One Less Squirrel

[Captain13]

It’s that time of year again where squirrels become very destructive. I found four spot on my coop this morning where one had been nibbling. I am out of peppermint oil but have an ample supply of shotgun shells. I got out my shotgun and a folding chair and within an hour, he was back at the coop. I let him get on the coop and when I stared walking toward the coop, he jumped down and I relieved him of any further coop destruction responsibilities. I hated to have to do it that way but he was determined to eat a hole through the eave of my coop.

 

[azygous]

The cuteness is a disguise. When the fur costume comes off, they resemble tiny dragons.

 

[Matejka]

My dad always said:
A squirrel is a rat in Sunday clothes

 

[mowin]

They need to chew things to keep their teeth filed down. Is there anything else around that they can chew? I Have friends that have had success putting out scrap wood in a small lean-to etc so they can chew on that instead of decking etc

Lead.

 

[Isadora]

The cuteness is a disguise. When the fur costume comes off, they resemble tiny dragons.

 

[kcan2]

My parents had a squirrel that was crazily chewing branches off their prized driveway maple tree, dropping healthy twigs to the ground right and left. Between the UPS guy's truck and the squirrel, the tree was taking some major hits. I think my dad utilized a similar strategy of dispatch as you did (for the squirrel, not the UPS guy).

I have birdfeeders in our backyard and while one feeder pole has a squirrel baffle, the other pole does not. A metal slinky, cable tied to the top, encircling the pole all the way down, sufficiently deters the squirrels, though! Squirrel management takes different forms, I guess!

 

[azygous]

Insolent squirrels deserve punishment.

 

[Brooks_]

I've not had issue with them other than stealing feed. And my chickens let them.

 

[GravityWaves]

It’s that time of year again where squirrels become very destructive. I found four spot on my coop this morning where one had been nibbling. I am out of peppermint oil but have an ample supply of shotgun shells. I got out my shotgun and a folding chair and within an hour, he was back at the coop. I let him get on the coop and when I stared walking toward the coop, he jumped down and I relieved him of any further coop destruction responsibilities. I hated to have to do it that way but he was determined to eat a hole through the eave of my coop.

Squirrels are delicious.

 

[SourRoses]

I'm always surprised when I read threads about nuisance squirrels... we are absolutely surrounded by grey squirrels (under live oak trees next to the woods), and they don't do anything nearly that naughty. I was thinking the other day this looked more like a squirrel farm than a chicken ranch.
About the most deviant is pelting us with acorn remains from the sky. And they do acrobat practice on the roof a lot.
They're quite respectful of the chickens, I witnessed a young pullet keep one from coming down off a tree trunk. She was running round the tree as the squirrel chittered and tried different avenues, but soon gave up.
So maybe we should send you some of these squirrels to teach yours some manners?