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squirrels in attic

woody18428 | Posted in General Discussion on August 2, 2009 07:40am

hi everyone  i have an issue with squirrles getting into the attic ,i can see where they have been entering the attic however i am not sure what would be the best thing for me to do. I have to complete the siding and soffit on that side of the house , my real concern is that if i close it how do i know they are out of the attic and didnt leave any babies in the attic ??

Questions  1 what month do squirrels usally have there babies

                 2 how long before they leave the nest

                 3 should i put i flashing or blinking in the attic  will that   stop them from coming in ??

                  4 how many litters do they have and what months do they have them ?

                  5 i am most tempted to just shoot them or should i call in a exterminator

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Replies

  1. fingers | Aug 02, 2009 07:55pm | #1

    My in laws had a squirrel problem in their attic when they were renovating an old house.
    They just used one of those humane type traps baited with a half ear of corn I think, checked the trap daily and relocated the animals to the woods across town. As I recall they got seven or eight total over the course of a few weeks.

  2. User avater
    IMERC | Aug 02, 2009 07:56pm | #2

    1. 24/7/365...

    2. never....

    3. yes but won't prevent them from getting out...

    4. as many as possible...

    5. exterminator...

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!


    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

     

    "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  3. User avater
    Matt | Aug 02, 2009 07:56pm | #3

    Don't know the answers to all those Qs but I have been through this.   From my expierence getting rid of them doesn't work - there is always more where they came from.  I wasn't sucessful in just keeping them out either.  If you remove any trees that are close to the house the squirles will leave the house alone. 

     

  4. Piffin | Aug 02, 2009 08:13pm | #4

    Just lock a cat in there for 2-3 days with water but no food.

    When you let it out, check for the smile and you know you got rid of the problem. 
     
    Welcome to the
    Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
     where ...
    Excellence is its own reward!



    Edited 8/2/2009 1:14 pm ET by Piffin

  5. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Aug 02, 2009 08:18pm | #5

    Man you're lucky.  Piffin has bats in his belfry. 

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Aug 02, 2009 08:22pm | #7

      you say that like it's a bad thing..... 

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  6. PatchogPhil | Aug 02, 2009 08:18pm | #6

    Make a one-way flap door on their "entrance" so that they can get out but cannot get back in (unless one exiting holds the door for one entering).

     

    Quantum materiae materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?

  7. barmil | Aug 02, 2009 09:35pm | #8

    Sounds like a good alternative food source. Better than bats, lady beetles, or wasps.

  8. woodway | Aug 03, 2009 01:45am | #9

    3:1 mix of rolled oats (Quaker Oats) shaken with powder Plaster of Paris. Shake off the XS POP and put it out in dishes. They eat good for awhile till things harden up and they get really constipated. Once they die, some other predator can have their fill without having to worry about getting poisoned..they'll just spit out the hard bits.

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Aug 03, 2009 01:57am | #10

      I like it... 

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  9. rdesigns | Aug 03, 2009 05:17pm | #11

    Go for #5 with this footnote: Use the 3-s system that we use here in Idaho for wolves (3-s = shoot, shovel and shut up)

  10. cameraman | Aug 03, 2009 05:26pm | #12

    In our house, was vacant before we purchased. squirrels every where!!!!

    You could hear them running around at night, wife hated it!!

    We opened a wall to install a cut in electrical box, walnut shell poured out like a slot machine........

    Threw moth balls all over in the attic. I was told that squirrels didn't like that smell.

    Then repaired the holes where I thought they were coming in.

    Did the trick for us, in a few weeks they were gone. But they left the old walnut shells!!

    Now I could concentrate more on keeping the raccoons & bats out!!!!

    1. WonderWoman | Aug 04, 2009 08:54am | #13

      There's a reason  mothballs drive out vermin - They're extremely toxic, to human's as well. My MIL used to put mothballs around the outside of her house to keep snakes and mice away. Every family gathering we all wound up with headaches. Every time the furnace ran it would draw in the fumes. While she was in the hospital I happened to come across the mothball container and read all the warnings. I called the poison control # and the symptoms she described were all things the MIL had been experiencing. Mil has been gone 8 years now and i can still smell that smell in anything we inherited from her. She used to actually put mothballs around the inside of the house when they left on vacation to prevent mustiness.

       Sorry I don't have any better suggestions for your squirrel problem. Maybe someone knows a good recipe for squirrel soup?

  11. deskguy | Aug 04, 2009 09:48am | #14

    1-4... don"t know , don't care.   #5.... SHOOT..

    okay, you're going to need some supplies.

    1.  pump shotgun.

    2. a fifth of jack daniels.

    3. a stethoscope.

    4. a s***load of ammo

    5. another fifth of jacks finest.

    6. a video camera and a good operator or tripod.  (if operator, make sure you can still distinguish friend from squirrel while completely sauced)

    7. a quality high-speed internet hooku to post video "results" here.

    8. a safe local for family members during squirrel rmoval process.

    9. a good attorney if you hapen to reside in the city limits. 

    gently caress the shotgun as you drink the first fifth.  take out your stethescope and ascertain the "nest", finish the fifth.  load gun and strategically place the remaining ammo around the house.  crack the next bottle.  set the camera, and or operator in a "safe" location. (with the explanation that safe is a relative term in squirrel removal)

    critical step..... make sure your internet connection is up and running, and pointed towards breaktime for your upload.

    double, triple check through the whisky haze that the remainder of the family is safe.  finish the jack.  Now, start blasting till the problem is removed.  be sure to immediately post the video here so we can properly critique your form..

    second critical step....... if you see flashing lights out your window at any time during this extermination procedure.  Immediately post the video you have to this site and then lay down spread eagle on the floor.

    Happy hunting, and glad I could help.

  12. Righty_Tighty | Aug 04, 2009 06:24pm | #15

    Just be glad you don't have these squirrels:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A2moFdM1Yo&feature=related

     

  13. drh | Aug 05, 2009 04:34am | #16

    When I first moved in I thought we had squirrels in our attic.

    Local animal control had a humane trap that residents are allowed to borrow. They also had advice on how to bait it, etc. When they get trapped you just give animal control a call... maybe your city offers something like this.

    Anyway, turns out I just had a bunch of big/noisy rats... same procedure though... close up all the access points, setup traps to get those that are still inside.

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