On 5/1/17 8:05 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 16:35:17 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


I'm afraid my wife puts food out at the edge of the woods for the
squirrels in squirrel feeders. When my sister in law visited, she
commented that we had "the biggest squirrels" she had ever seen. I have
to agree. We don't shoot critters around here.

Do you have regular old gray squirrels or do you have the giant red
fox squirrels. The ones in the Big Cypress can get up to 3 pounds or
so.


Plain old ordinary squirrels.

On 5/2/2017 6:07 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 5/1/17 8:05 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 16:35:17 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


I'm afraid my wife puts food out at the edge of the woods for the
squirrels in squirrel feeders. When my sister in law visited, she
commented that we had "the biggest squirrels" she had ever seen. I have
to agree. We don't shoot critters around here.

Do you have regular old gray squirrels or do you have the giant red
fox squirrels. The ones in the Big Cypress can get up to 3 pounds or
so.


Plain old ordinary squirrels.


The squirrels that set up residence in the attic of our house were red,
but they were smaller than the ordinary grey squirrels. I'd say they
were slightly larger than a fat chipmunk. They were also a pain in the
ass to get rid of. I bought a trap and at one point was catching 6 or 7
a day in it or so I thought I was. My mistake was in taking them
outside and releasing them, first out in the woods near the house, then
a mile away, then a couple of miles away. I found out that they are
notorious for returning to the the nice, warm house they had discovered.
I also found out that catching them and releasing them somewhere else
is illegal. I finally talked to an exterminator who we used annually
to spray for bugs and who also got rid of some bats that set up
residence at one time. He told me that what I was doing (trapping them)
was the right way to catch them versus setting poison traps but
unfortunately the only way to prevent them from returning was to kill
them. He recommended a large bucket of water that the whole trap could
be submerged in as the means of execution. It was disturbing at first
but they would drown in about 10 seconds. Only took two or three days
and no more little red squirrels in the house. I thought it was
infested with them but in reality there were only about 4-5. They just
had been returning faster than I could catch and release them.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:45:13 -0400, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 5/2/2017 6:07 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 5/1/17 8:05 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 16:35:17 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


I'm afraid my wife puts food out at the edge of the woods for the
squirrels in squirrel feeders. When my sister in law visited, she
commented that we had "the biggest squirrels" she had ever seen. I have
to agree. We don't shoot critters around here.

Do you have regular old gray squirrels or do you have the giant red
fox squirrels. The ones in the Big Cypress can get up to 3 pounds or
so.


Plain old ordinary squirrels.


The squirrels that set up residence in the attic of our house were red,
but they were smaller than the ordinary grey squirrels. I'd say they
were slightly larger than a fat chipmunk. They were also a pain in the
ass to get rid of. I bought a trap and at one point was catching 6 or 7
a day in it or so I thought I was. My mistake was in taking them
outside and releasing them, first out in the woods near the house, then
a mile away, then a couple of miles away. I found out that they are
notorious for returning to the the nice, warm house they had discovered.
I also found out that catching them and releasing them somewhere else
is illegal. I finally talked to an exterminator who we used annually
to spray for bugs and who also got rid of some bats that set up
residence at one time. He told me that what I was doing (trapping them)
was the right way to catch them versus setting poison traps but
unfortunately the only way to prevent them from returning was to kill
them. He recommended a large bucket of water that the whole trap could
be submerged in as the means of execution. It was disturbing at first
but they would drown in about 10 seconds. Only took two or three days
and no more little red squirrels in the house. I thought it was
infested with them but in reality there were only about 4-5. They just
had been returning faster than I could catch and release them.

I read somewhere that chipmunks will return from up to seven miles away. Some guy had spray painted
white dots on the backs of a few he released.

On Tue, 2 May 2017 07:45:13 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


The squirrels that set up residence in the attic of our house were red,
but they were smaller than the ordinary grey squirrels. I'd say they
were slightly larger than a fat chipmunk. They were also a pain in the
ass to get rid of. I bought a trap and at one point was catching 6 or 7
a day in it or so I thought I was. My mistake was in taking them
outside and releasing them, first out in the woods near the house, then
a mile away, then a couple of miles away. I found out that they are
notorious for returning to the the nice, warm house they had discovered.
I also found out that catching them and releasing them somewhere else
is illegal. I finally talked to an exterminator who we used annually
to spray for bugs and who also got rid of some bats that set up
residence at one time. He told me that what I was doing (trapping them)
was the right way to catch them versus setting poison traps but
unfortunately the only way to prevent them from returning was to kill
them. He recommended a large bucket of water that the whole trap could
be submerged in as the means of execution. It was disturbing at first
but they would drown in about 10 seconds. Only took two or three days
and no more little red squirrels in the house. I thought it was
infested with them but in reality there were only about 4-5. They just
had been returning faster than I could catch and release them.

Until you find and plug the holes, trapping only makes you feel like
you are doing something. Squirrels and roof rats will leave a scent
trail and they will attract more through whatever hole they have
chewed or simply found.
Usually rats (bushy tail or otherwise) chew the hole out and they
originally got in another way. Once they establish a hole, it attracts
more.

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 5/2/2017 6:07 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 5/1/17 8:05 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 1 May 2017 16:35:17 -0400, Keyser Soze wrote:


I'm afraid my wife puts food out at the edge of the woods for the
squirrels in squirrel feeders. When my sister in law visited, she
commented that we had "the biggest squirrels" she had ever seen. I have
to agree. We don't shoot critters around here.

Do you have regular old gray squirrels or do you have the giant red
fox squirrels. The ones in the Big Cypress can get up to 3 pounds or
so.


Plain old ordinary squirrels.


The squirrels that set up residence in the attic of our house were red,
but they were smaller than the ordinary grey squirrels. I'd say they
were slightly larger than a fat chipmunk. They were also a pain in the
ass to get rid of. I bought a trap and at one point was catching 6 or 7
a day in it or so I thought I was. My mistake was in taking them
outside and releasing them, first out in the woods near the house, then
a mile away, then a couple of miles away. I found out that they are
notorious for returning to the the nice, warm house they had discovered.
I also found out that catching them and releasing them somewhere else
is illegal. I finally talked to an exterminator who we used annually
to spray for bugs and who also got rid of some bats that set up
residence at one time. He told me that what I was doing (trapping them)
was the right way to catch them versus setting poison traps but
unfortunately the only way to prevent them from returning was to kill
them. He recommended a large bucket of water that the whole trap could
be submerged in as the means of execution. It was disturbing at first
but they would drown in about 10 seconds. Only took two or three days
and no more little red squirrels in the house. I thought it was
infested with them but in reality there were only about 4-5. They just
had been returning faster than I could catch and release them.



Red fox squirrels are not native to California, but years ago, someone
released some here. Very aggressive and have run the large California Grey
Squirrel out of at least the Bay Area. We have a bunch that visit the yard
for the bird feeder. But unlike the Roof Rats, they stay out of the house
and live in the palm tree.