Squirrels in the attic - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Motor Fish · 03-21-2008, 05:04 PM

Anyone have any good techniques for catching squirrels in the attic?

I can hear them running around at night.

Thanks,
Rich

Slingah · 03-21-2008, 05:17 PM

Have-a-Heart trap with peanut butter on a cracker...works like a charm...

stripadan · 03-21-2008, 05:26 PM

See PM

spence · 03-21-2008, 05:35 PM

Just do anything in your power to capture or kill them ASAP. They can do a lot of damage in short time...

-spence

Raider Ronnie · 03-21-2008, 05:45 PM

Lead poisoning !

Raven · 03-21-2008, 05:50 PM

i need to get one myself
they cost around 12 bucks or so

you gettum at Auchubon hardware stores
a little electronic device you plug in the attic

that emits a high pitched shrill sound humans can't hear
but it drives all rodents insane and they will vacate the attic.

MakoMike · 03-21-2008, 05:56 PM

Have-a -heart or rat trap with a peanut wired onto the bait tray. If you use the have-a-heart don't let them go anywhere within a mile of your hosue or they'll beat you home.

2na · 03-21-2008, 07:40 PM

Too familiar with this problem. A few years back I had a bunch of squirrels that learned that there was food in the kitchens of one of my apartment buildings, and they would tear through the screen to get in, trash the place, and tear through another one to get out. Metal screens too.

You do not have one squirrel up there, at least 2 and possibly pups – it’s that time of year. If you remove the parents the pups will eventually get hungry enough so that they’ll go looking for food, no matter how small they are, so keep the trap going for at least a week after your last catch. They (pups) may find their way into a wall, plumbing chase or vent duct if they can’t figure out how to get outside. I had some do that and come out in a 1st floor bathroom. Tenant was ‘impressed’. Time is of the essence for that reason (get’em before they drop the pups), and because Spence is right - they’ll chew it up, and poo everywhere.

Best bait is without question peanut butter. Have no heart traps are very good. You also will need a Rubbermaid type container, something that will hold water, large enough to hold the entire trap. Trap the squirrel, fill the container with water (I just left it full), and wash the squirrel. If you object to that, you’ve got a problem – it is my understanding that the law prohibits relocation of mammals in MA (attorney input please), but if that doesn’t offend you as much as washing them drive no less than 10 miles away before releasing them - they are part homing pigeon.

I washed about 30 in a week working 2 traps before the offenders had been removed from the gene pool.

Backbeach Jake · 03-22-2008, 03:37 AM

I used peanut butter and a big Victor rat trap. If they were still twitching, then I gave them last rites with a bat. They were gone within a week.

ProfessorM · 03-22-2008, 09:28 AM

Squirrels in the attic, sounds like another hit for Aerosmith

eastendlu · 03-22-2008, 09:50 AM

They make great bluefish bait!!!

ProfessorM · 03-22-2008, 10:01 AM

hire these guys

Motor Fish · 03-22-2008, 10:35 AM

Do any local stores carry the have-a-heart traps? I'd like to get one today, catch my first one tonight.

Thanks for the help.

Slingah · 03-22-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motor Fish

Do any local stores carry the have-a-heart traps? I'd like to get one today, catch my first one tonight.

Thanks for the help.

most hardware stores have them....I think Lowes has them as well...

Swimmer · 03-22-2008, 11:13 AM

One track mind, you said squirrel and for some reason I am thinking mice. The have-a-heart will work great used it quite often on squirrels in the barn..............................buuuuuuuuuuutttt ttttttttt if that doesn't work borrow a twenty two cal. pistol and buy some .22 birdshot shells. Those shots wont hurt anything but the squirrel. As a last resort of course.

Motor Fish · 03-22-2008, 09:24 PM

The mice comment made me think twice (I assume it's squirrels because I can hear them, I always think of mice as being quiet). So I though it would be best if went up to look for signs of my enemy. I was horrified at what I saw!

They're sticking to the side of the attic behind the air handler where we don't store any crap. There is pi$$ and sh!t all over the place and they have dug tunnels through the insulation! That scares me. Looks like they have been up there for some time, maybe even all winter. The place is a mess and I'm sure I can only see a quarter of what's really up there.

IT'S WAR! I've stocked up on supplies - Have-a-heart traps, mouse traps, rat traps - I've got it all and I'm not taking prisoners. I set strategically placed traps in the messiest places. Now I wait and see what the morning brings.

Slingah · 03-22-2008, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motor Fish

The mice comment made me think twice (I assume it's squirrels because I can hear them, I always think of mice as being quiet). So I though it would be best if went up to look for signs of my enemy. I was horrified at what I saw!

They're sticking to the side of the attic behind the air handler where we don't store any crap. There is pi$$ and sh!t all over the place and they have dug tunnels through the insulation! That scares me. Looks like they have been up there for some time, maybe even all winter. The place is a mess and I'm sure I can only see a quarter of what's really up there.

IT'S WAR! I've stocked up on supplies - Have-a-heart traps, mouse traps, rat traps - I've got it all and I'm not taking prisoners. I set strategically placed traps in the messiest places. Now I wait and see what the morning brings.

I love it...Go get em'...I'm in a constant war with mice, chipmunks, skunks and squirrels...

bart · 03-22-2008, 10:51 PM

mice are the worst. i trapped many a mouse when living in allston. got em with the sticky pads. you know when you got one because they start screeching

stripadan · 03-23-2008, 09:32 AM

How'd you make out? Any prisoners?

5/0 · 03-23-2008, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spence

Just do anything in your power to capture or kill them ASAP. They can do a lot of damage in short time...

-spence

I'll second that,it doesn't take much time for them to tare it up.

Also you should take this matter seriously,if they chew through the electrical wires and cause a fire and the house burns to the ground your Home owner insurance will not pay for any damages caused by rodents.

So evicted there arses ASAP

5/0

thortum · 03-23-2008, 09:17 PM

After you've killed or trapped what ever you can, you might want to set off a few of the flea canisters in order to drive any remaining squirrel or mice out. If you see the squirrels leaving the attic you'll know that your work is not done!!

EarnedStripes44 · 03-24-2008, 02:14 PM

I had rats a couple years ago, and I did not know until I saw one shuttling ratmouthfuls of wonderbread across my kitchen floor in the DAYTIME!!! I went the chemical warfare route, WMD baby. Poisoned everything. I should have booby trapped the front, I removed about a dozen dead rats but some of them died in the walls and other innaccessible places. The smell was terrible, weeks of putrid odor followed by a maggot armada.

Please make sure you are able to remove as many carcasses as possible, If you decide to poison them.

Motor Fish · 03-24-2008, 08:02 PM

Night 1 came and went, nothing to report. Even though I could hear the little basssstards running around up there.

Last night was a little different. All my traps were sprung. About 10PM, I hear my first first trap with a very loud SNAP!!! Must have been the rat trap, good. Shortly thereafter I hear a smaller/lighter snap - I'm thinking mouse trap. Finally, a loud clang (hav-a-hart). I couldn't head up there last night as my whole family was asleep and the pull down makes quite a bit of noise, so I had to wait until this morning to investigate.

First on my patrol was the mouse trap . . . gone. It just wasn't there and to be honest, I didn't think it would do much to a squirrel.

Second was the hav-a-hart and sure enough it was sprung. I peer around the doors to see what I've got . . . and there is nothing???? I just don't see how this thing could fail. The bait was gone, licked clean off the table - very strange.

Finally I work my way over to the rat trap and see a dark shadow and know I have something here. My first kill. Too big to be a mouse, too small to be a squirrel - but it's too dark to be sure. I bring it over to the light and . . . chipmunks! Alvin will not be down for breakfast.

Rebaited and reset the traps - maybe I'll get another one tonight. In the meantime, I need to get some more supplies. I'm going to try the sticky tape and a few more rat traps.

MakoMike · 03-25-2008, 09:56 AM

Did you put the bait in the have-a-heart on the table? I like to put it in one end of the trap and then set the trap with only the opposite end open. That way they have to walk accross the bait table and that usually trips the trap.

Joe · 03-25-2008, 10:17 AM

Call Steven Tyler

keeperreaper · 03-26-2008, 02:11 PM

They make small have a heart traps for chipmunks. I am a firm believer of bathing those little pricks. I must have washed 50 of them(squirrels and c-munks) when I lived in western mass. i hate those lil' doosh bags.

2na · 03-26-2008, 02:15 PM

Motor, I'm with Mako - just open one end of the trap. Good luck / happy hunting.

Love the sound of the trap in the middle of the night. Wake up laughing.

Motor Fish · 03-26-2008, 07:59 PM

Last night I hit em good!!! 4 Confirmed Kills! and 1 POW in the have a heart.

I was up working last night and heard the traps SNAP about every half hour. It was great!

BigFish · 03-26-2008, 09:19 PM

Shouldn't you focus on finding the point of entry?

2boxers · 03-28-2008, 10:15 AM

Its the only way to be sure