Squirrels in the attic.

[Collinsfarm]

Need some suggestions on how to get rid of squirrels in the attic and deter them from returning.

They are getting in through the aluminum soffit around the eave of the house. I have covered every likely corner and nook with 1/4" galvanized hardware cloth, but apparently they are finding places to push the soffit up and crawl in. Little gremlins!

One fellow suggested I put a soiled cat litter box up in the attic to drive them out. Anyone ever tired this? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

[connie in nm]

A friend put mothballs up there. Unfortuntely, he just threw them in and scattered them throughout the insulation. The squirrels are gone, but the entire house smells like mothballs. So the lesson is, put the mothballs in a container you can remove when you want!

[fishhead]

Wooden rats traps or live traps baited with peanut butter.

I think you'll have to go along the edge of the soffit and see where it is loose. You should see tiny scratch marks from their toenails.

[stillhere]

We have this problem off and on. We used mothballs and steel wool and patched any holes. We also put poison in the attic. They do a lot of damage. Interestingly since I got the guineas the squirrels have left. I guess it was too noisy :baby04: !

[Collinsfarm]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. Already deployed the moth balls on little buckets throughout the attic. Found the entry point and closed it up. There was no sign of the little devils up in the attic this morning, so hopefully, the "improvements" will convince them to take up residence somewhere else.

[Rocky Fields]

Hey.

Use a havehart style trap to catch them. If they are wounded they may die in a wall or other hard to reach spot and stink for a couple of months. Seal damage spots after you are sure they're all gone...otherwise they may chew their way into the house.

Using a caulking tube of Roost-No-More may work. Often used on pigeon roosts, the caulk has some "repellant" that burns their feet. We had a bird feeder on a pipe that squirrels kept raiding. They would climb up the pipe and jump from it to the extra wide food tray on top...no easy feat by all means. I put a bead of Roost-No-More about halfway up the metal pipe. When the squirrel got his paws into it, he immediately leapt off leaving fur in the goop;-)

Obviously, as a real fix, you need to use some metal and nails to keep them from getting in.

RF

[GrannyG]

We have had the same problem off and on...we have used mothballs, plugged up the area we thought they were getting in at..put our cat in the attic for awhile...we have finally had quiet, think the squirrel may have been run over on the road. LOL

[deaconjim]

Cajun Squirrel


~ squirrels,cut into serving pieces, amount depends upon how many you can eat
~ olive oil
~ 1 large onion
~ 1 large green bell pepper
~ 2 cloves garlic
~ Cajun spice (Tony Chachere's recommended)
~ 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
~ 4 tbsp ketchup
~ 1 tbsp Gumbo File seasoning
~ cooked rice


In a deep pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil.

Season the squirrel on all sides with the Cajun seasoning. Add to the hot oil and turn to brown on all sides. Continue to cook until done.

Place the onion, bell pepper and garlic in a blender. Cover with water and chop. Add to the pot when squirrel is done.

Sprinkle the added vegetables with Cajun seasoning.

Add the Tabasco sauce, ketchup and the Gumbo File. Stir to mix well.

Serve over the cooked rice.

[silentcrow]

I used to catch the red and gray squirrels with a live trap baited with a black walnut. Caught dozens that way.

[WildernesFamily]

STAY AWAY from mothballs....... they are really bad. We put in our attic too and the fumes got us real bad. We ended up sleeping downstairs for 3 weeks.
NOT a good idea. Critters are still up in the attic....