Help! Suggestions needed for getting rid of squirrels.

[CBHagman]

My apartment complex is undergoing attic invasion by rodents with furry tails. Having experienced a squirrel home invasion some years back, I am eager to get the little buggers to move on, and soon.

The apartment complex management has tried natural repellents and blocking various entrances. The squirrels simply chew through everything. Now they're getting increasingly aggressive, and as it's breeding season they may, like our love, be here to stay.

They are chewing through parts of the building above my apartment, and debris falls through spaces in kitchen cabinets and the like. I have tried putting ammonia around gaps in the wall, but this doesn't seem to work. Neither does running noisy appliances or pounding on the wall when I hear them stirring about.

Aargh. Has anyone here ever found a solution, short of a friendly predator (e.g., cat) on your side?

Thank you in advance!

[yellowdogintexas]

1. do you want to borrow CatZilla? He kills squirrels

first cat I ever had to do that.

Actually he is quite a homebody so I really can't loan him, but the exterminator told us that the time to get rid of them is when the weather gets warm and they no longer want to tunnel up and hide out. That is the time to block up your entrances, cover with sheetmetal etc and throw around the mothballs. They apparantly hate mothballs.

[hiaasenrocks]

2. I had the same problem last spring.

Exterminators put out rat poison and traps. We inspected every wall for holes, found one behind the fridge, plugged it up with steel wool.

Never heard from them again. (The squirrels nor the exterminators.)

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. You and the other tenants need to raise holy hell

It shouldn't be on your dime. The apartment owners have a legal duty to remedy this situation quickly. This is a health violation and reportable to the health department.

[justabob]

4. never mind -

somehow I missed your last paragraph about ammonia

[GirlinContempt]

5. I know someone who soaked nuts

in draino once
:shrug:
Probably not the *best* solution

[cynatnite]

6. Well, it ain't pretty, but...

When I was a kid my uncles used to smoke 'em out and then kill 'em.

As far as I know, they didn't become a meal...but hard to say. You have to know my uncles. :eyes:

[CBHagman]

7. Thanks for the tips and support.

A few years back, when a squirrel got into my apartment, I called the animal control department, and a patient, kind person came out and helped me shoo the squirrel out of the place. Squirrels are really hard to catch, as you can imagine, and they can hide or climb almost anywhere.

Then I had repairmen come and block the hole in the drywall where the beast had gotten in. The repairmen said they used to hunt and EAT squirrels, so I'm considering calling on them again. :evilgrin:

Seriously, though, I read online that besides squirrels being an obvious fire hazard (due to their tendency to chew through wiring), they are also considered a biohazard. How do you like that? Squirrels of mass destruction!

Seriously, though, everything I read online suggests they're very hard to evict. So Catzilla might truly be the answer.

Thanks to all, and any other hints are welcome.

[NV Whino]

8. I've found a sure-fire way to block rodents

Once they are out, block holes with copper mesh (doesn't rust like steel wool does), and then spray with expanding foam. Neither works well by itself, but the combination works beautifully. Easier to use in small cramped places than tin patches.

[flvegan]

9. Havahart Critter Ridder

http://www.havahart.com/store/product.asp?dept_id=47&pf_id=3142

You can also find it at places like Loewe's and Home Depot. It's a repellant, rather than a poison.

[CBHagman]

10. I'm discovering the local hardware store...

...has a shelf devoted to natural repellents to deter everything from deer to rodents.

[MissMillie]

11. Put up bird feeders across the street

the squirrels will go over there instead of your building.