I like squirrels and all, but this does it

[hollisdude]

Living in Houston - we have tons of squirrels running the show in the pine trees. Fine. But now, them sumbitches have decided they want my attic to chill in. So how do said squirrels get into the attic? Sumbitches tore off two pieces of asphalt shingle and gnawed a hole through the undereve about the size of a baseball.

Normally, my Remington 870 auto would do the trick - but I have to worry about peppering my AC unit or the hot water heater. Called my expensive pest control guy and he puts a squirrel trap in the attic with what he called "food they love"- left it there for two weeks .... nothin'. But them sumbitches are still up there running around.

If one of them gnaws through my cable during a football game - it's Remington time. But other than arousing your PETA hostility - how the hell do I get Chip and Dale outta my attic?

 

[KC-97HORN]

Hollis- 1 point of order Chip & Dale are chipmunks not squirrells.

You should have asked how you get Rocky out of your attic!

My suggestion wont work for the PETA folks.

You cant just seal off the entrance because the little buggers would gnaw another hole somewhere else. Also- if you poison the *******, you are going to get a massive stench in the attic from rotting Rocky.

Really I think a high powered pellet gun should do the trick- you can pop the little ******* outside- without fear of you neighbors screaming about firearm discharges in city limits.

 

[jmatt]

I have to add my default response to a post like this:

Yummy

 

[Mitchell_McDeere]

Go to your local nursery and ask for fox urine and how to use it.

Warning - Don't open the bottle indoors.

 

[NickDanger]

The Link

That reminded me of the mad squeewhirl disease warnings.

 

[STUDWright]

I recommend useing a .22, neighbors will not even notice. Get a decent scope to put on it

 

[Lat22]

You can shoot them all day long with a Benjamin pellet rifle (like I did in San Antonio) but you won't make a dent in the population. You will, however, improve your marksmanship. I'd probably go the rat bait route.

 

[MrPhlegm]

Fox urine can also be obtained at your local Wal-Mart in the sporting goods area. It's a cover scent for deer hunting and boy does it stink.

But you put some on your hunting pants and deer can't smell you. I had a doe and her fawn come within about 5 feet of me as I was sitting under a bush on the deer lease waiting for something to come along. I don't think that they ever saw or smelled me. In the house it's not good but outside your nose gets overloaded with the smell and you don't notice it after a while. (oh and I didn't shoot bambi or mom).

 

[IamTheLizardKing]

In reply to:

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[hollisdude]

I want to thank all y'all for the fox urine thing - but I'm going with the old .22 route. This is an enclosed attic shot - so I can't see the fox urine being an option.

 

[NickDanger]

It might still not work for you, but you can take the fox urine and put it in a baby jar with some cotton and only open it for a while.

 

[Mr. Longhorn]

Steal the neighbors cat, put it in the attic for a week and let it do its thing. Return the cat to the neighbor and collect the $50 reward. Fool proof plan.

 

[Lat22]

Are you going to be able to get the drop on them in the attic? Seems like they'd have lots of cover up there.

 

[jmatt]

I'd be careful about just firing off a .22 in an attic unless you have a brick or rock exterior, you don't want the rounds peppering your neighbor's house (or going through a window) or going through your roof or ceiling.....especially i anyone is insde your house. Even short rounds could go through wood siding or sheathing/shingles.

 

[NickDanger]

I used to use rat shot in my .22 for rats in the attic. Doesn't seem to do much harm to stuff other than rats and skwerls are just fuzzier rats. I understand that it will ruin the rifling in your barrel, though.

 

[jmatt]

I had forgotten about rat shot (essentially tiny shotgun shells). Yeah, they can mess up the rifling and just generally foul up the barrel. Unless you have an old .22 you don't care too much about I'd stay away from that stuff.

 

[hollisdude]

You're right - the .22 has too much of a chance to go through and hit the neighbor's house or a small child. I'll go with the full choke on the Remington 870 instead.

 

[NickDanger]

The gun I was using was an old Swift over Savage over/under skwerl gun. .22 over 410.

Or was it Swift over Stevens?

 

[ballrific]

they're basically tree rats; rodents. I had them in my old apartment and waiting them out wont do ****; they chew through everything. I wouldn't go up there with a .22 but instead w/ a high powered pellet gun; wont be that bad if you miss; you probably won't be able to find them once you're up there. I would just shoot every one near your house to make sure you got the culprits. as said earlier, DONT poison them or you will have some stench.

 

[12thStudStan]

Cut out the middleman by getting your own pet fox and give it lots of ice tea to drink.

Squirrels are just rats with pretty tails. They are pretty easy to trap or kill with a pellet gun. Subsonic rounds of .22 will also keep any PETA loving neighbor in the dark. Outdoor dogs don't really help, because even though they might kill a few the dogfood will draw many more in.