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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 30 Mar 2022 10:19
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Good Day everyone.
Following on the Mouse Trapping thread, I'm starting this new thread because solutions for Mice do not really apply to Chipmunks & Squirrels and as we all know, they are notorious damage makers.
I am having very serious issues with Chipmunks who are finding their way into everything but even worse are the Squirrels. The CATCH ! These are Native Red Squirrels NOT the Grey's or Blacks invasives and as such they are protected here so I would prefer a Non-Lethal solution "if possible" but absolutely not one with poisons / toxins.
Are there any Sprays or Liquid Scent Repellants ?
Are there sonic or electronic repellers that work ?
Is it possible to Trap & Relocation of the Red Squirrels ? (I've never heard of live trapping squirrels but who knows).
HOUSE BUILD TIP !
If you decide you want to do Wood Siding like I did Live Edge White Cedar, consider that critters will see it as a Weird Looking tree "they own"... extra precautions against critters is warranted !
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 30 Mar 2022 11:17
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I was over run by gray squirrels years ago and used peanut butter in a love trap. I removed 12+ one summer.
Are the squirrels still protected if they are damaging property? Did you look up the laws? Relocation just makes them someone else's problem.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 30 Mar 2022 11:32 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Iirc, the little Red/Pine squirrels can have several litters per year; ie, they have NO problem repopulating. And around here, both home and cabin, I have to keep on a constant 'thinning' or they get out of control.
Ive no problem with critters that 'respect my place/stuff', that will peacefully cohabit the property. The Devil Reds are not that way! As much as I dislike it, I must purposefully terminate them, I accept personal responsibility for that. It is not indiscriminate as poisons/toxins would be  .
More to your inquiry, the spray 'repellants' we tried we of no visible effect.
As much as I would like them to work, I have yet to find a 'sonic' device that has Real Documentable Results, way too much anecdotal positive reviews and even those far too few to be worth my money. The biggest drawback I have detected is that the device and squirrel(s) must occupy the same open space; walls, ceilings, 'stuff' that absorb? the frequency make it ineffectual.
For us it came down to keeping a sharp eye out and a shotgun near to hand.
Remember, there is no waste in nature, something will have a meal if/when one dies.
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 30 Mar 2022 12:24
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Unfortunately, I don't think a non-lethal solution will work.
Shawn from the MouseTrap Monday channel tested this trap and it worked amazing. Its safe for other animals due to its design.
https://mousetrapmonday.com/videos/the-a18-squirrel-destroyer-a-powerful-effective-co 2-squirrel-trap/
You can buy it online. Its pricey, but not insane.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 30 Mar 2022 18:47
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Chipmunks never seem to get inside of my place and I leave them alone. Unlike those damn red squirrels. Yes they are protected in Ontario but not if they are causing property damage. I’ve only found one good solution but it’s permanent
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 31 Mar 2022 07:15
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I should clarify. Red squirrels aren’t “protected†but are classed as a furbearer and fall under the trapping regulations and you need to be a licensed trapper
Not that there are any trappers that actually target them these days
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 31 Mar 2022 08:59
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FishHog In AK you can legally shoot a fur bareing animal if you have a trapping license. But I suspect that you can protect your property and shoot red squirrels
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 31 Mar 2022 09:32
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Are red squirrels endangered in Ontario?
Red squirrels are an endangered species in Ontario. World Atlas listed this rodent at number 31 as a “critically endangered†mammal of Ontario. It also landed on the IUCN “red list,†which caused the government of Ontario to enact the Endanger Species Act of 2007.
https://www.aboutsquirrel.com/are-red-squirrels-protected-in-ontario/
The term "Red Squirrel" seems to have different critters attached to it, depending on where you are. I am referencing the above noted ones.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 31 Mar 2022 10:17 - Edited by: gcrank1
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The most meaningful in this thread context appears to be in the 5th paragraph from bottom:
"When wild animals, like squirrels, are causing damage to your property it is not illegal to kill them".
The second pic from top looks like the Devil Reds Im contending with; Im sure they consider my poorly built wood cabin a squirrel McMansion.
A couple decades ago I had a family of them take up housekeeping under the floor of my 1963 mahogany runnabout. Rather than make the long trip up/over the sides they dug a hole out the bottom
They have torn up things around home and are no respecter of property rights (like a lot of people now too).
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Apr 2022 10:35 - Edited by: gcrank1
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The Victor Elec Rat Trap (that Scott100 posted about on the 'mice thread') is looking like a strong contender to me! He caught/killed a Devil Red.
$43 for one on Amazon this morning
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scott100
Member
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# Posted: 2 Apr 2022 08:42 - Edited by: scott100
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Yes, it did work for that one time that I found the dead squirrel in it (and I was impressed). What worked the best for me, and I removed many more with this, was a Havahart live trap. I took them a few miles up the road to a state forest pine plantation and released them.
I think it was trap position that really made the difference. I noticed that they went into my attached garage and made it into the crawlspace over the single story part of the house from there. Not sure how they got in as I had patched every possible hole or access I could find.
Anyhow, I found that if I put the live trap along the wall of the garage near the floor, I got every last one when they went out exploring. The electric trap was higher up by the crawlspace area. So positioning is everything. I also wondered if the smaller size of the electric trap made it less desirable than the larger live trap.
FWIW, we only ever had issues during breeding season. In central NY, this was in Feb-Mar. Didn't happen every year, but once a creative squirrel found its way in, it brought its friends. I felt kind of bad dumping them up in the forest in late winter as I doubt they could survive in a strange area, but the owls need food too.
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