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| Hello all – My first time here on the message forum, although I’ve been reading the magazine for years. I’m looking for advice on what materials I should use to repair squirrel damage on my house. It’s a 90 year old colonial, with cedar shingle siding and fairly ornate soffits and fascia. The @#$% squirrels have gnawed through the fascia high up on one gable end and set up housekeeping there, and I just noticed this week that they’ve chewed a hole straight through the side of the house into the attic. Of course, the first thing I have to do is evict the little buggers (I have a live trap set out right now), but once I get them out of there, I’d like to prevent them from coming back. From past experience I know the squirrels around here are pretty determined – I’ve patched holes before, only to have them chew right through the new repair work within 24 hours. I’m concerned about making the repair work match the existing detail (otherwise I’d skin the whole thing in 1/8″ steel plate.) Would I have better luck using fiber cement board instead of wood? I’d think they wouldn’t enjoy chewing on that stuff nearly as much. Another possibility is aluminum soffits and fascia, but I’m less excited about that plan as I’ll lose the molding details, and it just doesn’t look right to me on an older house. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Of course, they had to do all this damage in the most inaccessible area of the house, 2 1/2 stories up and over a sunporch, where the only way to work on it safely will be with some fairly elaborate scaffolding. Regards Stuart in Minneapolis |
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Replies
Don't feel alone.
The buggers have pulled the louvers out of my attic vent.
Also 2 1/2 stories up.
What a pain.
I have consided target practice on them.
Jeff
Makes me think there's a market for stainless louvers. The wood, aluminum and vinyl ones offer virtually no resistance to the fur tailed tree rats.
Could you keep some hungry cats in the attic?
Chunky peanut butter works in traps. Do not bother with aluminum to close any holes, as they prooved to me they can gnaw through it in an hour. Get Nature's Miracle to clean the area of any scent so other sqirrels do not get a wiff and come around to investigate.
And, wet squirrels look like rats, so you get over the cute fuzzy tail thing very quickly....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Squirrels are tasty when fried.
I have talked to older guys that have actually caught squirrels and cooked them for snacks...in CENTRAL PARK!!
I really hope that was a long, long, time ago. Of course, my father and uncles used to swim in the East River as boys in the 40's....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
They were still tasty this week too.
6 pack a lawn chair and a pellet gun.
I'd suggest a shot gun, but its your house....
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, here in Minneapolis it's illegal to kill squirrels (even if they ARE eating your house) so technically, the only way to get rid of them is catch and release. At least that's pretty easy, they're doing everything but lining up to get in the cage and eat the peanut butter treats I put out for them - I've caught three of 'em in the last 24 hours. I take them over to St. Paul to let them go, which is on the other side of the Mississippi River, so unless they're good swimmers they're not coming back.
I'm still curious if fiber cement board would be a better choice than wood when I repair the damage. Seems like that stuff would be pretty hard on their teeth. On the other hand, they will chew on just about anything - a couple years ago, a particularly hungry squirrel ate the plastic gas tank on my lawn mower. I went to use it and there was nothing but a pile of plastic chips and a puddle of gas.
Now there's something I don't get about squirrels. Why do they chew stuff like that. One chewed half a tire off the kids wagon. They might chew to wear excess teeth down because their teeth continuously grow out. In that case they may chew hardie board to get faster results.
Squirrels are bit rates. Literally they are rodents.
And rodents teeth keep growing and the they have to chew on someting to wear them down.
Maybe some concrete walnuts will help.
They have chewed the cedar corner boards on my house along with the deck posts.
Stuart
I don't remember the name of the company (maybe someone here does) but I see their ads all the time. Its to keep birds off of window ledges etc. Looks like needles.
If the problem is as bad as you say maybe you could use this product with some sort of molding below it to hide it from the street. This is assuming their climbing up your house otherwise trim your tree limbs or the best solution I see here so far is CAGS aka 4. Ballantine Ale....lounge chair and a good pellet gun and ask for that squrriel recipe........yuk.
By the way....welcome to Breaktime and let us know how it goes....pictures would be cool too.
Be furry and annoying
Namaste
andy
In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Andy, Nixalite is the name of that bird wire company....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Catch and release program for pesky sqverel? Reminds me of our judicial system up here. Here's a thought, catch a hundred or so and release them in your Mayors office at city hall.
Jeff
Been meaning to tell you....love your tag line
a
In his first interview since the stroke, Ram Dass, 66, spoke with great difficulty about how his brush with death has changed his ideas about aging, and how the recent loss of two old friends, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, has convinced him that now, more than ever, is the time to ``Be Here Now.''
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Make your neighbor's house more inviting for the squirrels, thats what neighbors are for.
Release them at your local PETA office, they are the ones that brought you that law thank them by letting them deal with the squirrels.
My neighbor did that for me! We had a laugh about it, well I did, I couldn't hear him over my guffaws. My neighbor knew the previous owner of my house had a recurring problem but didn't want to tell me the bad news. I offered to lend him my traps, but he hired some eco-friendly exterminator that took three months to get one of the dang varmints....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
We have maybe 40 or so squirrels visiting our yard on a daily basis... I feed them what I feed the birds... Cheap black bird seed... They have not bothered my house or anything in more than 15 years...... I'm not saying that this will work for you... But if they are hungry and you feed them... Maybe they won't eat your house !!! The seed costs me about $7 a month..... By the way, they won't eat through copper wool (like steel wool but won't rust.
Good luck... Ken in Svannah
Hereyago
1 ravenous pet owl, or two slightly undernourished owls. Available in lots of five.
Red Tailed haws like squirrels
View Image
Fiber cement isn't as tough as you would think it is. (not that I'm bashing it, I really like it alot) I'm pretty sure that a squirrel could gnaw through it though.
Have you considered copper?
I would cost $$$$$$, but copper looks great and is period appropriate. Depending how often you have to repair it, it could be cost effective.
I just saw this post is from 9 years ago?
Lol.
With no replies from Stuart.........
can one assume that the squirrels won?
Likely the case -- there've been a lot of squirrelly messages here of late/