The "How's" in Squirrel Control (Part II)

Three "How's" will be discussed in this article. These are:

1. How to clear the chimney or fireplace of squirrels?
2. How to make your bird feeder safe from squirrels?
3. How to deal with loose squirrels in the house?

If you haven't read the first part of this article, you can go and check my archive below. The first article was all about keeping squirrels out of the house and of the attic. As we all might have realized that squirrels have very strong front teeth which they use to nibble wood. This characteristic enables them to enter houses by widening narrow opening on the walls. They are also very good at climbing, so they can actually climb through tree branches and get into your house through the chimney. This article will help you deal with squirrels on your own without harming these animals. Let's start with the first issue:

Keeping Squirrels Out of the Chimney or Fireplace

Before we start talking about anything else, let me emphasize that smoking an animal out of the chimney will do you no good. Sure, you can kill the squirrel by doing so, but other squirrels will just come in and your problem is not solved. You smoke them out again, and then others will come after the others have died. So, you are involved in an endless massacre of poor animals. Remember that most of the time; the key to stopping squirrels from entering your house through your fireplace is by prevention. You might have heard of the cliché "prevention is better than cure", well, that is very true.

To prevent squirrels from using your chimney as an entry point, you need to install a chimney cap over your chimney. The chimney cap will also keep birds and other animals out. Now, if ever you start hearing a squirrel making a sound in your chimney, there is a very high possibility that the squirrel is already trapped, otherwise, it could have just run away and stop making all those noise. It is easy to imagine why squirrels can get themselves stuck in the chimney since the chimney walls are not easy to climb because of the soot. The best way to help the squirrel get out is to provide it with something to use to escape. You can use a fairly long wood or a thick rope to help it get out. Simply lower the wood or the rope (about a three-fourths of an inch in thickness is enough) down into your chimney. You need to take extra safety measures as you do this since you need to climb up your roof. Make sure that the rope reaches the floor of your fireplace. To make it easier for the squirrel, tie knots along the rope. The squirrel should start climbing almost immediately after you lower down the rope.

Now, if the squirrel has gone as far as reaching the bed of your fireplace, the better option is to catch it alive. You can kill it if you want, but what's the merit to killing a poor animal right? So, might as well make sure that the squirrel is safe even as you use the live trap. To lure them into the trap, simply spread peanut butter over the fireplace door surface. The peanut butter will make the squirrel come near the opening even though you open the fireplace. This will make it easier for you to catch the squirrel using the trap. After catching the squirrel, simply set it out of your house. Of course, you shall only do that after you have installed a chimney cap or else the problem will just recur.

Securing Bird Feeders

You have to understand that squirrels do not normally feed on bird food. But, once you let them get to know what the taste of bird food is, they will get accustomed to it and hunt down every bird feeder that you install around your house. So, as a word of advice, keep them away from your bird feeders in the first place! Well, if this is the first time that you have heard of this advice, then probably you are already having problems with squirrels. You might be relieved to know that there are already bird feeders that have baffles installed into it. The baffle takes that shape of a stovepipe and it serves as the pole of the bird feeder. A baffle is a better pole because squirrels cannot climb up it. It is only 15 inches in diameter and is usually set about four feet above the ground. Moreover, the feeder should also be placed away from trees, buildings or other structures which the squirrel can use as an access point towards the feeder. It is also helpful if you stock your bird feeder with seeds that squirrels do not really find appetizing. Examples of such seeds are safflowers which are very delectable to many different birds like the grosbeaks, thistle, cardinals and goldfinches.

Many people have actually tried mixing hot pepper mix into the bird seeds in the bird feeder box. The rationale behind this is that squirrels detest hot pepper so they will not want climbing up a bird feeder just to get detestable seeds. However, you should also realize birds do not like hot pepper too and by mixing hot pepper with your seeds, you are also discouraging birds from coming into your place. Take into account too that squirrels are irritated to hot pepper, feeding them with such will hurt them.

Dealing with Loose Squirrels

There are many instances when squirrels enter houses by mere accident. When this is the case, the squirrel will be frantic to find a way out of the house. As a result, the squirrel is run to and fro your house causing too much noise. To help them get out, simply cut on your wall. The opening should be enough to permit the squirrel to get out. You can also place chairs and tables near open windows to let the squirrels climb up and get out through the window.