Squirrels eating coop!

[snikrs11]

Happy New Year! Squirrels are eating the outside of my guinea coop. It's made of particle board and has held up for 9 years but this year they are ripping it off and making holes almost right through the wood. I'm in NH and it seems like squirrels are crazy right now. Any suggestions to stop them?

 

[nuthatched]

Plastic owls? Chili oil sprayed on the coop?

 

[BlueBaby]

Squirrel traps?

 

[StinkyAcres]

I had a similar problem with rats; they ate big holes right through the OSB along the bottom. I covered the holes up with small pieces of wood or bricks or whatever else I had and they just made new holes. I'm not sure there are many options other than residing with a more durable material. I ended up moving my chickens to a new building.

 

[snikrs11]

I had a similar problem with rats; they ate big holes right through the OSB along the bottom. I covered the holes up with small pieces of wood or bricks or whatever else I had and they just made new holes. I'm not sure there are many options other than residing with a more durable material. I ended up moving my chickens to a new building.

They are insane, it's the peak of the roof too that they like, not the bottom like you'd expect. Yeah I think we'll have to band-aid his house and then figure something out in the spring when he's living in the trees and I don't have to worry about him during the winter.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do you have a run or other outdoor space you let the guineas out into daily? It might help if you kept the food out of the coop.

I remove my chickens' feeder at night since the rats are nocturnal, but that probably won't work in your situation.

 

[mowin]

Squirrels are rather tasty.

 

[Isadora]

My grandfather has the hardest time with squirrels. They get into his attic. He said they're too smart for traps, but that could just be the squirrel he has.
It's expensive, but you could switch to metal roofing.

 

[Krugerrand]

They are insane, it's the peak of the roof too that they like, not the bottom like you'd expect. Yeah I think we'll have to band-aid his house and then figure something out in the spring when he's living in the trees and I don't have to worry about him during the winter.

Normally, I would not consider feeding wildlife, as that just results in more. But, if you're planning on doing other steps in the spring ... could you feed the squirrels somewhere away from the coop to encourage them to go there instead Are they looking for shelter that you could setup an upside-down wood box with that food away from the coop? Encourage them to go somewhere else until spring.

 

[DatCampG]

Happy New Year! Squirrels are eating the outside of my guinea coop. It's made of particle board and has held up for 9 years but this year they are ripping it off and making holes almost right through the wood. I'm in NH and it seems like squirrels are crazy right now. Any suggestions to stop them?

A quick emergency fix, I would just roll out some chicken wire. Good luck.