Squirrels - vermin from Hell

fishbone

"Honey, quick, bring the shotgun! Those damn squirrels from Hell have returned and are dragging our cat away!"

I know this is serious business but this part cracked me up. I have a 16-pound monster-of-love of a cat. I'd like to see the mob of squirrels to take our "Tootsie" on.

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fishbone

I've read somewhere that birds are immune to capsaicin, the chemical that basically give the "hot" in hot peppers. So, to detter rodents such as squirrels, some say it's a good measure to mix some ground hot peppers into the bird feeders. Fluffy-tail will eat it once and never again ... This is giving me all sorts of cruel ideas, such as coming up with some sort of thick tabasco paste with which to perhaps coat a tree's bark. Then perhaps strategically placing a small drinking tray nearby in which to also dump some capsaicin essence along with water. That ought to teach'em sneaky fluffy-tails! I'd watch out of my living room window and laugh a la Dr Evil, pinkie at the corner of the mouth and all.

susieq

I live in the remains of an old pecan grove and we have always had a problem with the bushy tailed rats.....I do shoot them when they start digging up my trees. I have 25 or 30 years invested in some of my trees and will not tolerate those varmits damaging or killing them. I have always wired my trees into the pots too.

An old friend of mine years ago lived in a very restricted neighborhood... everyone had small yards and there was no way he could shoot them with a pellet gun the way I do. His neighbors would have lynched him. So, he started baiting rat traps with peanut butter. Worked like a charm. He killed tons of the little varmits. He would go out at dusk, empty the traps of the dead squirrels, reset the trap and throw the bodies of the deceased in a garbage bag. The neighbors never knew.

Susieq

JayC

Hi Glider,

I really wish we could get these things in Australia, would help me out heaps with my half eaten trees. I have a bald cypress that is bald all year.....

I liked your reviews! Makes me want one http://www.reviewcentre.com/review220052.html

JayC

Glider

As far as I know you are better off in the US with respect to airgun laws. In the UK we are restricted to a maximum of 12 foot pounds (FtLb) muzzle energy for an air rifle. Anything above that and we need a fire arms certificate (FAC). In most states in the US, you have no such restrictions for air rifles and can buy 16 to 20 plus FtLb air rifles straight from the shop. Unlike the UK though, you aren’t allowed to buy or fit a silencer (or any kind of moderator), but with an air gun, you don’t really need one.

Identifying the squirrel is more tricky though. As bisjoe said, you would need to check the laws in your state. It’s easy for us in the UK. They’re all eastern greys.

Whilst I keep my shooting discrete so as not to upset the neighbours, the older couple who live next door have noticed that their bulbs haven’t been dug up recently. The lady is disabled and is very into container gardening because that’s all she can manage. She actually thanked me for solving her problem .

Hehe, yeah, it’s a funny image .


The problem is that the squirrels around here are wild, but due to their proximity to people, and the fact that people feed them by hand in the woods where they nest, they have lost all fear of people and people related things like cats. That makes them the worst kind of pest; wild, but without fear.


They will actually come through cat flaps to raid food from people’s houses. I have seen them mob a cat though, and that was quite unpleasant. One jumped up and down in front of the cat making loud ‘chuck chuck’ warning noises, and the others jumped in from behind, bit and jumped away. They kept that up until the cat ran away.

My older cat, Melly, is quite large, but knows to avoid squirrels now. My younger cat, Boo, is only a year old, a lot smaller and very curious. He wouldn't stand a chance.

I know how you feel with your cypress. It's really annoying to find that kind of damage.

The EB22 is a good pistol, but you have to get really close. Squirrels are amazingly tough. I really don't want to cause any suffering and the worst thing you can do is wound one and have it run away, so I upgraded to the Air Arms TX200 HC http://www.reviewcentre.com/review267341.html

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Experience is knowledge gained immediately after it was needed.

jfecme

Well, every year I post this, it seems.

I have used the mothball treatment very successfully. Have to assume that the squirrels and the chipmunks just can't stand the smell of the stuff up close.

The odor is not all that bad in my garden, and the mothballs are wide open to the air.

I place several mothballs in small clay pots and put the pots on my tables and benches. I have to renew thwm once or twice a growing season, but the critters stay away.

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Over 25 years experience - good and bad, and still learning!

DJSend

Hello all,

After 3 trips to the dealership to replace the ENTIRE wiring harness in my wife's car from nest building squirrels, over $500 to an animal control company to get them out of our attic and 4 trees that gave up the ghost I found a few remedies... first for the trees, i have my pots covered by some plastic meshing like that for your drain holes but with a wider grid, i got it at Lowes to cover your gutters. I also have been forced to wrap the trunks of some of my trees to keep them from eating them. i dont wrap it tight by anymeans just tight enouhg that they can't get to them. i got thru all last summer with out an issue. Some of the other remedies may not be considered "kind" but they aren't bullets either. I live in a neighborhood and could never get away with that although i wish i could at times... a sponge cut up into little 1/2 inch squares soaked in bacon grease will get you sorted out and if you have dogs like me that get into them, they wont have trouble passing them. The squirrels on the other hand...

fishbone

Oh man, so they die of impaction? That's cruel. I remember years ago when I used to live in MN one of the neighbors would set cage traps. He'd get home from work and just throw them in the river that was in his back yard. I'd hate the little buggers too, but I couldn't get myself to be that cruel.

The sponge bit reminds me of a way eschimos hunt or used to hunt, saw it on Discovery. They'd get a flexible straight bone and freeze it in a u-shape. Bears or whatever would swallow it and it would open in their stomachs, tearing it up. You then just look for the dead animals and voila.

constantstaticx

I have a pretty bad squirrel problem as well. We have resorted to trapping and shooting. My mom has squirrel proof bird feeders but the birds spill the seed on the ground which the squirrels eat. As long as the bird feeders stay so will the squirrels. I'm gonna try the mothball idea. I've heard it a few times and it sounds like a good idea.

I just put my trees outside today so I'm holding my breath.


Tom