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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1817
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 3:01 pm: |     |
I am about to evict a squirrel out into the cold, cold world & am having second thoughts.
We have a house fan & the screen covering the louvres was removed when we painted the house (2 years ago - reason #1 why I feel badly). Over the summer, I foresaw a rodent problem, so, instead of getting someone to go up on the roof & put a new screen on the louvres, I built a "cage" out of steel mesh in the attic, enclosing the house fan.
A month or so ago, my brother went to the attic to get something & told me it seemed as if a squirrel were building a nest. We didn't check it out right away.
Fast forward to yesterday - I went up & sure enough, we have a new resident. He is completely contained in the cage, with a snuggly, huge nest. When you walk up the attic stairs, he runs out the louvres, so he is easy to chase away. I called someone to board over the opening. He came to look this morning & we agreed that he would chase the guy away & cover the louvres. While we were standing there talking, the squirrel peaked in the louvres to see if it was safe to come home yet. He ran off when he realized we were still there.
So, we cover the hole tomorrow and problem solved, right? The thing is.... I feel guilty. It's cold, the nest obviously took a long time to build & clearly the little guy thought he was all nestled in for the winter in a safe, warm place. I knew months ago this was a problem. If we'd dealt with it then, he would've been able to find a home elsewhere. Now, I am rendering him homeless. I feel like I'm cheating.
The Spouse says I won't feel that way in the Spring, when there would be a whole family in the cage. Her loving, caring, empathetic words? "Get over it".
I am a bad, bad person. |
ReallyTrying
Citizen
Username: Reallytrying
Post Number: 179
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 3:14 pm: | |
No, you're not. Squirrels are wild creatures, and, as warm and comfy as he or she might have been, things could get ugly if he or she and/or offspring were surprised or felt threatened at some point. And you just know that, somehow, they'll find their way downstairs eventually. I don't know about you, ut I wouldn't like to find one running around the kitchen or a bedroom. In evicting him, you're not rendering him homeless; you're returning him to his real home.
(Or something like that.) |
jgberkeley
Supporter
Username: Jgberkeley
Post Number: 3303
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 3:15 pm: | |
I vote with your spouse, the "get over it!, vote." It took me the full year to get the family that moved into my attic last fall out.
They chewed holes thru my attic soffits, cut electrical wires, chewed thru and vented the freon from my central A/C, shredded my silk poinsettias that I store in the attic, and kept us awake at nights as they romped around.
Start now!
|
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1891
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 4:14 pm: | |
One of my favorite books when I was very little was "Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose". You would relate to Thidwick. |
bpaandco
Citizen
Username: Bpaandco
Post Number: 50
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 4:50 pm: | |
I'll trade you your squirrel for my centipedes and mice. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 106
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 5:28 pm: | |
Ugh. Tearing at my heartstrings on this one, but you gotta do it..... When we had our house painted, we had to get rid of the little birds nest that was still clearly occupied with what was described to me as "young ones"..... But, we couldn't have them paint around it..... I still cringe when I think about it though, so although my advice would be to take care of the problem now before it gets worse, but you're still going to feel badly about it ... Can't win on this one... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1822
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 5:46 pm: | |
Lil- thanks for the empathy. You are a nicer person than The Spouse (and George  ). Really - good point. I would be very unhappy if I had to wrestle squirrel parts away from the kitties. BP- that may be a deal, but are your mice & centipedes trained to stay in a cage?
It occurs to me that when we start the kitchen/den/bathroom reconstruction in the spring, we will have many mice who now live in the crawl space looking for new homes. AAAIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!! |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 166
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 7:16 pm: | |
greentree-- don't worry, the little squirrel will find a new home. There are plenty of trees in Maplewood. |
lseltzer
Citizen
Username: Lseltzer
Post Number: 1893
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 7:49 pm: | |
Perhaps we should let them into our homes if we can find a way to tax them. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1823
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 8:15 pm: | |
Actually, Larry, you raise something I hadn't thought of. Since the cage I built is occupied, my taxes could be raised based on the addition of a new bedroom.
Sorry, Rocky, you're outta here!
No more guilt! Thanks, Larry! |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 1483
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - 10:26 pm: | |
I had a squirrel once, seeded its nest and the whole attic with mothballs, and that was the end of it. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1825
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 1:51 pm: | |
Eviction done, new bedroom inaccessible. Mission accomplished. |
vermontgolfer
Citizen
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 192
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 8:01 pm: | |
greentree,
look at it this way, a squirrel by any other name is a rat with a furry tail, get 'em the hell out of your house before you have bigger problems. Finally, as your spouse and George say, get it over it, squirrels are a pain and can be dangerous. |
tototoo
Citizen
Username: Tototoo
Post Number: 147
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - 8:21 pm: | |
Vermont, that was kinda harsh now, don't ya think? I mean, I KNOW they're rats w/furry tails and I KNOW I don't want 'em livin' in my house, but there is something so cute and adorable about squirrels. I get a real kick out of watching them be, well, pretty intelligent little critters. As long as we the homeowners and them, the squirrels, get it straight who lives outside, why can't we all just get along? |
vermontgolfer
Citizen
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 193
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 13, 2003 - 7:37 am: | |
don't know about cute, but certainly cunning and smart, as my lady friend at the bird store says, she thinks every squirrel has a degree from MIT, that just doesn't mean we have to like 'em! a bit harsh, maybe, but hey as long as they live outside and they understand that, I'll leave them alone. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 430
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 1:16 pm: | |
A squirrel out-witted my father for at least two months. He even got hurt a few times. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3844
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 1:18 pm: | |
Greenmeanie:
It was blustery and cold last night. How do you think your former tenant got along?  |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1827
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 3:17 pm: | |
Well, Bob, he's still alive. I know this because yesterday and this morning, I heard him trying to get the louvres open. If the wind didn't send him flying by this morning, then he must be Super Squirrel. Hmmm - maybe I should be worried..... |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 179
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 14, 2003 - 5:09 pm: | |
Just watch out for the Death Squirrel Mafia!!!. |
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