The only solution to a squirrel population problem I have seen work consistently well is Foxes and Coyotes. Some people advocate trapping those buggers but then you need to know what to do with the trapped squirrel. In Michigan it is illegal to transport wild animals without a license, and people are strongly discouraged from relocating any wild animal because where you put them the pecking order is already well established and in the ensuing fights over territory the imported animal most likely will be killed, or deprived of access to foods so it starves to death.

are you feeding any of the wildlife in your yard? .. like the birds ... if so.. take away the food .. and MAYBE he will go away ....

otherwise... i would hire someone to remove the pest... try the yellow pages under pest control ....

good luck

ken

Hav-a-heart traps work great with squirrels. I use a bait of a piece of apple with a bit of peanut butter. They are often in the trap in an hour or two. As noted above, it is generally not legal (or a good idea, for that matter) to trap and release wild animals, so the squirrels should be disposed of otherwise.
Renais

I really want to mention something here about squirrels looking for nuts, but I won't ;-)

tj

Holly, I understand only too well - we've been fighting the "squirrel wars" for years now. They've repeatedly chewed their way into our house to nest in the attic areas. They actually chewed through fascia, cedar shakes, sheathing and insulation to get in, also chewing into and/or pulling back heavy metal flashing to gain access. Powerful and determined little animals. Once in, their destruction went so far as chewing the insulation off the electrical wires. At that point, I pull out all the stops. We had tried all the repellants and they were an utter failure, except for ammonia, which they seem to hate, but it does evaporate quickly so must be constantly refreshed.

We had been using the Hav-A-Hart traps to capture them, but then, yes, they have to be disposed of. One source I read said the only approved methods of euthanasia were shooting, gassing and lethal injection. Obviously, none of these are really within the capabilities of the average suburban or urban homeowner. And new ones move in to take their place in no time at all.

I read on one of the GW threads about peanut butter and plaster of paris balls and have found them to be somewhat effective in reducing the squirrel population. Before everyone gets upset (as happened on the other thread) this does not work by clogging up the squirrel's digestive tract. It seems rodents are extremely sensitive to high levels of calcium, this hypercalcemia basically causes a heart attack. Now, I'm not a vet, but I checked and there are rodent poisons on the market that contain Vitamin D, which increases uptake/retention of calcium. The plaster of paris works more directly, delivering a fatal dose of calcium.

If you want to try this, mix the peanut butter and POP about 50/50 (I find I must use a little more than 50% PB) and roll them into little balls. Do not add water! It's best to make them fresh, but I usually make up a batch and store - well labelled! - in the fridge. I don't know if these would harm pets or birds, so I place them in tubes made of 2-liter soda bottles with the ends cut off - the squirrels can get in, but larger animals cannot.

I can't say for sure that it works, but I have noticed a definite decline in the squirrel population when I keep those tubes stocked with the PB & POP balls.

I can't find the original thread just now, or I'd post it for your reference.

It sounds like your squirrels are very, very comfortable around humans, so it's probably going to be a real challenge for you - you're going to have to be as persistent and clever as they are. I'll bet someone in your neighborhood is feeding them, and has been for a long time. If you can find that person and persuade them to stop (though that could be difficult), you would most likely be doing everyone in the neighborhood a service.

Good luck!

Diane

Thanks everyone for your input.
Diane, I don't know if I can bring myself to do that, but I really appreciate your taking the time to answer so thoroughly. I have to sleep on this one...

i had raccoons take over the pole barn ... mom and 5 babies ...

i hired out the job ...

if you can NOT do it ... hire someone who can ...

with the children around.. i was not willing to risk rabies on wild animals ...

good luck

ken

It sounds like those squirrels have lost their fear of humans. If they're actually climbing on people and entering your home, it's time to do something. The possibility of rabies is there, of course, but they also can carry fleas and ticks (haven't checked to see what else) and those insects can transmit disease.

I invented a material that, though looking like ordinary cotton, is VERY strong and easily prevents squirrels from chewing through it. It can't be sewn through but it can be "welded" together and easily made to copy and/or create ANY design and color (including the one you currently have for your lawn or patio furniture).

It's waterproof but will allow water, in the form of a gas (like sweat that evaporates), to come through thus preventing uncomfortable sweat build-up.

It's one a many inventions of mine and was inspired by the same problem described in this conversation. But, because I refuse to patent any of them (the Chinese steal it and the law suit is a nightmare), it isn't being manufactured and is probably not worth purchasing by an individual as the cost is prohibitive.

I use it myself and of course there's no squirrel issue, as there was previous to using this material. I've laughed while seeing them attempt to chew through it.