I didn’t realize that I had a squirrel problem, at first.  It actually took about a month and a half and an actual squirrel sighting for me to really wrap my head around it, which seems silly now.  All the signs were there, the chewing on siding, the pit-less peaches, and the burrows.  Actually, I think all of those reasons were why I was so confused! When I picture squirrels, I think of them living in trees, collecting pinecones and acorns, I guess peaches didn’t seem like their food choice? Also, the fact that they were burrowing underground, making a hole right off the edge of my concrete patio.  Plus the chewed fencing and siding? I guess I really had connected it to rats.

I noticed the siding first, but honestly on first glance I thought that my son had just chipped some away with his soccer ball on accident so I didn’t think twice about it.  I knew that squirrels chewed on things to help keep their teeth at a reasonable length, but I never connected that to this.  Then, I noticed the burrow.  That made me think that I had gophers or moles or something, I didn’t realize that squirrels burrowed underground? But I totally thought that I had rats or gophers living at my house, I even set up rat traps hoping to catch it/them.  The thing that finally got me to realize that it was in fact a squirrel problem and not some other animal, was the peach pits.

This was really odd to me; every year peaches fall on the ground and sometimes animals like raccoons or even my dog will eat them.  This year was different though, all of the peaches on the ground were intact for the most part, the only thing different was that the pits were missing and nothing else! After a little bit of research I found out that squirrels sometimes chew on the peach pits to grind down their teeth, and that’s when I connected the chewed siding and the peach mystery.  After finally getting to the bottom of it, I called in a professional to remove the squirrel(s) from my yard.  After only a week, we had caught 3 squirrels and were able to seal off their nest under my porch and call it a day!  I’m lucky that it wasn’t more of a hassle, and that the trapper had an easier time identifying the squirrel problem than I did.

I have a pair of squirrels in my attic, and it is just as annoying as it sounds. You know when I moved up here to attend Utah State, I was expecting the wildlife. I have relatives from here and some of my friends do too, they all tell crazy stories about moose in their backyards and a bobcat in a tree house. I was pretty excited about those things, I’ve always wanted to hunt but California wasn’t exactly the best place for that. Well I can tell you with 110% pure honesty, that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Sure, deer are everywhere, but I’m more concerned about hitting them in the dark than I am curious to look for them to find bucks; and moose are hardly ever seen near my house. But you know what wildlife you don’t have to leave your living room to see? Yep you guessed it: squirrels.
I know that college students don’t normally live in homes, but when I found a place that was cheaper to rent than an apartment or dorm, I was in all the way. I’m living off of Top Ramen I can’t exactly afford Grade A housing here. So I guess I should specify, I rent the top floor of my Great Aunt’s house, so I should say that there are squirrels in OUR attic. Since I’m the renter, she should be the one to take care of the issue, but since she’s 73 I’ve taken the burden on my shoulders. She was nice enough to let me live here for hardly anything, the least I can do is help with the squirrels in the attic, but I don’t have much experience. Some kids on campus have advised that I shoot them, but like I said I’ve never been hunting and I’m not the best shot. I tried setting up some of the cage traps you get at Home Depot, but I ended up catching my Aunt’s cat that was trying to eat the peanut butter inside.
At this point, I’m a little desperate. My Aunt is willing to pay for the removal services but I’m going to help, and the easier on the wallet it is the sooner I’ll hire. I’ll probably hire anyone really, these squirrels are driving me nuts! They run around all night long and keep me awake, and sleep is vital in my busy schedule. Not to mention when I went to find an old scrapbook for my Aunt, I saw all the damage that has been done so far, and it is extensive. Insulation is coming out the walls, wires are hanging loose, and there were holes in just about every box up there. That’s not mentioning the poop scattered around and the nests that were visible; basically, it’s disgusting. Anyone that would be willing to get these squirrels out of the attic sounds like the right man for the job. We just need them gone so I can go back to getting all the sleep possible.

It took me a long time to admit that I had a squirrel problem. When I was young and in college I was an animal right’s activist, so I had a hard time accepting that it was really an issue and that an animal could be anything less than friendly. Back in the day I would have walked into a field of bears and expected them not to hurt me, but now (I hope) I’m a little bit more educated than that. I watched the squirrels jump from the tree onto my roof and crawl into the eve more than once, but what’s mine is theirs as my younger self would’ve said.
I think I was trying to reconnect with my past, liberal self when I ignored the scratching and other various sounds from the attic that would make their way to my ears. I don’t know what I was thinking when I waved off the horrible smell of urine and bought a new Glade air-freshener instead, but I do know what I was thinking when I opened the attic door and saw (and smelled) exactly what I had been letting happen in my house. The first thing that I thought was a little explicit, but the next was that I, Susanne Richards, had a squirrel problem.
When I called Allstate Animal Control about the issue, my inner teenager screamed ‘Human freedom, animal rights, one voice, one fight’ like I used to chant in college, but I pushed her down and continued with the process. Pretty soon I had a technician in my home setting up traps, then he was back a few days later to remove the squirrels and help me clean up the mess. After all was said and done, my inner activist was silent and pleased. No squirrels were hurt and my house didn’t smell like an outhouse. Allstate Animal Control fixed my squirrel problem, and saved my attic while they were at it!

There’s a squirrel loose in our house. I have absolutely no idea how he got in but he is currently trapped in the basement. I didn’t actually see the squirrel at first, my 86 year old mother did and it nearly gave her a heart attack (but only nearly). She grew up in Germany so when I heard her screaming ‘NACHZEHRER’ at the top of her lungs I passed it off as dementia or night frights, but she insisted that it was more. She told me that a ghost had flown over her head, broken the lamp she was reading by, and ran rampant into the kitchen. I told her she just made it up but the old verrückt wouldn’t give it up so I went to investigate.
As I walked into the kitchen I could feel her over my shoulder, whispering her quiet Hail Mary’s behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know she was probably clutching the small cross around her neck too, but I did turn around to get a full aerial view of the kitchen and try to spot the “ghost”. It was nowhere to be seen. I tried to convince her again that it was her imagination, but she cursed and told me to check the pantry. I rolled my eyes and obliged. Right after I pulled the door open further than it already was, a small furry tail sprinted from the shelves down the stairs to the basement.
While it wasn’t a spirit trying to eat us in our sleep, there was a squirrel in the house and Mama made sure I knew she was right. I’ve been calling different Animal Removal services for the past house, but most of the calls are ending with my mom yelling in her thick accent that we wouldn’t pay such ridiculous prices. I’m getting desperate, at this point I wish she’d had a heart attack! Then I’d have to pay for animal control AND a casket. Of course I’m kidding, but I really do need some help. I can barely live with my mother, I can’t have a squirrel in the house too.

I’m not sure if she’s crazy, but my sister is letting a squirrel live in the house. I guess a few days ago, maybe a week I’m not sure, a squirrel got into her house. She told me it might have come down the chimney but it could be the attic, or even the front door since she leaves it open a lot. I’m not really concerned about how it got in, I’m more concerned by the fact that it hasn’t left; mostly that she hasn’t kicked its butt out yet! I know I probably sound like a whack job being worried about my sister in all of this, but let me explain why I think it’s her fault the little bugger is in there.
1. The squirrel is in her house, but worse, it’s living in her bedroom. Not running amuck in the attic or causing havoc in the basement, but under her bed in her room: with her.
2. It has been in her bed… WITH HER. She called me after she woke up this morning and explained (quite jovially) how she woke up to, “a big fluffy butt in her face”, and she didn’t seem too freaked out by it.
3. She leaves the door open every day when she leaves for work. She says it’s so he can run out, but I’m not convinced she’s trying to make it stay out.
I just need help figuring this out before she ends up on that TV show, My Strange Addiction, as the lady that can’t help but let squirrels live in the house. I love my sister, with all of my heart; but even as a little girl she had a love for wild animals. She used to bring home stray cats and the occasional injured bird, but it got weird when she would rescue mice and even another squirrel once. Back then my dad would sort her out and explain the danger in that, but he’s long gone. And I’m sure he’d be turning over in his grave if he knew she had a squirrel in her house right now. I really need some help, even if someone could just do an inspection. I want to know if that thing is nesting there, or if he’s sneaking in and out. It could make all the difference.

The thing I never fail to find in National Parks, are signs that say ‘DON’T FEED THE SQUIRRELS’, in bold red letters. Sadly not many people listen to its advice, and while many walk away unscathed, there are some people out there that could tell you a story or two. Luckily, as a ranger at Zion’s National Park, I have plenty of stories that I can tell you. Quite a few explain exactly why we keep those signs up, even if people don’t follow the rule. This is one of those stories.
Summers are our busiest season, sure it gets past 100 ° Fahrenheit on most days and there’s always the risk of flash flooding with summer storms, but people have it off of school and work, so here they come. A few years back, I was working when I got a call out of the blue that a woman had been attacked by a wild animal. I couldn’t believe my ears, I had never come in contact with something like this in my short 2 months as a ranger and I was excited. I got the medical kit ready and sat just imagining what it could be. Maybe she was trampled by a deer, I had heard of that happening; or maybe it was a bear (unrealistic I know, but I was 19)!
Well as it turns out, this woman had been doing exactly what the signs advise against. She had been feeding a squirrel. As her husband and kids began the long hike up Angel’s Landing, she sat near the bathrooms and waited, soon after she was joined by a fuzzy, and hungry, companion. Pulling trail mix out of her bag she would lazily share a nut here and there with the squirrel, until she ran out. Now, what you have to understand is that squirrels are perfectly content with being fed, but if they aren’t, they get a little bit hangry. This little guy kept coming closer and closer, begging for food she didn’t have. When she finally tried to swat him away, he snatched at her. Quicker than a cobra that sneaky devil ran off with a piece of her fingernail right in his mouth.
As disappointed as I was, I knew that this little bite could cause a world of trouble. Squirrel bites can cause an inflammation of the bone or joint, and if he’s sick, he could spread it to whoever was bitten. Taking all of this into consideration I diligently cleaned out the wound while she sniffled and swore vengeance on the animal. After I finished up I told her to make sure she checks with a doctor to see if she might need a tetanus shot, and then dutifully pointed out a sign just outside of our building that read, ‘DON’T FEED THE SQUIRRELS’. Needless to say, she was very unhappy with me.

The first time the landlord found a squirrel stuck in the attic it turned out to be the least of our problems. My husband Ben and I had heard scratching in the walls but just assumed it was mice and set out traps, but when Ben went to fix the water heater, it turned out to be a very different situation. The squirrel was nesting in the attic insulation and making a mess of everything! We tried to get him out but the wiley thing slipped right past us and hid amidst the many boxes so we called the owner of the house to come over and take a look. He searched the wreckage for a while before discovering the screen where the thing had chewed its way into our home, and all it came down to was chasing the scoundrel out and kicking it to the curb.
It didn’t take long for the critter to come back out into the open and right into the owner’s plan. Being men of many talents, the owner and my husband had it surrounded and rapidly evicted from the home then boarded his only entrance shut, but little did we know he also trapped ANOTHER squirrel INSIDE the house! We didn’t realize it until the next day and now it’s become a fiasco! The second squirrel has been running amuck through attic, the vents, and the walls for over a day now, scratching and clawing his way around, truly making an awful mess, and get this: when we woke up this morning, THE SQUIRREL WAS STUCK IN THE HOOD VENT ABOVE THE STOVE! Fortunately he’s still alive so no dead, rotting smell; yet. The owners are looking for a trapper to come take care of it now, and honestly, I wished they had called sooner; it’s turned into a lot more trouble than it was worth just for a dumb squirrel stuck in an attic.