Flying squirrel invasion

chasedawg · 09-21-2018, 10:31 AM

Now that we have gotten rid of the mice we now have flying squirrels in the attic.

Tried using Have a heart cage and Ultrasonic pest defenders. Haven't work so far. Concerned that there is a nest with babies being born. What else should we try? We think that they are coming in down the chimney flue. Need to get rid of them before we close up in about 3 weeks.

radiocontester · 09-21-2018, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasedawg

Now that we have gotten rid of the mice we now have flying squirrels in the attic.

Tried using Have a heart cage and Ultrasonic pest defenders. Haven't work so far. Concerned that there is a nest with babies being born. What else should we try? We think that they are coming in down the chimney flue. Need to get rid of them before we close up in about 3 weeks.

Contact Pesky Critters in Raymond, NH....Scott will address the critters that got in the attic and button up the house to prevent further entry. Very fair pricing and he guarantees his work for life. He solved my issue 5 years ago and I haven't had a flying squirrel issue since....not bad considering I'm surrounded by 400 acres of conservation land.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

Mr. V · 09-21-2018, 10:50 AM

A cat would work.

Biggd · 09-21-2018, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasedawg

Now that we have gotten rid of the mice we now have flying squirrels in the attic.

Tried using Have a heart cage and Ultrasonic pest defenders. Haven't work so far. Concerned that there is a nest with babies being born. What else should we try? We think that they are coming in down the chimney flue. Need to get rid of them before we close up in about 3 weeks.

You need to install a chimney cap.

Hillcountry · 09-21-2018, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggd

You need to install a chimney cap.

And light a roaring fire!

garysanfran · 09-21-2018, 11:57 AM

They're nocturnal. I had 8 of them. They live in colonies. I stood out in the rain and mosquitos at 3:00 am for a couple of weeks and shot 4 of them with .22 bird-shot.

I gave up on the remaining and had to hire an animal control co. Cost $2,000 for them to seal every single small and large opening (took several hours). Then they installed a "one-way trap door" and the remaining exited. For the next week I heard them scampering all over the house, at night, trying to find a new way in.

Forget the traps, poisons, etc.

Bottom line? By my own experience, you have a very nasty problem. It took me over 2 1/2 months to get rid of them...And by the way...The animal control companies I spoke to were very backed up and I was told by several that they couldn't even take a look at the situation for more than 2 months.

Top-Water · 09-21-2018, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysanfran

They're nocturnal. I had 8 of them. They live in colonies. I stood out in the rain and mosquitos at 3:00 am for a couple of weeks and shot 4 of them with .22 bird-shot.

I gave up on the remaining and had to hire an animal control co. Cost $2,000 for them to seal every single small and large opening (took several hours). Then they installed a "one-way trap door" and the remaining exited. For the next week I heard them scampering all over the house, at night, trying to find a new way in.

Forget the traps, poisons, etc.

Bottom line? By my own experience, you have a very nasty problem. It took me over 2 1/2 months to get rid of them...And by the way...The animal control companies I spoke to were very backed up and I was told by several that they couldn't even take a look at the situation for more than 2 months.

Have had the same problem with them, garysanfran's post is excellent accurate
information. They are really difficult to get rid off.

garysanfran · 09-21-2018, 01:07 PM

I bought a motion detected game cam and set it up where I thought the entrance was. It accomplished two things...

1. It showed photos that confirmed their entry point

2. It established a pretty reliable pattern of the hours they used their "door". Around 10pm, 1am and 3am.

They also establish a latrine for the entire colony to use. Look for brown streaks on your walls or ceilings. Their nest will be near there.

.22 bird shot should not hurt your siding. Try a test somewhere.

Not to Worry · 09-21-2018, 05:31 PM

FS come in through similar size holes as do mice. The ONLY way to get rid of them is hire a pro who will find the voids and block them for entering BUT first they have to install a trap that lets them out but not in...otherwise!!!

chasedawg · 09-21-2018, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggd

You need to install a chimney cap.

Have one installed plus wire fencing around the whole chimney. They are still getting in. No other sign. Having a roofer coming out to inspect the whole roof We need for our neighbors to stop feeding these rodents.

chasedawg · 09-21-2018, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

And light a roaring fire!

We did that...! Thanks

chasedawg · 09-21-2018, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

And light a roaring fire!

We did that...Too!

chasedawg · 09-22-2018, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysanfran

They're nocturnal. I had 8 of them. They live in colonies. I stood out in the rain and mosquitos at 3:00 am for a couple of weeks and shot 4 of them with .22 bird-shot.

I gave up on the remaining and had to hire an animal control co. Cost $2,000 for them to seal every single small and large opening (took several hours). Then they installed a "one-way trap door" and the remaining exited. For the next week I heard them scampering all over the house, at night, trying to find a new way in.

Forget the traps, poisons, etc.

Bottom line? By my own experience, you have a very nasty problem. It took me over 2 1/2 months to get rid of them...And by the way...The animal control companies I spoke to were very backed up and I was told by several that they couldn't even take a look at the situation for more than 2 months.

Gary....Great information but really concerning. I caught one last night. Used rat trap and glue stick em. Now need to find out if there are others or babies. Not pleasant!

Hillcountry · 09-22-2018, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasedawg

Gary....Great information but really concerning. I caught one last night. Used rat trap and glue stick em. Now need to find out if there are others or babies. Not pleasant!

Just did some research and found out the Northern Flying Squirrel has one litter per year like their larger cousins the gray and red. March to June is the breeding season so there should be no squirrel young at this time of year, save the litter from the Spring time. Pretty much Adults and young of the year now and the Y.O.Y are flying by 3 months old. Good luck with the little buggers!
I believe we had one that broke in through a screened louvre on one of our two rooftop dormers but they could only get into the dormer wall because we have cathedral ceilings. We’d hear them scratching around in the dormer wall and I would take my walking stick and reach up and whack the wall. The noises disappeared eventually.

garysanfran · 09-22-2018, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasedawg

Gary....Great information but really concerning. I caught one last night. Used rat trap and glue stick em. Now need to find out if there are others or babies. Not pleasant!

Almost a guaranty you have more...

It seems you have access to them indoors. That's a good START. I didn't have access to them except when they exited or entered.

If you seal them in, they'll gnaw through anything to try and get out. Some people worry about the odors of them rotting. But a bigger concern...If you are successful in removing them all, you MUST take care of any place their distant relatives can get in (they've probably already shared their location on the FS Forum) ...And they can squeeze through extremely small holes. Seal up everything...EVERYTHING!

Please keep us posted...

garysanfran · 09-22-2018, 08:03 AM

Don't just caulk or use some sort of filler to seal spaces. What made my treatment so expensive was that they used metal wire mesh, same color as my siding, then they went over the mesh with caulk of the same color. The rodents can't gnaw through metal. I was amazed at how they could fit this mesh into the smallest holes. I was told that, what they did, also increased the insulation value of the house greatly.

betterthanbacon · 09-23-2018, 01:31 PM

I live on a dead end dirt road in Vt. And my prooerty is loaded with oaks. It’s a squirrels paradise. They got into my pole barn and chewed through one of the hydraulic lines on my tractor. The tech had to remove the fuel tank and ROPS to get to it. Cost me over $1000 to fix. I bought a deterrent spray from Home Depot which contains garlic,black pepper, peppermint and others things that wildlife do not like to smell. I spray this around my tractor and ATVs about every 30 days and haven’t had a problem in 3 years.
Won’t be a permanent fix for you but maybe you can spray to move them along until you can figure out a permanent solution. They sell a few different brands, powder and liquid. The one I have been using for the last year is a spray that is sold as a TomCat brand.
We rent a summer place in Gilford and the flying squirrels were taking over the outside patio. They were actually getting into the gas grill. I brought up the jug of repellent spray. Sprayed the inside and outside perimeter of the privacy wall and no more issues the rest of the summer. Just reapplied every 3 or 4 weeks.
Good Luck

DesertDweller · 09-23-2018, 03:04 PM

Gary's advice/situation was similar to mine and I had to use an animal control service as well. They got in through the attic and made there way down to my basement through the walls. As stated they need very minimal amounts of space to get in. My guy sealed everything up with a wired mesh product and I have been good ever since.

Water Camper · 09-25-2018, 12:19 PM

Approximately a month ago we heard critters in the attic. They were noisy from about 2 to 4 am. Contacted several pest control companies but only heard from J P Pests. They sent out a wildlife expert for free who suggested we had flying squirrels. Suggested we screen in our gable vents among a few other items. Followed his suggestions and we have had a quiet nights sleep ever since.

The cottage is over a 100 years old and very porus. We have always had mice in the dirt basement, but never anything in the attic. Hopefully have solved the problem.

Hope this helps,
Bill

Patofnaud · 09-25-2018, 01:56 PM

Off topic, but I had to say that every time I see the topic of this thread, I think a new cover band is coming to Flying Monkey.

Flying Squirrel Invasion, kind of like the British Invasion meets the Flying Squirrels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVC0PG6WBQs

donnamatrix · 09-26-2018, 11:32 AM

Thought I posted this - but I don't see it! Anyway, we had this problem several years ago. Our cats alerted us to the noises they were hearing from the attic by racing up the stairs and standing still to listen. We hired Alpha Omega Pest Control in Meredith to eliminate them. I found one dead in the basement that must have come down the trace - but Alpha came and set up an "exit only" type of "door" in the roof... they can get out but not back in. He sealed up every hole he could find. We haven't had a problem since with the squirrels- but the mice and voles are driving me nutso!

09-21-2018, 10:31 AM	#1
chasedawg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melvin village Posts: 522 Thanks: 512 Thanked 314 Times in 148 Posts	Flying squirrel invasion Now that we have gotten rid of the mice we now have flying squirrels in the attic. Tried using Have a heart cage and Ultrasonic pest defenders. Haven't work so far. Concerned that there is a nest with babies being born. What else should we try? We think that they are coming in down the chimney flue. Need to get rid of them before we close up in about 3 weeks.

09-21-2018, 10:50 AM	#3
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,388 Thanks: 63 Thanked 253 Times in 172 Posts	A cat would work. __________________ basking in the benign indifference of the universe

09-21-2018, 11:57 AM	#6
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,563 Thanks: 660 Thanked 670 Times in 344 Posts	Just had the same problem... They're nocturnal. I had 8 of them. They live in colonies. I stood out in the rain and mosquitos at 3:00 am for a couple of weeks and shot 4 of them with .22 bird-shot. I gave up on the remaining and had to hire an animal control co. Cost $2,000 for them to seal every single small and large opening (took several hours). Then they installed a "one-way trap door" and the remaining exited. For the next week I heard them scampering all over the house, at night, trying to find a new way in. Forget the traps, poisons, etc. Bottom line? By my own experience, you have a very nasty problem. It took me over 2 1/2 months to get rid of them...And by the way...The animal control companies I spoke to were very backed up and I was told by several that they couldn't even take a look at the situation for more than 2 months. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

09-21-2018, 01:07 PM	#8
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,563 Thanks: 660 Thanked 670 Times in 344 Posts	Infrared game cam... I bought a motion detected game cam and set it up where I thought the entrance was. It accomplished two things... 1. It showed photos that confirmed their entry point 2. It established a pretty reliable pattern of the hours they used their "door". Around 10pm, 1am and 3am. They also establish a latrine for the entire colony to use. Look for brown streaks on your walls or ceilings. Their nest will be near there. .22 bird shot should not hurt your siding. Try a test somewhere. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

09-21-2018, 05:31 PM	#9
Not to Worry Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 191 Thanks: 93 Thanked 84 Times in 55 Posts	Small holes FS come in through similar size holes as do mice. The ONLY way to get rid of them is hire a pro who will find the voids and block them for entering BUT first they have to install a trap that lets them out but not in...otherwise!!!

The Following User Says Thank You to radiocontester For This Useful Post:
chasedawg (09-21-2018)

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HellRaZoR004 (09-21-2018)

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Hillcountry For This Useful Post:
Biggd (09-21-2018), chasedawg (09-21-2018)

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chasedawg (09-22-2018)

09-22-2018, 08:03 AM	#16
garysanfran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco/Meredith Posts: 1,563 Thanks: 660 Thanked 670 Times in 344 Posts	Sealing holes... Don't just caulk or use some sort of filler to seal spaces. What made my treatment so expensive was that they used metal wire mesh, same color as my siding, then they went over the mesh with caulk of the same color. The rodents can't gnaw through metal. I was amazed at how they could fit this mesh into the smallest holes. I was told that, what they did, also increased the insulation value of the house greatly. __________________ Gary ~~~~_/) ~~~ ~~~~~~~~

09-23-2018, 01:31 PM	#17
betterthanbacon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 70 Thanks: 17 Thanked 20 Times in 9 Posts	Repellent Spray I live on a dead end dirt road in Vt. And my prooerty is loaded with oaks. It’s a squirrels paradise. They got into my pole barn and chewed through one of the hydraulic lines on my tractor. The tech had to remove the fuel tank and ROPS to get to it. Cost me over $1000 to fix. I bought a deterrent spray from Home Depot which contains garlic,black pepper, peppermint and others things that wildlife do not like to smell. I spray this around my tractor and ATVs about every 30 days and haven’t had a problem in 3 years. Won’t be a permanent fix for you but maybe you can spray to move them along until you can figure out a permanent solution. They sell a few different brands, powder and liquid. The one I have been using for the last year is a spray that is sold as a TomCat brand. We rent a summer place in Gilford and the flying squirrels were taking over the outside patio. They were actually getting into the gas grill. I brought up the jug of repellent spray. Sprayed the inside and outside perimeter of the privacy wall and no more issues the rest of the summer. Just reapplied every 3 or 4 weeks. Good Luck

09-23-2018, 03:04 PM	#18
DesertDweller Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV and Moultonborough, NH Posts: 366 Thanks: 24 Thanked 85 Times in 71 Posts	Gary's advice/situation was similar to mine and I had to use an animal control service as well. They got in through the attic and made there way down to my basement through the walls. As stated they need very minimal amounts of space to get in. My guy sealed everything up with a wired mesh product and I have been good ever since.

09-25-2018, 12:19 PM	#19
Water Camper Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pembroke, NH / Laconia, NH Posts: 450 Thanks: 10 Thanked 206 Times in 88 Posts	Flying Squirrels in the attic Approximately a month ago we heard critters in the attic. They were noisy from about 2 to 4 am. Contacted several pest control companies but only heard from J P Pests. They sent out a wildlife expert for free who suggested we had flying squirrels. Suggested we screen in our gable vents among a few other items. Followed his suggestions and we have had a quiet nights sleep ever since. The cottage is over a 100 years old and very porus. We have always had mice in the dirt basement, but never anything in the attic. Hopefully have solved the problem. Hope this helps, Bill

09-25-2018, 01:56 PM	#20
Patofnaud Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Tilton/Paugus Bay Posts: 239 Thanks: 13 Thanked 64 Times in 45 Posts	Off topic, but I had to say that every time I see the topic of this thread, I think a new cover band is coming to Flying Monkey. Flying Squirrel Invasion, kind of like the British Invasion meets the Flying Squirrels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVC0PG6WBQs

The Following User Says Thank You to Patofnaud For This Useful Post:
beantownbaby (09-26-2018)

09-26-2018, 11:32 AM	#21
donnamatrix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro Posts: 833 Thanks: 24 Thanked 258 Times in 120 Posts	Get rid of flying squirrels Thought I posted this - but I don't see it! Anyway, we had this problem several years ago. Our cats alerted us to the noises they were hearing from the attic by racing up the stairs and standing still to listen. We hired Alpha Omega Pest Control in Meredith to eliminate them. I found one dead in the basement that must have come down the trace - but Alpha came and set up an "exit only" type of "door" in the roof... they can get out but not back in. He sealed up every hole he could find. We haven't had a problem since with the squirrels- but the mice and voles are driving me nutso!