The tree squirrels do the same thing. My dad was away on vacation for a couple weeks and came home to find the squirrels had chewed up the wiring in his car. And they love tenmille ground throws. Just something about plastic that attracts them. In the city they would chew the hell out of the telephone cables. We had to replace it with cable that had a steel sheath under the plastic sheath.
We have plenty of squirrels around here but with 2 dogs it keeps them at bay.
I’m surprised they haven’t moved into the tunnels already. 
One male cat could guard your entire railroad from anything that moves. Our daughter got two cats a year ago, and we no longer have any squirrels, moles, voles, mice, snakes, frogs, or skinks around the Village. The squirrels are actually still around, but they stay in the trees.
Last week I smelled something rotting in the train shed, but couldn’t find it. I assumed it was a dead rodent. This week I discovered the tail end of a very large, very dead black snake hanging out of the rafters.
Paul
I have two neutered male cats, a Border Collie with attention deficit, hyperactive disorder, and a Doberman mix. The deer now look longingly at their former apple trees. Little critters rarely show their heads around here, either.
Darn squirrels left some kind of seed pod thing on the track inside a tunnel, kept uncoupling and/or derailing the cars as the train passed through. Grr!
We had dogs for years, finally stopped replacing them after the last one passed away three years ago. Too much maintenance, they stink and attract too many flies, and I was never much of a dog fan. It’s only because the dogs are gone that I can have the railroad back there.
I like cats better but they have drawbacks, too. At this stage in life, I get all the “pets” I need just feeding the wild birds and lizards.
I thought a border collie was the definition of ADHD.
Tom Ruby said:Hmmmmm ....... must be the reason they do so well in agility competitions and field trials of sheep herding etc. Don't pay any attention to the human, just concentrate on the "job", that's true AD.
I thought a border collie was the definition of ADHD.
OTOH if you’re looking for something in the ADHD line, Jack Russels and Beagles should do well!
Plain dumb? I’m too polite 
to list my favourites for that category, but I’ve seen them in action.
Ray maybe you should fabricate up some simple wooden plugs for the portals that can clos e them off when the layout is not in use.
Victor Smith said:
Ray maybe you should fabricate up some simple wooden plugs for the portals that can clos e them off when the layout is not in use.
That’s a good idea. I did just that on my roundhouse. I made the second generation plugs to resemble closed doors when in place.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/RichardSmith/2007/2007Jul08-Roundhouse-DoorPlugs-1-Web.JPG)
Alternately, some prototype tunnels were built with large doors to keep animals and people from wandering in.
Good idea on the doors. I have the same problem with the cats exploring the engine house.
I also have a Border Collie that gets easily excited. So far she has knocked over a good bit of scenery, but only stepped directly on one building. Kind of like a tornado coming through.
hehe My boys had a friend whose little sister was known as “Hurricane Emily.”
Richard Smith said:Or, in the case of the EBT, to keep out the cold so the water that continually runs through the tunnels wouldn't freeze over the rails.
[i][/i]Alternately, some prototype tunnels were built with large doors to keep animals and people from wandering in.
An update:
Last week I called around, found that the county won’t do anything about wild animals. Their response is, call a pest control business.
There are no sources for live traps locally, but you can buy them online. However, I talked to a local wildlife rescue organization, and they actually recommend against trying to relocate ground squirrels. Apparently they would be killed in territorial conflicts; also unless individual squirrels don’t do well on their own so you’d have to move the entire colony at one time. It’s more humane just to exterminate them, if it’s done right.
So I’ve started setting out rat traps, but I had to take special measures. First, to reduce the risk to birds, the traps are under cardboard boxes which have an opening cut in one side.
Second, because squirrels are large and tricky, it took a while to figure out the best bait, and the best trap configuration. Often they’d ignore the bait or trip the trap without getting caught.
I found that the most effective method was to use two traps side by side. The first trap, nearest the opening, is set but unbaited. The second trap, farther from opening, is baited with a peanut still in the shell. (For some reason the squirrels seem to prefer them in the shell.)
To get to the bait, the squirrel has to step over the trigger of the first trap. Then, if he somehow manages to avoid getting caught by the baited trap, he’s almost sure to set off the unbaited one in his haste.
So far I’ve gotten clean kills on two of the little pests this way.
The rodent problem has been going on for years for garden railroaders, both real and fake…
How about gluing the bait to the trigger with peanut butter?
I was pretty successful with a Havahart live trap with bait UNDER the (multi-motion) trigger.
Had a really smart sqirrel that would trip the live trap from the outside, jumping as it tripped (scared of the noise/motion?) then run away with no prize. Unexploded bomb detinator, as it were. I think he did this twice or three times.
I had some other plans to outwit him, but by that time the colony had been thinned out enough that it didn’t matter, and I stopped trapping/moving them.
As an experiment, I suppose you could spray paint a spot on their tails before releasing them to see if they would make their way back.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Hi,
When I moved into a new home 14 years ago, we had over 50 gray squirrels and they dug up EVERYTHING in sight. I got a Havahart trap and had only moderate success with it at first - at least until I found the secret.
First, bait with peanut butter - I’ve caught as many as five in one day with the same trap using it.
Second, set out the trap fully baited but do not set the mechanism to trap the little beasts. I set it out literally wired open so it was impossible for it to trap anything. I used up three 8 oz jars of peanut butter over 2 weeks in this way (pick the cheapest store brand you can find - the squirrels are not picky).
After they get used to going into and out of the trap for an easy free meal, start baiting and setting the trap for real. I caught 53 in a little over two weeks this way.
The hardest part is to figure out what to do with them.
Brian
For some reason our squirrels don’t like the peanut butter. Works great on rats though. Also the squirrels seem to prefer the peanuts still in the shell. I push the clip of the trigger through the shell, so even the slightest attempt to move the peanut will set off the trap.
I have a whole mess of tree rats in my yard due to all the mature maple trees.
But I haven’t seen any on the new layout yet, due to one lazy, fat cat.
Just her presence seems to do the job. Never seen her catch one. All it takes is a look.
I doubt they’d do much digging, anyway. I used rocks as fill in the layout. Heck, even I have trouble digging in it!
But the coons, now that’s anudder story!
jb
Brian said:Fricasee
The hardest part is to figure out what to do with them. Brian
The Cat is the best - one without a tail and very sharp teeth and claws, He has caught two so far and now they stay in their trees and just bitch allot! And these are a Ground Squirrels.
As for dispoal - Try a long ride as in the next county, in my case it would be to the west side of the Hood Canal, lots of trees and not many houses.
Now for the part that will kill you all!!! - I feed the little stinkers!
Paul
<<Now for the part that will kill you all!!! - I feed the little stinkers!>>
Paul,
So do I. In the front yard.
They rarely venture into the back where the layout is. Cat Patrol.
jb
