Squirrel Problems, Anyone?

[pop pop]

My Son-in-law's dad went to the Dr yesterday. On the way back home he smelled diesel fuel and pulled over. Exited the truck and fuel was pouring out under his brand new 89,000.00 GMC truck. SNL went to get him, crawled up under the truck and squirrels had chewed the fuel line off just above the tank. He took it to the dealer and of course his deductible is 1500.00. It will cost him 1500. to get it repaired. 

Squirrels got me 3 times 2 years ago and once this year. I spent over 2,000. getting my car, truck and RV repaired. I called TWRA and they told me I could kill them "if they were a nuisance." Said I could not eat them unless it was hunting season, but just feed them to the varmints. "I got some fat varmints."

I have thinned them out in my neighborhood in the last year.   Killed 2 today. They were totally overpopulated around here. My wife will not eat squirrels because of the scare from several years back. People contracted some kind of disease from eating their brains. She will not touch them. 

Have a friend who has put 4 wiring harnesses in his truck in the past 3 years because of the same reason. He will not shoot them. Little rascals can do some serious damage. Ford charged him over 2500.00 each time. I think his homeowners insurance paid for them.  Told him, this last time, they would not pay if he has another claim for truck wiring.  He cleaned out his garage and is parking in the garage with door closed now. 

[eRay]

They chewed into the plastic fuel tank on a new John Deere tractor I had stored in the barn a few years ago. I now keep rat bait out in the shed at all times.

About 8 years ago I bought a new pontoon boat in November. I stored it under the boat house on a lift above the water. I put a cover on it to keep it clean over the winter. When I took the cover off in the spring there were two bushel baskets full of foam rubber in the floor. They had chewed a hole in the cover and hollowed out a winter den in my seats.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Eray

[mike_f]

Chewed the fuel lines on my pickup - twice. $800 each time to fix because the only place to get the parts was from Ford.

Bought a "Squirrelinator" trap, entice them with the same seed they steal out of the birdfeeders.  Have caught 3 at the same time in the trap. 

https://squirrelinator.com/

Too many pets around us for me to feel safe about putting out poison. The Squirrelinator is a "set & forget" type of live trap. Check it one a day. If something unintended gets trapped, it's easy to release.

I've tried peppermint spray, mothballs & ultrasonic sound emitters; and still had squirrels all over my truck.

 

[Garufa]

It’s not just squirrels, mice are hell on vehicles as well.  Had one get into the cabin of my 4Runner a few months ago.  Have no idea how but the little #### chewed a little hole in one the interior panels and had a pile of eaten nuts under the back seat.

After I handed that, with the help of good old Victor, went to change the air filter a few weeks later.  There was a huge pile of nuts in the air intake.

My mechanic said they’ve been dealing with a lot of rodent damage lately.  I guess with more people working from home and cars sitting for longer periods they have more time to get up in there.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Garufa

[Ronald_55]

My wife used to complain of gas fumes because my mower is in the garage right below the bedroom. So I stored my gas cans outside. Squirrels chewed into almost every one. Buggers must love to huff gas fumes. 

[Sleep profit]

Started the car one day check engine light on took it to dealership they told me squirrels or mice chewed threw the wiring they advised the factory puts a peanut based oil on wires to keep them pliable rodents love this  bought a. Ruger mark 4. And a brick of ammo and start and move vehicle everyday no problem for over a year 🐿

[Sleep profit]

18 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

My wife used to complain of gas fumes because my mower is in the garage right below the bedroom. So I stored my gas cans outside. Squirrels chewed into almost every one. Buggers must love to huff gas fumes. 

That’s bad when even the squirrels have a monkey on their back  

[gregintenn]

$1500 for a piece of fuel line??!!??

It’s like 99 cents a foot.

Edited December 23, 2021 by gregintenn

[bobsguns]

40 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

$1500 for a piece of fuel line??!!??

It’s like 99 cents a foot.

Labor to drop the tank, flush the lines, etc. Adds up quick.

[gregintenn]

Makes me glad I drive junkers.

[Omega]

+1 for the Squirrelinator, they built a church next door and cleared a bunch of trees to do so, they all decided to move to my backyard.  I got rid of over 20 squirrels from my backyard using one.  I bought some chicken scratch and mixed in some bird seed, put a small pile inside and some around the cage.  Most times it was one at a time, only once did I catch two, but they kept coming to it.  Maybe if I didn't check them as much more would have gone in, but I found out they died quick from overheating, and didn't want them smelling up the area.

[gregintenn]

I had an injector down in a truck kept in the barn. When I went to unplug the wires from the injector, the end came off in my hand. A mouse, squirrel, or some rodent had chewed it in two. As I’d already bought an injector and was already in there, I replaced it, connected the wires back together, and was good to go. Twenty something bucks for the injector that probably wasn’t necessary and two wire connectors. I wonder how bad a dealership would have gigged me.

[Jeb48]

My problem with chewed wires and such was from a pair of rats that showed up last year. They chewed the wires off a battery charger on a tractor I have parked in my carport twice. I put my trail cam down in the carport to see what was doing it before I attacked. Saw the normal skunks and such wander through, then the rats. So I started with a large sticky trap and got one and then the second in a rat trap, both tucked in a little tunnel I made with 6X6 blocks of wood so I didn't catch a skunk. I was also having trouble with my truck and I found a vacuum line chewed off and a couple of wires.

Our old place we had bird feeders hanging off the side of the house by a window. Squirrels would crawl up the side of the house and jump out on the feeders. It became my obsession to keep squirrels off the house. started with a 20g and moved up to a 12g. They are trained fast and I would get a few on the ground running away but most were shot out of the top of the trees. I started keeping score on a marker board and the year we moved I was up to 13 in 6 months. Was warned that we were moving into bear country and they liked raiding bird feeders so we don't feed birds anymore. Up to this last year we didn't see many squirrels around the house but they are starting to show up now so I'm keeping an eye on them.

As far as future mice and rats I have started putting rat poisoned cubes out that have ground-up peanuts in the cubes. I put them in pieces of PVC pipe so bigger animals will not get into them. I have some pipes from about 1.5" up to 4" in diameter, all scarps. I just put them out so I don't know if they will be effective. I also put them in my shed.

[Grayfox54]

I've got two huge oak trees in my back yard. Squirrels have lived in them as long as I can remember. They've never bothered the house, but I do find signs of them in the garage now and then. 

I usually drive my truck. So the car tends to sit for long periods. Went out one day just to check oil and such and found the whole top of the engine covered in a heavy layer of acorns.   No damage I could find, but it took quite a while to clean up the mess. 

I check it a little more often now, but it seems they learned their lesson.   At least I hope so.