Squirrels & Feed

[MeepBeep]

Isn't it easier to secure your run/coop than get into a war with squirrels?

In my years I have found the two to not be mutually exclusive... When I did home remodeling I repaired many a house/garage due to tree rat damage only to be called back a few months later to repair it again, and again and again... We are talking tree rats chewing right through brand new 3/4 wood siding and trim, or right through brand new vinyl siding... Once those rats discover there is a prize behind door number one many of them refuse to walk away without a fight...

The war against them is short for me, a Victor rate trap secured with a short length of chain has never failed me...

 

[jonalisa]

I secured a weakness in my run and now that issue is resolved. It cost me nothing. So I still think securing the run should be the first step.

If you do not fortify your coop and run, you can buy all the traps you can want- and they will still get in.
So unless you live in a one-squirrel town, you will lose the war.

Once those rats discover there is a prize behind door number one many of them refuse to walk away without a fight.

That's a little anthropomorphic, no? Sometimes you just have to be smarter than the enemy.

 

[MeepBeep]

So unless you live in a one-squirrel town, you will lose the war.

Nah the trap keeps on working, been doing it my entire life and have not 'lost' yet, can't say the same for all the rats of decades gone past...

Quote:
No, nothing to do with giving them human characteristics, that is the nature of squirrels...

I deal with squirrels the same way I deal with other rodents like mice, I of course try and fortify and prevent entry into my house (or other building) but if they gain entry or continue to try and gain entry they get removed from the gene pool...

 

[Fancychooklady]

I secured a weakness in my run and now that issue is resolved. It cost me nothing. So I still think securing the run should be the first step.

If you do not fortify your coop and run, you can buy all the traps you can want- and they will still get in.
So unless you live in a one-squirrel town, you will lose the war.

Once those rats discover there is a prize behind door number one many of them refuse to walk away without a fight.

That's a little anthropomorphic, no? Sometimes you just have to be smarter than the enemy.

Ditto. We are coming into 15 years of being here on the farm and have tried many things to outsmart the possums . 9 times out of 10 it's an access issue. For every possum we removed another moved in and short of waging war against we decided to use our brains. Locked up all feed stuff and denied access. Last night there were six sitting on the tin roof of the breeder pens, but they can't get in so they eventually give up and go back to the trees where they belong.
Nothing wrong with lateral thinking.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
No access to the feed one way to di it but the possums will now have to rethink their plan ......

 

[Fancychooklady]

No access to the feed one way to di it but the possums will now have to rethink their plan ......  

Lol, don't worry if for some reason I don't get over to the pens before dark to lock up they ' run a muck '.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
No drought about that them possums are always looking to cause a problem

 

[Fancychooklady]

No drought about that them possums are always looking to cause a problem    

This is what happens if I forget to lock them out.

Snoozing in the nest box.

 

[RLBourgeois]

I was wondering the same thing about using red pepper. One place I saw stated they put (if I remember correctly), 4 tablespoons of red pepper in a gallon of feed. No clue if I am remembering this correctly as it was days ago or if the amount is correct.

 

[gander007]

Quote:
Oh wow thank you now that was worth getting up and checking out the BYC Mail this morning ,,, Cute that is if one is not dealing with it as a problem

look like super small kangaroos just out of moms pouch

,,, but how do you get them out of the nesting box ?????/