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juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 5
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 1:03 pm: |     |
No, really. They are knawing away the wooden molding between the panes of glass that enclose our front stoop/porch. They've actually chipped away the paint and are taking to it like beavers. It looks pretty bad. I've swabbed the chewed areas with Tobasco sauce because I've heard they hate hot peppers, although I felt a little crazy doing it. Any other suggestions?
But wait, there is a backstory. We recently had two very large trees removed from our front yard in advance of a landscaping overhaul this spring. These may be the same squirrels who are now unable to climb up to their cozy homes in our attic. Any chance this could be some kind of retribution? On Sunday AM when I stepped out to get the paper (after the trees had been removed) I found six of them on the outside steps and remaining stump looking, I thought, confused. At the time I felt superior, like I had finally twarted their nesting plans in our eaves. Now I'm wondering if that wasn't meeting to plot their next evil little steps. This all sounds pretty nutty, doesn't it? Well, ignoring my petty paranoia, any suggestions to keep them away?
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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4614
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 1:32 pm: | |
Be careful, very careful. Ever see the Hitchcock movie "The Birds"  |
marken
Citizen
Username: Marken
Post Number: 111
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 3:10 pm: | |
They are smart and crafty. They just might be trying to get back at you.
Or you have the tastiest house on the block. It wouldn't be gingerbread would it?
The tabasco sauce should work -- just reapply it after it rains. I don't know if it's bad for the wood however.
They might go away on their own, but if they don't you can set traps, or feed them something else, reducing the amount little by little until they decide to go elsewhere. Our squirrels enjoy the sunflower seeds in our bird feeder.
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blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 159
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 4:33 pm: | |
Get the big bag of roasted peanuts in the shell at shoprite ($2) and throw them away from from your house. Kind of a distraction from chewing on the house. They probably miss their tree. |
Morrisa da Silva
Citizen
Username: Mod
Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 6:24 pm: | |
I feel your pain. We have reduced our furry friends damage by trapping them, one by one and driving them far away. We use peanut butter on a ritz to lure them into the trap, though I'm sure almost any foodstuff would do. We do this periodically to keep the population down and keep them from invading our eaves. |
dgm
Citizen
Username: Dgm
Post Number: 164
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 2:59 pm: | |
The only humane way to get rid of them is catch them and deport them. We have three havaharts set at all times for this purpose. |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 6
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2004 - 4:27 pm: | |
Thanks for the suggestions and sympathy. I think they are over with us, for now. And, I haven't heard as much from them -- chattering, redecorating -- in the attic like we used to. Guess if you cut down nearly all the trees in your lot, you can keep them out of your attic -- until they find a new way in. One did try to scale the house the other day, which was pretty noisy as it scraped up the window screen. Sounded like it was trying to get in. It was a bit like a "Birds" moment. But that's crazy, right? |
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