Squirrels!

So.  We just took the EIGHTH squirrel out of our attic!  This is getting a little ridiculous.  Got the first one Christmas day.  At least the traps work really well, we are using peanuts and sunflower seeds for bait.  I read that the eastern grey squirrel can have up to 9 babies in a litter ... so, does that mean we have one more to go?

I'm very happy we've been able to get them out alive and apparently no worse for their entrapment in our attic. 

Aw... so sorry you're having to capture squirrels in your attic. Hopefully they're all out! Hopefully they weren't too destructive. 

Have you figured out how they are getting in?

Oh no!  They can be real pests!  A few years ago my father had the red squirrels getting in his attic through the vents.  He was on a night shift so trying to sleep during the day and they were making a racket over his head. 

I'm glad you are getting them out ok!  Hopefully that's the end of it!

AbbysMom said:

Have you figured out how they are getting in?

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Yes, we figured out how they were getting in and had the hole fixed (before we realized how many of them there were).  Now, they're trapped in there, thanks to us.  I'm so happy we've been able to get them out alive and apparently in good health.  And please, please don't let there be any more.

Oh, and I didn't mention that while retrieving squirrel #2 or #3, DH stepped where he shouldn't have and put his foot through the ceiling of the bedroom.  Scared the dickens out of poor Swanie who we had deposited in that room while we brought the squirrel down.  Now, whenever he (Swanie) hears me going into the attic, he  high tails it behind the computer.  DH was okay, lots of bruises but didn't break anything.  The ceiling cost $175 to fix and they painted the whole ceiling for that too. You would never even know there was a hole there.  I should have taken a picture of it when we had the duct tape on it.

Watch, it's the same squirrel 9x.

Glad you are getting them out at least!

Squirrels can be a serious nuisance. I had them in the attic of another house once. I found the area at the roof that they were entering. I had metal flashing put up. They chewed and pulled it away. Heavier flashing put up. They still got in, but not there. They were coming in through the wall by the fireplace from underneath the house! I had no choice since they were making so much racket: I got a professional exterminator in. RIP crazy squirrels!

Misty8723 said:

AbbysMom said:

Have you figured out how they are getting in?

Click to expand...

Yes, we figured out how they were getting in and had the hole fixed (before we realized how many of them there were).  Now, they're trapped in there, thanks to us.  I'm so happy we've been able to get them out alive and apparently in good health.  And please, please don't let there be any more.

Oh, and I didn't mention that while retrieving squirrel #2 or #3, DH stepped where he shouldn't have and put his foot through the ceiling of the bedroom.  Scared the dickens out of poor Swanie who we had deposited in that room while we brought the squirrel down.  Now, whenever he (Swanie) hears me going into the attic, he  high tails it behind the computer.  DH was okay, lots of bruises but didn't break anything.  The ceiling cost $175 to fix and they painted the whole ceiling for that too. You would never even know there was a hole there.  I should have taken a picture of it when we had the duct tape on it.

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That's awful! I'm glad it didn't cost more to fix and he wasn't too injured.

Draco said:

Watch, it's the same squirrel 9x.

Glad you are getting them out at least!

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Yeah.  I hope not.  The wildlife dude swears there was no place for them to get in, but I think we're gonna have him come and look around again anyway.  DH thought he heard squirrel #9, but nothing in the trap (yet).

My parents had the same problem, and the squirrels even managed to run around in the walls of the house. There were a lot of "repeat offenders" until the roof was fixed. My father dabbed yellow food coloring on them before he released them outside to try to judge how many were getting in.

Misty8723 said:

 
Yes, we figured out how they were getting in and had the hole fixed (before we realized how many of them there were).  Now, they're trapped in there, thanks to us.  I'm so happy we've been able to get them out alive and apparently in good health.  And please, please don't let there be any more.

Oh, and I didn't mention that while retrieving squirrel #2 or #3, DH stepped where he shouldn't have and put his foot through the ceiling of the bedroom.  Scared the dickens out of poor Swanie who we had deposited in that room while we brought the squirrel down.  Now, whenever he (Swanie) hears me going into the attic, he  high tails it behind the computer.  DH was okay, lots of bruises but didn't break anything.  The ceiling cost $175 to fix and they painted the whole ceiling for that too. You would never even know there was a hole there.  I should have taken a picture of it when we had the duct tape on it.

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Poor Swanie!  And your DH!  I'm glad he was ok and it wasn't too costly to fix.  My Grandmother sent both legs through their attic into the living room once.  Bruised her pride good.  As the story has been told; my Grandpa walked in the door and there were Gram's 2 legs hanging down. She was MUCH younger when this happened!  And thankfully; uninjured.  But knowing my Gram; the bruise to her pride would have hurt worse than real scrapes and bruises!

OMG! I'm glad your DH wasn't hurt too badly. And hopefully you got all the squirrels out of your attic. 

When my sister and BIL first bought their house, you could sit outside at night and watch all the bats flying out of their attic.....it was really something to see. They were able to get rid of them and plugged up all the holes (it's an old house).

Update.  After taking the 11th squirrel out over the weekend, I came to the belated conclusion that they must indeed be able to find their way back in.  I also came to the belated conclusion that the guy we hired to get rid of the squirrels was useless (although, to be honest, I came to that conclusion after squirrel #2).  So, I called a second place this morning that said they specialize in squirrel-proof your house.  He came out within 2 hours of calling him, looked all around the attic, crawled over where the nest is, etc. (didn't just stand in one place and say oh nope they can't get in),  Turns out there are many, many places around our roof where squirrels (and bats!!) can get in.  While he was up there, he extricated squirrel #12.  He is coming back with an outside trap (woo hoo!) which he will monitor daily.  After he is sure all the squirrels (and bats!!) are out, he will fix up the house (ka-ching!) and guarantee no wildlife in the attic for two years.

The first guy?  This second guy said he is skirting around the law, not doing what he is supposed to do either legally or for his clients.  It has been very expensive, aggravating, annoying, but I have learned a few things so I guess that's worth something.

Fingers crossed to no more squirrels (or bats!!!) in the attic.

Good luck. I recommend filing a complaint on the first guy with the BBB.

Oh no. I'm glad you have someone competent to take care of it now. Good luck!

Wow!  Contacting the BBB isn't a bad idea!  I hope this is the end of your squirrel problems! 

New guy got a squirrel in his trap yesterday, that's the first one we've seen (or heard) since he put it up (outside).  I think he might have come up from the ground, not out from the attic, but got stuck in the trap rather than getting in. 

So none in the attic? :cross:

Well, they're back in the attic, heard them this morning.  We had a nasty winter storm yesterday, and no doubt they figured they would come back in and burrow into the insulation and be warm.  The trap outside was sprung - we don't know if maybe the guy came around and sprung it because of the coming storm and knowing he probably wouldn't be able to get out here and get the squirrel if one got trapped.  I'm glad for that, I would be so freaked if one was stuck up there, and no way we could get up to the roof to get it out.  So I guess the little buggers are safe for a few more days until this stuff melts.

I guess until we can be sure they're all out and get the holes plugged, they'll be coming and going.  *sigh*

MoochNNoodles said:

 
Poor Swanie!  And your DH!  I'm glad he was ok and it wasn't too costly to fix.  My Grandmother sent both legs through their attic into the living room once.  Bruised her pride good.  As the story has been told; my Grandpa walked in the door and there were Gram's 2 legs hanging down. She was MUCH younger when this happened!  And thankfully; uninjured.  But knowing my Gram; the bruise to her pride would have hurt worse than real scrapes and bruises!

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It's funny, but so many people I've talked to have their own stories about knowing someone who went through the ceiling.  Your poor Gram, that had to have been extremely uncomfortable and had to wait until your Gramp got home to help her.