Eeeek! Yet another creature dwelleth in the basement!

Haggis

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It's not too late.

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HeronW

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peanut butter--crunchy makes great bait. Then get fine mesh wire and seal under the eaves and between the shingles and the concrete walls. Stuff mothballs 1/2 c into and old sock and tie it off then stuff them into the holes too-I kid you not--the smell drives the squirrels away and it lasts for months.

years ago, we had a squirrel build a nest in the car. after paying for having a mechanic empty the ?manifold? or something like that, another sggested the mothballs in a sock--tied securely so it wouldn't hit any hot spots--worked great.
 

MaryMumsy

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At least yours is a squirrel in the basement. We have a rat in the attic.:mad: My BIL went up and set some traps, but no luck so far. We can hear it scrurrying around on the ductwork.

MM
 

truelyana

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We have squirrels living in our roof at work. So far we have had a cherry picker come in,(which didn't work) and now there is a squealing machine up there to try and scare him/her off.
 

Clair Dickson

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We had something (or a herd of somethings) in our attic when we moved into our former-foreclosure house. My Bother tossed a box of mothballs into the attic. It's been quiet ever since. Whoever owned the house before we got it had laid out at least a hundred traps of all different types. But the mothballs seemed to do the trick? I can understand-- those are vile smelling things. I'll let you know for certain later, but we don't hear the scratchings or the angry chatterings (They didn't like it when we started making a bunch of noise! ;)
 

MaryMumsy

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Success!! One dead rat removed to the garbage. I may take the advice about the mothballs, have the BIL scatter them around near the edges of the attic, maybe it will keep them from coming in. BIL has checked and can't find where it (or the one a few months ago) got in.

MM
 

Joe270

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I may take the advice about the mothballs, have the BIL scatter them around near the edges of the attic, maybe it will keep them from coming in. BIL has checked and can't find where it (or the one a few months ago) got in.

I heard it was better to use 'moth crystals', which are just smashed up mothballs. Just pitch it around as far as possible by the handful.

I'm no great fan of cats, but they do have a purpose.

A rat terrier would end this problem in under a minute.

Not again! Dear Lord! I could cry!

I told ya to use explosives, but nooooo, you wouldn't listen to me.
 

brad_b

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I got a call from mom once. It seems a possum got in her basement. I called Animal Control and they picked her up with a noose pole - she had about a dozen babies clinging to her for dear life at the time. They put them all in a cage in one fell swoop and released them, hopefully, miles from town. Weirdest and funniest darn thing I ever saw in that respect.
 

Stlight

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Pot you have to decide. Moth balls would discourage the furry creatures. If they get moth crystals on their feet they may be poisoned and die a horrible death. I'd go with the moth balls.

Though I've always had a cat and/or a dog who goes for anything smaller than a grown cat. 65 pounds of rat terrier. We don't put her in the attic.

We did have a furious squirrel attacking the front windows, the side windows, the front door, the front wall, then jumping up and down all over the roof. The cat and dog monitored this from inside ( I thought it might be rabid) until the squirrel calmed down and left.

Plot - remember don't seal up the basement until after the squirrel leaves. I still picture that one making his own squirrel door.

Stlight
 

nevada

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Success!! One dead rat removed to the garbage. I may take the advice about the mothballs, have the BIL scatter them around near the edges of the attic, maybe it will keep them from coming in. BIL has checked and can't find where it (or the one a few months ago) got in.

MM

a rat can fit through a hole the size of a quarter. (I took food safety twice. They teach you a lot about rats. which is ironic since there are no rats in Alberta, but I digress) So your BIL is probably missing it because it's so small.
 

Joe270

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65 pounds of rat terrier.

Holy cow! Rat terriers normally tip the scales under ten pounds. That's not a rat terrier, it's a fat terrier.

Nevada, ready with the drum roll?
 

Stlight

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the big rat terrier

Bada bing! Actually she's a Treeing Walker and only 5 or so pounds over wieght. However, since her evil mom won't let her chase bears she has to make do with rats, squirrels and the like.

tried to insert photo, no photo. Think Fox hound with half the height and bit more solid (though that depends on owners. They have very soft mouth - okay I was surprised - I mean bears and soft mouth - Mat doesn't eat what she kills. which the cats said was naughty.
 
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nevada

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Bada bing! Actually she's a Treeing Walker and only 5 or so pounds over wieght. However, since her evil mom won't let her chase bears she has to make do with rats, squirrels and the like.

.

Sheesh, her mom is no fun. I mean what self-respecting mother wouldn't let her Treeing Walker chase bears? That's, that's abuse man. Take her out right now and let her chase some bears. (i mean hey they're hibernating, you're perfectly safe. She won't know. :D)

ETA It's a coonhound. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/treeingwalkercoonhound.htm

not quite what we think of when you say rat terrier. lol

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/ratterrier.htm