefully levering the aluminum fascia out just enough to be able to remove one panel. I placed my game camera up in the soffit hoping to capture the critter in a photo. After 24 hours I pulled the SD card from the camera and looked at the files on my computer. Here was what was photographed.
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Now that I knew what was in there, I started a search for how it was getting in. I determined that the vinyl corner pieces of our siding left a clear path for a small athletic critter to gain access to the soffit area. Here's what the corners look like.
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There are 6 of them on the house. I had previously discovered this and had fitted some ethafoam blocks up into the opening. It didn't take long to find one of the corners open and chunks of foam on the ground below.

I first determine that the squirrel wasn't currently in the attic (late at night). Then I stuffed 5 steel wool pads up into the cavity. It was a really tight fit. 10:00 next morning i found shredded steel wool on the ground. Score one for the squirrel.

My second attempt that evening was to spray some "Critter Stop" foam up into the corner piece. I even adhered a thin piece of aluminum to the exposed bottom of the foam. It was blocked solid 6-8 inches up the corner. I went outside at 8:00 am and got there just in time to see the tail disappear up the corner piece. Squirrel 2 Lee 0.

My next and current attempt was to fabricate a heavier piece of aluminum that would slide up into the folds of the corner molding and glue it in place with some polyurethane glue. I also fabricated some aluminum piece that would deter the Squirrel from chewing through the vinyl to get in.

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The folded piece looks like this.
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Here's what it looks like when installed.
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Hopefully, The aluminum will stop it. I've also set a live trap baited with peanut butter to remove the squirrel from our property.

Time will tell.

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Lee, it looks like five of your images didn't come through.

Also, you might be surprised at how far you will have to take that squirrel to not have it beat you home.

Found this on a consult with Dr. Google >


How many miles away should you relocate a squirrel?

Relocating squirrels, squirrel removal and squirrel trapping needs to be done in a humane way. Additionally, you want to keep the squirrel as far away from your home as possible. How do you keep squirrels away, you might ask? Simply relocate the animal about 25 miles or so away from your home.

Some of my hunting friends have told me squirrels make for good eating.

jtk

[Thomas McCurnin]

Personally, I would re-watch Caddyshack and analyze how Bill Murray removes unwanted rodents.

[Rob Luter]

Agree. 22LR or explosives. Or nuke them from space. It’s the only way to be sure.

[Tom M King]

.410 for the problem causers and the Foxes get the benefit.

[Sam Force]

I had that same problem years ago, only the squirrel in my gutters couldn't find his way back out. I had to open up a couple places to get him to finally escape. Now my wife has build a 3 story squirrel house with windows on 2 levels and feeds them cookies, cereal, nuts old bread etc every day. You never know how many show up on any given day. But at least they stay out of the gutters ��️��️��️��️

[Stan Calow]

I can confirm that they taste like chicken.

[Alex Zeller]

My father had a similar problem with a squirrel getting into the insulation in the ceiling of his house. After a couple failed attempts he came up with a solution I wouldn't suggest. He wrapped two bricks in aluminum foil and place them on each side of the opening it was using but not touching each other. There was just enough room for the squirrel to squeeze through. He then took an electrical cord for a lamp and connected a wire to each brick and plugged it into an outlet. It worked and he didn't burn his house down but I wouldn't recommend it.

[George Yetka]

My mother keeps telling me she has a squirrel that nests in her grill. I told her there is a simple solution but she doesnt seem to be a fan. I like squirrels when they are not in the house or destroying something, they can be fun to watch. It seems like your fix will work. Hopefully he doesnt find another way in.

[Tim Elett]

Best served with mashed potatoes and egg noodles.

[Bill George]

I have a short barrel 22 revolver and loaded with 22 shotshell or a BB shell can deal with them. This Neighbour hood is over run with rabbits and squirrels. We had a fox pass thru a few months ago and he missed a good area to make a home in!

[George Yetka]

I have a short barrel 22 revolver and loaded with 22 shotshell or a BB shell can deal with them. This Neighbour hood is over run with rabbits and squirrels. We had a fox pass thru a few months ago and he missed a good area to make a home in!

Fox is the answer here. But as you cant control that outdoor cats can be helpful. My neigbothood had 0 rabbits/ squirrels and a decent fox population for the first 6 years we lived here. I think they were too efficient so they had to move on. Now we have a couple squirrels/rabbits.

[Allan Dozier]

Hate em. My largest apple tree had about 200 apples on it and we didn't get a single one. On the farm, if we plant adjacent to the woods they get a bunch of tomatoes and completely abscond with the sweet corn.

[James Tibbetts]

Tree Rat stew.

[Jack Frederick]

Squirrels. A attorney from the Bay-Area bought a hill top ranch above the Napa Valley back in the late 70’s and he was loosing a lot of sheep. I offered to help with that problem and a friend and I camped out finding that the problem was a domestic dog pack on the run. We gave the game warden the tags and that solved that problem. He let us hunt the squirrels in the walnut orchard and the first two rows of trees had almost no nuts due to the squirrels. We had some good spring piston air rifles and we harvested the squirrels and threw a party. They made the best deep rich gravy in that stew. Every one loved it and at the end of dinner asked what was in it. I told them it was Bushy Tailed Rats. People retching out in the years. Such pleasant memories.

[Mel Fulks]

“Bitrex” ,the worlds most bitter substance, will stop them . It can be mixed into paint.

[Mike Mason]

I can confirm that they taste like chicken.

Doesn't everything taste like chicken? When I was in grad school (1980), a new student from Taiwan was assigned to our lab and he got sick, quite literally, while eating his first bite of a McDonald's hamburger that someone bought for him since he never had one; it turns out he had never had onions, as he took the sandwich apart and asked what they were. Afterwards, the topic of unusual foods came up, and he offered that he had eaten RAT meat, and that it tasted like chicken and was real tender since they scurry about (which I would have thought would make them tough, but I'll take his word on all of it).

Jim Thorpe's favorite meal was fried squirrel with gravy. Squirrel hunting for food was one of his greatest pleasures.

[John Stankus]

Search youtube for squirrel trebuchets Launch them into your neighbor's yard :-)

[Patty Hann]

They is some pretty smart critters (sorry for video quality...pretty old)


https://youtu.be/aY9GBl7UmVs

[Patty Hann]

Search youtube for squirrel trebuchets Launch them into your neighbor's yard :-)

That is too funny

[Jim Koepke]

Search youtube for squirrel trebuchets Launch them into your neighbor's yard :-)


That is too funny

The really funny part is the squirrels come right back because they enjoy it. :D

jtk

[Patty Hann]

The really funny part is the squirrels come right back because they enjoy it. :D

jtk
Willy-nilly they all become "flying squirrels". :D

[Lee Schierer]

Apparently the aluminum pieces I put into the bottoms of the siding cornier pieces have defeated the Fuzzy Tail. There has been no sign of it since I installed the pieces on September 3. All six corner pieces are now equipped with the same barrier.

[Stan Calow]

". . . he offered that he had eaten RAT meat, and that it tasted like chicken . . . "

I saw a video several years ago that demonstrated how to prepare a rat to look like chicken with double the legs. It involves using a blow torch to scorch off the hair, quartering, and discarding the head and tail. It was purportedly a scene from a street food vendor in an Asian country.

[Von Bickley]

People call them squirrels. I call them tree rats. I keep a .410 shotgun and a 22 rifle at the back door for tree rats, snakes and armadillos.

[Ole Anderson]

Funny, we have no problem with our squirrels, but chipmunks seem to our issue, chewing to get into our garage and tunneling under the garage slab and around our foundations.

[George Yetka]

People call them squirrels. I call them tree rats. I keep a .410 shotgun and a 22 rifle at the back door for tree rats, snakes and armadillos.

Are armadillos a problem?

[Jim Koepke]

George, our big outdoor cat, seems to like the taste of chipmunks more than squirrel.

He usually eats all but the tail of the chipmunks but leaves about half of a squirrel.

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Ducking under the table now…

jtk

[Von Bickley]

Are armadillos a problem?


YES...YES...YES. They will destroy your lawn, tunnel under the foundation of your house, tunnel under your A/C unit, and gas tank. In South Carolina, it is illegal to relocate them. If you trap one, you are required to kill it. We have killed about 7 in our yard.

[Malcolm McLeod]

YES...YES...YES. They will destroy your lawn, tunnel under the foundation of your house, tunnel under your A/C unit, and gas tank. In South Carolina, it is illegal to relocate them. If you trap one, you are required to kill it. We have killed about 7 in our yard.

In Texas we can keep them as pets, but if they cross the Red River.... well, I understand the carpet bombing is quite effective in Arkansas.

[Patty Hann]

YES...YES...YES. They will destroy your lawn, tunnel under the foundation of your house, tunnel under your A/C unit, and gas tank. In South Carolina, it is illegal to relocate them. If you trap one, you are required to kill it. We have killed about 7 in our yard.
Has SC always had armadillos? or were they brought in (legally or illegally). I thought they were native only to Texas (and maybe New Mexico).
I think Florida has them, but I do not know if they are native to Florida.

[Paul Saffold]

Everywhere I've lived there have been gray and/or red squirrels. Hate them. Really hate them since moving to North Carolina. They ate into the plastic gas line on my F150. Neighbors have had same problem. Gasoline lines, wiring harness plastic covers, gas cap on my push mower. I thought gas lines were metal but apparently not any more. Never heard of this until moving here.

[Stan Calow]

Armadillos have been seen in the southern outskirts of Kansas City. They've been moving north for years.