Yesterday, I could hear them running back and forth down the soffits. There was finally a break in the rain, so I climbed up my ladder to take a look. I found a huge nest – mostly filled with clippings from the neighbour’s hedge. With some difficulty, I have removed the nest. Hopefully they wont try and rebuild this Spring, but I fully expect to see them again in the Fall or next Spring. Squirrels nest (and have babies) twice a year.

So this is the new normal:  a constant war, an asymmetrical war, a war I can’t win, but must fight.

Hey at least, I don’t have to deal with this…yet

Despite some pretty wet weather we’ve been making our preparations for the last couple of weeks. This year, I have decided to build raised beds in our old parking space in order to make room for more vegetables. It was a muddy struggle to build the first one in the rain last weekend, but I’m pretty happy with my handiwork such as it is.

The optimist in me can’t wait for all those wonderful tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, etc. The pessimist in me knows that it is just a matter of time before my beautiful garden is beset by pests. I will soon be battling slugs, aphids, and various other tiny enemies, not to mention the birds, raccoons, and my nemesis the squirrel as they all feast on my hard work.

Any suggestions on how to head them off at the pass are much appreciated.

Check this out.

Anyway, in the spirit of this diversity of purpose, I bring you a mystery. Something has been digging up the turf around the side of our house. I put this turf here last spring when I dug up part of the lawn to put in a patio and walkway. Most of the turf took really nicely and covered a patch of mostly weeds, but the grass closest to the house has not taken. Since I put it in, this turf has been turned over on a fairly regular basis. Now this could be more squirrel activity (SQUIRRELS!!) as they may be digging up nuts that they have hidden for later. Or it could be raccoons, skunks, or something else that likes eating the roots of the turf or the worms and other creepy crawlies beneath the surface. 

Here’s a picture. Let me know if you have any theories of what is causing this damage and what I can do to prevent it.

mystery pest

So, curious as to why the squirrels were no longer discouraged by the ultrasonic transmitters I’d put in the eaves, I climbed up to inspect my devices. To my surprise, I discovered this!

Sabotage!

That’s right, the squirrels had chewed through the wire!

Soffit

I was amazed at how much crap the squirrels had managed to get up into the soffits. I have basically removed two nests so far. These are made up of fur, leaves and lots of shredded paper and plastic. My current theory is that the squirrels used these nests to insulate themselves from the sound of my ultrasonic transmitters (as well as the cold). I thought if I removed all the crap, then the squirrels would once again be unable to escape the noise.

Here’s what the nest looked like.

Nest

I got a nasty surprise in one the nests – the corpse of squirrel past almost knocked me off my ladder. Here’s what a mummified squirrel looks like:

Mummified squirrel

We’ve been fighting for a long time, but to get you up to speed, I though I’d just post a list of strategies and their decidely mixed results.

Strategy 1: The primitive approach

The first thing I tried – when I was naive – was just banging on the soffits with a broom. I figured if the squirrels didn’t feel safe, they wouldn’t stick around.

Result: No effect on the squirrels, but it drove me crazy running out on the porch with a broom to bang on the underside of the eaves. The neighbours began to suspect I was deranged. They’re wrong I tell you!

Strategy 2: Plug it up!

My next strategy was to try and stuff the holes around the soffits with wire wool (and plywood and spray foam) in order to keep them out.

Results: For a while it seemed like this worked, but the squirrels were back within a few weeks. As it turns out, the holes I was plugging were only the most convenient entrances and the squirrels could actually squeeze between the eves trough and the roof. 

Strategy 3: Psyops

Remember Waco? Apparently they used the sounds of a dentist drill and the slaughtering of rabbits to try and force David Koresh and his followers out of their compound. I thought this might work for me, so in the Fall I bought some ultrasound transmitters designed to discourage pests. These emit a highpitched sound that is barely audible to us, but apparently  really annoys squirrels and other rodents. I read a lot of online comments on these devices that basically said they are bunk – because the sound is directional, it is too easy for the squirrels (or rats) to avoid the noise by hiding behind objects or staying out of range. Although I wasn’t optimistic, I gave it a shot anyway.

Results: Surprisingly, this seemed to work… for a while. My theory was that these emitters worked in the soffits better than other applications because even though they are directional – the soffits are essentially long tubes under the eaves. I set up a transmitter at each corner of the house and given the shape of the space, there was no place for the squirrels to hide from the noise.

Unfortunately, the squirrels have recently returned. Time for a new strategy… stay tuned.