Large Scale Central

Tree Rats

Gardening
#1

My next door neighbor has decided it’s a good idea to feed the squirrels. We had plenty when they had to find their own food, but now the place is over-run. They pick the un-ripe cones from my pine trees and drop them in the grass at the rate of 30-50 per week and for some odd reason they are chewing the new growth ends off the Maples and littering the ground with these small branches. Not only does it make a mess, but I’m afraid they will kill the tree. They also dig around the roots of almost everything new I plant.

Is there anything I can do (legally) to discourage them other than get a cat?

Poison can’t be used as there are too many kids, dogs and cats around. I have a 22 cal. semi-automatic that would do the job, but in a populated area that’s not a good idea either. The neighbor would probably get upset if she saw me shooting them anyway.

When I was a teenager my next door neighbor paid me a buck for every squirrel tail I brought him. At the time I didn’t understand why, but it was good money. Now I wish I could offer my teenage son the same deal.

JR

#2

Jon,
Try planting MOTH BALLS in with your planting’s, it has worked for me in past years. If all else fails shoot the neighbor first then the tree rats.
Good Luck,
Ron

#3

They also love chewin on plastic so if you have any Tenmille ground throws, keep an eye on them. Squirrels done destroyed a buddy of mine’s throws.

I’ve heard the mothball trick works.

#4

Good to know the mothball trick works. I’ve got lots of tree rats…and 5 walnut trees to keep them happy…:frowning: If you really want to see a mess…:confused:

#5

a good pellet gun, an open window… shoot from inside your house and all of a sudden that dreaded West Nile virus will be kicking over squirrels left right and center!

Andre’

#6
Andre Schofield said:
a good pellet gun, an open window.... shoot from inside your house and all of a sudden that dreaded West Nile virus will be kicking over squirrels left right and center!

Andre’


My neighbor did that with his on going battle with cats. The pellets would hit the sidewalk and embed themselves into the siding on the west side of my house. Really tore up the siding. I just let it go and never replaced the siding until after the neighbor was dead. Hell, he was the only one that had to look at it. He died, I was a pallbearer at his funeral, and even while his kids were still around after the funeral, the men were out there replacing the siding on the west side of our house. Nobody ever said anything, but I sure got sheepish looking grins from his kids, some almost as old as myself.

#7

Trap them and take them down to the river and do what you have to do…the ones that can swim may survive…the others; well…you know…!!!

#8

Here’s some possibilities…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwRaguJB3Xs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k21ncDn9Lo&mode=related&search=

#9

:lol: I like #2. Airborne express…:smiley:

#10
Fred Mills said:
Trap them and take them down to the river and do what you have to do....the ones that can swim may survive....the others; well.....you know....!!!
No river nearby, but a large lake with many small islands and I have a boat :) I've seen squirrels swimming in the lake quite often. They'd rather swim across a cove than walk around the shore-line.

JR

#11
Gary Buchanan said:
Here's some possibilities... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwRaguJB3Xs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k21ncDn9Lo&mode=related&search=


#1 doesn’t look effective, but if I were to play that music loud every day my neighbor would probably move!

#2 looks good, but the local PETA rep would probably be at my door within a week. Sure would be fun to catapult them back into the neighbor’s yard though!

:smiley:

JR

#12

I think I’d try a trebuchet. Maybe hurl him a couple blocks

#13

There were 3 churches in the town where I grew up, a Catholic church, a Baptist church and a Lutheran church. One spring there was an unexpected overwelmance of squirrels in town. Eventually each of the 3 churches were inundated with over 100 squirrels at each church. They ran up and down the aisles, gnawed on the pews and were otherwise great pests. The Catholic church members put up with this for a short time and then decided the squirrels had to go but they didn’t want to kill them. Finally a decision was made to trap all the squirrels and then relocate then to a local park. This was done forthwith. Within one week the squirrels were back in the Catholic church. The Lutheran church decided to try the same thing but this time they relocated the squirrels to a nice section of forest several miles away. Within two weeks the squirrels were back in the Lutheran church. Now the Baptist church was having a terrible time with the squirrels. Being aware that both the Catholic and the Lutheran churches had tried to relocate the squirrels they decided not to try this. They formed a committee to come up with an answer to the squirrel problem. After several days the came up with the answer……They decided to baptize all the squirrels. That way they would only see them at Easter and Christmas!

#14

Why would anyone want to drown good food???

#15

hehe… That’s pretty good.

#16

I’ve resurrected this old thread to report a small victory in my war with the Tree Rats.

Soon after we had the roof re-decked and new shingles put on, a nesting pair decided that there was a nice warm nesting place inside the an enclosed hip roof. I heard them chewing trying to get through the decking and shooed them away several times. Despite my effort they opened up a hole and started building their nest in a blind attic over my dining room. I dumped moth balls into the hole and we tried to drive them away by banging on the ceiling during their rest hours. But they were more persistent than we, and refused to move.

A call to several pest removal experts was made and we got the news that this can be a pesky and expensive problem. You can’t poison them because they will die in the nest and stink up the house for months. Simply blocking the hole will not work because even if you use metal, they will find a new spot and chew in again. The only solution is trapping, live or dead. I was ready to buy kill traps but my family protested, so off to Lowes to buy a Have-a-Heart trap.

Lowes carries two sizes - small for squirrels and chipmunks and large for skunks, raccoons and cats. The small one looked too small, but it was $30 cheaper so I bought it. I placed it in their path open without bait as instructed, so they would get used to it. After the third day I baited it with peanut butter (must be chunky I’m told). Within hours I heard the trap spring and went out to check. I was right, my resident tree rat was huge. When he sprung the trap his body kept the doors from latching and he was able to escape.

Back to Lowes on Saturday to return the small and buy the large. It is HUGE by comparison. I assembled it and set it on the back porch, planning to put it in thier path in the morning. Matt suggested I bait it anyway, and since there was nothing to loose, I did. Sunday morning “Rocky J” was in the trap pacing. We covered the trap with an old towel and loaded it in the car. We’re told you must take them at least 10 air miles away or they will find their way back. We took Rocky to the Lowes parking lot - they have lots of trees at the perimeter :smiley:

Sunday afternoon I baited again and by Monday afternoon Mrs. Rocky J. was in the trap. Marilyn drove her to Lowes to join Mr. Rocky J. I baited again this morning and just got a call that we’ve bagged #3.

I hope we have enough peanut butter ! There are a lot of squirrels in this neighborhood.

#17

I hope your not using the peanut butter brands that are being recalled…

#18

Hmmmm… Maybe I can get a case of that real cheap :wink:

#19

7 Days I have set the trap. And 7 squirrels have been removed from the area. I wonder how long this will keep up. This morning while one a was in the trap a second was trying to help it escape, so I know there is at least one more.

#20
Jon Radder said:
7 Days I have set the trap. And 7 squirrels have been removed from the area. I wonder how long this will keep up. This morning while one a was in the trap a second was trying to help it escape, so I know there is at least one more.
I hope you have a large fuel budget for the relocation effort. I have a feeling it is going to keep you busy for a long time :lol: Ralph