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OT Annoying squirrel
We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to
get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? Thanks Graham |
"Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? Thanks Graham Either sleeping pills or get up and enjoy the morning. Mary |
Simple solution, Pepper, lots of it the little rascals do not like it.
Bob "Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? Thanks Graham |
On Tue, 3 May 2005 22:00:09 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote: "Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? Thanks Graham Either sleeping pills or get up and enjoy the morning. Not forgetting to plug the hole pretty quick before he gets too cozy. |
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"Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? I suggest you try and discover his means of access to your roof space, and then have it blocked off. Further, you might consider stopping putting out food they like to eat, which, obviously, attracts them to your property. |
On Wed, 4 May 2005 09:18:44 +0100, "BAC"
wrote: "Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? I suggest you try and discover his means of access to your roof space, and then have it blocked off. Further, you might consider stopping putting out food they like to eat, which, obviously, attracts them to your property. How does he know its Squirrels? we have scratching and very loud at times but this is from the nesting starlings. |
You do not need to be humane, but maleficent in the extreme. They are
vermin and will do untold damage in your roof. They may look like charming rascals, but they are more like monsters. Put some poison in your roof space. That gets rid of them. You do not ned the female giving birth up there, because the whole family will keep coming back and they are extremely persistent. You need to kill them all quickly. If you do not get rid of them, they will eat through electric wiring. It all gets very expensive. John |
On 4 May 2005 02:51:41 -0700, "John Edgar"
wrote: You do not need to be humane, but maleficent in the extreme. They are vermin and will do untold damage in your roof. They may look like charming rascals, but they are more like monsters. Brain dead tosser. |
The message .com
from "John Edgar" contains these words: Put some poison in your roof space. That gets rid of them. You do not ned the female giving birth up there, because the whole family will keep coming back and they are extremely persistent. You need to kill them all quickly. If you do not get rid of them, they will eat through electric wiring. It all gets very expensive. Squirrels in the roofspace are a well-known fire hazard for this reason. In the event of a fire, and your insurance company finds out you haven't made efforts to bar entry, you might find yourself in financial difficulties to say the least. My solution would be a marksman with a decent air rifle. I can provide an excellent squirrel pie recipe... -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
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"Jim" wrote in message ... On Wed, 4 May 2005 09:18:44 +0100, "BAC" wrote: "Graham Daniels" wrote in message ... We have a grey squirrel which regulalrly comes to the bird table trying to get at the fat balls and peanuts, usually unsuccessfully. However, the litte rascal has now found it's way under our roof tiles in to the attic and pays a visit at about 4 am every morning. It can be heard scratching away in the attic - waking us up in the process. Any suggestions for a (humane) solution? I suggest you try and discover his means of access to your roof space, and then have it blocked off. Further, you might consider stopping putting out food they like to eat, which, obviously, attracts them to your property. How does he know its Squirrels? we have scratching and very loud at times but this is from the nesting starlings. I don't know how he knows it's squirrels. Perhaps he's been up there and had a look? If in doubt, he could rig up a surveillance camera and IR activated light to see what is moving about - and how/where it gets in. |
"John Edgar" wrote in message oups.com... You do not need to be humane, but maleficent in the extreme. They are vermin and will do untold damage in your roof. They may look like charming rascals, but they are more like monsters. Put some poison in your roof space. That gets rid of them. You do not ned the female giving birth up there, because the whole family will keep coming back and they are extremely persistent. You need to kill them all quickly. If you do not get rid of them, they will eat through electric wiring. It all gets very expensive. Killing them off without blocking up the access still leaves the access available for any squirrel size or smaller visitors. Blocking the access, if feasible, probably renders killing them off superfluous. |
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message k... The message .com from "John Edgar" contains these words: Put some poison in your roof space. That gets rid of them. You do not ned the female giving birth up there, because the whole family will keep coming back and they are extremely persistent. You need to kill them all quickly. If you do not get rid of them, they will eat through electric wiring. It all gets very expensive. Squirrels in the roofspace are a well-known fire hazard for this reason. In the event of a fire, and your insurance company finds out you haven't made efforts to bar entry, you might find yourself in financial difficulties to say the least. My solution would be a marksman with a decent air rifle. I can provide an excellent squirrel pie recipe... The official advice for dealing with squirrels in the roof space is at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ rds/publications/technical/TAN_09.pdf , if it has wrapped. Basically, it's to live trap them and then kill by bashing them over the head in a sack or shooting them in the trap (since it's illegal to release a squirrel once trapped, if you care about such things) and then to secure the space by blocking off the access routes. Another interesting source is www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wildbuildings/ html/documents/pdf/wabman.pdf which is Wildlife and Buildings - Technical guidance for Architects. That covers nearly all types of wildlife likely to be encountered here. I've often seen it mooted that squirrels in the roof space are a fire risk, since they might gnaw through electrical insulation or plastic pipes, and I guess the possibility cannot be ruled out, but I don't recall seeing that many accounts of fires occurring where it was proved that actually was the cause. |
John Edgar wrote:
You do not need to be humane, but maleficent in the extreme. They are vermin and will do untold damage in your roof. They may look like charming rascals, but they are more like monsters. Put some poison in your roof space. That gets rid of them. You do not ned the female giving birth up there, because the whole family will keep coming back and they are extremely persistent. You need to kill them all quickly. If you do not get rid of them, they will eat through electric wiring. It all gets very expensive. It does get expensive. I have recently replaced all the wiring in a loft in a semi-detached house. It was nibbled bare in many places, and a flex to a loft light had been gnawed through. The loft insulation had been tunnelled into, raked about, and was covered in squirrel excrement and urine. Some joists (2"x4") had been chewed badly, about 30% of their cross-sectional area having been removed. The loft hatch had apparently been a favoured spot for urination, and the white gloss paint had bubbled off along one side. The owner had previously re-wired and installed new loft insulation after the same problem. I've never heard a way to deter them that works. If you can find out how they're getting in, stop up the way, but you may well find that disposing of the individual that's found its way in is best as they are persistent little osds and will try to re-open their route in. Try a Fenn trap (Mk IV). Follow the instructions. They're about a tenner each to buy. You can get them at good fishing/sports shops, or on the 'Net, eg: http://www.vespestcontrol.co.uk/fenn.html http://www.euroguns.co.uk/acatalog/Fenn_traps.html Bacon rind tied around the plate is good bait. Mind your fingers when you set them, they are a bit vicious (don't put your fingers near a live squirrel, either!). Make sure you inspect the trap at least twice a day for humanitarian reasons. Also, make sure you fasten the chain on the trap down so it can't be dragged away into the eaves. Otherwise, a "live trap" is useful (use maize for bait) - when you've caught a squirrel, dunk the trap and contents into a water butt. It's illegal to release a caught squirrel elsewhere. You can use poison bait, but you'll only be able to buy rat bait, and there's so much else for a squirrel to eat in an urban environment that it's hard to get them to eat it (although they will eat PVC cable insulation - "go figure"). You could also use an air rifle, and as it's one of the breeding times for squirrels at the moment, if you see a drey being built, knock it down with a long pole. The next-door neighbour in the semi. above bought a "live" trap, and disposed of one. He also got two with an air rifle, although they were outside, and may not have been the culprits. I got one in the loft I re-wired, and the resident there is now much happier and safer (fire/shock hazard from wires). They were getting in through a gap in the soffit, climbing straight up the external corner of the house! |
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