Posted by Arna:
A small mangy squirrel is eating our house. The little rodent comes back day after day and gnaws at the rotten window ledge on our decrepit back sunporch. The thing seems to want in. Winter's coming, so maybe it thinks it can make a nest or maybe it actually wants to hang out with our cats. It's really their sunporch. They spend most sunny days sleeping there.
Today I tried to make the squirrel go away by yelling and banging on the window. It's chewing its way into our house after all! I started to growl like an angry cat. I waved around a cardboard poster tube, trying to look ferocious. The squirrel just sat on the ledge staring back at me while I went nuts. But our cat Kiki lunged and grabbed me by the hair. Guess she had enough of my shenanigans.
If you look closely in the drawing you'll see the chew marks on our windowsill. We really have to stop this critter! Anyone have suggestions for getting rid of a pesky squirrel??
11 comments:
Hilarious! Hilarious drawing of yourself besieged, Arna. It's all the cats fault somehow, trust me.
A brick.
A cricket bat.
Poison.
A gun...etc
Ha! We have a cute little guy here that does flips off the glass on our front door. Luckily my cat Sadie will snap necks and protect me if need be.
Spread something awful tasting along the length of the area that
the squirrel is chewing on.
Something hot like chili pepper or
something sour.Do this three days
in a row. The squirrel will give up.
'Other' is right. Wood ashes, cayenne, etc. will help. Only thing is, after a rainfall you'll heve to replenish it.
What I've taken to doing is 'training' them squirrels in my backyard. Whenever I see one, I'd run out there with a slingshot and whack it one...never aiming to kill, or even maim, just scare the hell out of it. After a week, you open the door and it flies off. After two weeks, they say 'ferget it. He's too crazy. Thet house over there looks warmer. And there's a nice lady inside who waves at us with a cardboard roll.' Combine that with the pepper, and they'll leave you till next season. I've also found the older squirrels know better, it's always the newbies I see. Everyone else knows crazy "Ol' Man Warren" lives here. Ahem.
Love the drawing. Looks like the cat has had it with your mouthing off. Who knows what you told her, meowing like that.
Clive, you WOULD say that about the cats! Thanks a bunch for the note. 'Besieged' is a really good word to describe the way I felt.
Elliot. Yup. Sometimes a little problem needs big weapons, no? Actually, the next time we sent John out with a little stone. The young squirrel took off when he saw John. Hopefully he won't be back.
Michael, squirrels are cute, and I bet it's adorable to watch it flip off the window. Maybe he thinks his reflection is another squirrel?
Other. Good suggestion, but I don't want to go up there on the outside. It's kind of precarious.
Warren, I can imagine you in action 'training' the squirrels. That'd be choice. And yes, I'm sure I was swearing in 'cat'. Cheers!
i heard if you cant beat em...
join em.
although in this case it may not be the best advice.
dental bills can be atrocious.
Mike G.
Thanks for visiting! No way I'm eating the wood on those porch windows. We needs ta reno this place.
Try tacking on some tin flashing. It's easy to cut and shape and you can use small finishing nails to tack it on.
And never feed them after midnight!
Wow-what a story! How did it end? I hope it wasn't too gruesome--for either of you!
And needless to say--GREAT drawing!
Hi Jenny!
The cats would watch this guy eating. They'd sit stock still inside the porch, a foot away from him as he chewed...eventually I'd hear the gnawing and come running. Then it sort of petered out for a year but this early spring, the little bugger or descendant thereof may be back. He/she tried several times to get in under the eaves troughs next to our back porch. I slammed my hand on the wall nearest the eaves and it took off... story unfinished.
Thanks for liking this sketch. I hadn't looked at it in years literally, but your squirrel photo jogged my memory. :)
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