(I should warn you that this entry has nothing to do with Cozy Mysteries. )
Those of you who have been with me for a while might remember that my computer desk used to be upstairs. When our 16+ year old puppy (Sprite) got to an age where she could no longer maneuver the steps, I had my husband and son bring my computer downstairs and put it in our guest bedroom. Sprite could no longer jump onto the beds, but she did enjoy laying on them. She had spent her entire life following me everywhere, so I decided that it would be nice for her to be able to lay on the spare bed >>> right by my computer chair. Sprite seemed to enjoy being a girl of leisure while still being able to keep an eye on me.
After Sprite left us, rather than move my computer upstairs again I had them move my computer out to the kitchen. (It sure is more convenient on clothes-washing day!) But for some incredible reason I had them place my computer toward the wall. I thought it would look awkward/clumsy to have it in front of one of the windows. So, every time I wanted to look outside I would have to turn 125°.
It took me a while, but I finally wised-up and had them move my computer in front of the window, so I can enjoy the back yard: watching the birds jostling for the most advantageous perches at the feeders and also watching as the squirrels jumped up on the large bird bath. We even had outdoor cats using our bird bath. It was a lot of fun.
Until…
We had a squirrel chew a hole into our roof and take up residence in our attic. Thank goodness it was a male squirrel, as having a nest up there would have been awful. Apparently his “apartment” was between the walls, since he didn’t venture into the rest of the attic. It was time to get all of our yard’s squirrels to pack up and move to other areas in our neighborhood. I got rid of the big seed bird feeders and changed to the little feeders with tiny little thistle seeds for the Goldfinches. I missed having the bigger birds in our yard when we changed to the Goldfinch seeds, however we soon found that we couldn’t even have those types of feeders. Those pesky squirrels loved scrounging around on the ground for the thistle that the Goldfinches had dropped. In the mean time, we had our fourth repair done to our roof that those doggone squirrels caused.
Now I have a Hummingbird feeder that I enjoy watching during the months they’re in town, and a hanging bird bath, which the squirrels don’t have access to. I feel like a real mean-y but enough is enough! I would love to be able to have the birds back in the yard, but we simply can’t have any more squirrels. They do too much damage to our house.
Do you have any visiting outdoor animals >>> either the good kind like little hummingbirds or the bad kind like squirrels who chew through your wooden walls? If you had a problem animal, how did you solve your problem?
Susan* says
We don’t have squirrels here (Probably why I think they’re cute! Lol!) but where I used to live we had possums in the roof, instead.
The way we kept them out was to scatter mothballs (camphor) through the ceiling – roof areas. Apparently they hate the smell.
Do you think this might work for squirrels too? It might be worth a try. (As long as you have some form of insulation, you can ‘not’ smell it in the house, btw.)
Rob says
Well, I think squirrels are cute to look at but if one takes up residence like they did when Sprite went home, you don’t need that in your roof!
I was blessed to have had for almost 11 years, a squirrel killing machine in the form of a Jack (in this case, Jill) Russell terrier named Abigail (Abby for short) that was literally death to whatever she could catch. Needless to say, we didn’t have a squirrel problem, anywhere! (they -the squirrels-called her “Jaws”.)
Now, I don’t leave food out but take the duck and goose food to the creek to feed them and they don’t linger outside my home. I’m in a mobile home village which I love but I thinking taking the food to the creatures I want to feed solves the problem!
Hope this helps. I help a neighbor feed her adopted Canadian goose that got orphaned last winter when she was injured. Her name is Canada (go figure) and they’ve adopted her and I am one of the “family” so I share the expense of getting duck and goose food to give her.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rob, we didn’t put the bird feeders out until Sprite was gone. Whenever there were squirrels taunting her, she had no idea what to do other than stand at the bottom of the tree they were in. Nothing like your Abby! It sounds like she kept your yard squirrel-free!
How neat that you have a creek where you can fee the ducks and geese! I saw a show about Canadian Geese, and wonder if Canada will ever go away. I sort of remember that they become very attatched…
Jackie J. Griffey says
Dear Danna and all: I worked in the insurance business more than 20 years and one of my series is an “insurance series” LOL. VARMINT covers the problems that aren’t and are covered by the little bushy tailed beasts, be sure and check with your agent on anything you need to ask questions about.
Jackie Griffey
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Jackie, it never occurred to me that an insurance policy would cover squirrel-related damage!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan*, yikes! Possums are a whole lot bigger than squirrels!
I agree that squirrels look cute, until you imagine them without their bushy tails >>> and then they just look like the rodents they are! Until they started damaging our house, I thought they were cute, little bushy-tailed animals.
Marja says
Alas, I had a bird-feeder, supposedly squirrel-proof, and had lovely cardinals and titmice and chickadees, et. al, visiting. But one squirrel could eat 1/3 of the seed in one day.
So, I put shell peanuts out, 20 yards away from my bird feeder, hoping that would satisfy the squirrels.
No joy. The squirrels happily dined on the peanuts and joined the birds as well.
I couldn’t afford that any more so have not filled my bird feeder for ages. I miss seeing them, but the squirrels just made me angry. Squirrels are kinda cute, but they make me really angry, taking food from the birds along with the peanuts I especially left for the squirrels … I just. Had. to stop. feeding anybody. 🙁
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Marja, our bird feeders were squirrel-proof, but still the squirrels congregated under the feeders to feed. We loved putting the shell peanuts out for the Bluejays. They have a method of picking all the peanuts up before they choose the heaviest one. It was so much fun to watch >>> until those pesky squirrels finally learned there were peanuts on the ground and they scared the Bluejays off.
It sounds like you have had to stop enjoying the birds, also, because of those doggone squirrels. I wouldn’t mind feeding them if they would stop feeding on our house!
Sandy says
Good story. We live in Minnesota back in the woods on a lake. We have black bears who love to tear down feeders and eat anything that comes down. Finally foiled them by using large 6 inch round pvc pipe as our pole and putting it up at 7-8 feet high. Husband drilled holes for the pipes to go thru as arms (made a t with 2 pipes) I can now hang 10 feeders at once. The SQ’s cannot get up, bears have tried to push it over but its sunk in a hole with cement, raccoons cannot climb so we now have every bird imaginable at our feeders. Needless to say it cost more to feed than our grocery bill. The SQ’s have tried jumping from the roof but they land -hard- on the ground, they usually just lay there for a few minutes before getting up-must knock the wind out of them. That’s my story. Love your cozy mystery site-thanks so much.
Rob says
Love it, Sandy. Thanks for sharing. That’s a great solution. Do you use wild bird feed with black oil seeds? Dad and I have cardinals that like the wild bird mix and we do feed birds in the fall but we take it out a ways in the woods and leave suet cakes for them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sandy, oh my gosh! Black bears in my back yard would scare me! Your husband’s solution sounds great! You must have a wonderful time watching all of the different types of birds in your yard. Boy, I miss that!
(Also, I’m glad you enjoy the Cozy Mystery site!)
reginav says
Danna We are having an invasion of wild animals or rather i should say these animals are reclaiming their territory. WE always had deer, but now we have coyotes and rumor hath it that a bear and bobcat have been seen in quiet suburban town. When we eat on our porch, we always saw rabbits, chipmunks and cats. This year nada not an animal to be in view, but we have seen a coyote.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, yep >>> now that all of your rabbits, chipmunks, and cats are gone from view, it sounds like your area is returning to its natural habitat! I’m guessing your son doesn’t leave his Basset Hound outside unattended…
Alfred says
Danna what we have out here is possums and raccoons that run wild. I know of somebody that has cats outside and they love to come and eat the dry cat food they put out not a good idea. Also they have been known to crawl thru the pet door to get at the food inside your house as well. Now for possums they like fig trees and palm trees to roost in. We have a neighbor that has put sheet metal around the trunk of their palm tree from where your house gutters are so that the possums won’t climb up the trunk. There was also an item about a 4 year old boy being attacked on a walking trail by a mountain lion on Mt Diablo. He is doing ok but they finally caught the mountain lion and took care of it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Alfred, I have heard about wild animals coming in doors intended for pets. I’ll bet you can’t let your puppies outside unattended. I have heard that raccoons can be fierce!
SandyT says
Thanks to the black bears and raccoons, the birds now have to dine on wild berries and the bugs outside. We do keep water in the bird bath for them and the crows occasionally let them use it. We had had sightings of cougars also. Must be the strange weather conditions and the fires. A window to the outside is nice, even without many birds.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
SandyT, isn’t a shame that the other animals ruin it for our birds? You’re right about having a window accessible to look out, but I do miss my birds! I especially miss the fledglings hip-hopping all over the place.
Louise says
For many years I have used this simple method to keep pests out of the roof cavity. It is basically the same as Susan mentioned. If you have vents to allow hot air to escape then this method will not be very effective. Open two or three boxes of naphthalene flakes and place them inside the roof cavity. Just inside the manhole will do. Close together is fine. The boxes or jars must be well and truly open. As the sun warms the roof the heat causes the naphthalene to evaporate creating a gas that will permeate the entire roof cavity. The insects, beetles, birds, and rodents do not like the smell of this gas and they will leave and not return. You do not have to deal with dead animals because the animals leave of their own free will. It is completely humane. Replace the boxes every year. If you are a smoker then this method is not suitable because the chemicals in cigarette smoke and the chemicals in naphthalene interact and you will get very sick. Another reason to avoid smoking!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Louise, we have vents in our attic, since it gets so hot down here in San Antonio. However, your tip looks like it would work for lots of people in cooler climates.
This sounds like something Agatha Christie could have used in one of her mysteries! Back then almost everyone smoked. What a terrible way to die!
Anne says
Well, in Britain we don’t have exotic animals such as black bears and possums (although I’ve seen possums living in the trees in my Australian cousins’ houses.)Probably the most exotic animals are the Llamas that Welsh farmers put in among the sheep to guard them but we certainly have squirrels red and grey. Deer can be a problem as they eat everything in sight and I once had a fieldmouse get into my kitchen and chew through everything, literally everything, until I got it into a jam jar and put it out. Sometimes the local bull can be a problem – I knew a man who was taking a bath in his bungalow when the neighbour’s bad tempered bull shoved it’s head through his window – which was closed!
He became the only “streaker” the village ever saw!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, that is really interesting about the llamas guarding the sheep. I wonder why that is?
Good thing your fieldmouse didn’t know the way back into your house!
Susan* says
Apparently having llamas guarding your sheep is a well-known thing. Donna Andrews uses it in the Meg Langslow mysteries.
I’m pretty sure she explains it, there, but I can’t remember the details, now. (Try ‘The Penguin Who Knew Too Much’. I think that’s where the llamas first appear.)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan*, I just looked up some information about guard llamas, and apparently they not only make a loud noise when intruders show up, but they also are fearless about running toward (and even attacking) the animal rummaging about trying to get a free meal.
Anne says
They put the Llama in with the sheep when they are young and they grow up thinking they are also a sheep – apparently!
As for the fieldmouse, Danna, I never saw it again; perhaps it didn’t like my brand of rubber gloves and pan scrubs, but it was probably just not it’s habitat. They are very shy, not like a house mouse.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, I remember my sister telling me she saw a mouse in her house years ago. She wouldn’t put traps down or poison because of her dog. It must have been a “house mouse” because it was not at all shy about letting her see it. This mouse was brazen enough to run across the kitchen floor while she was in the kitchen. I don’t know how she finally got rid of it, but she did.
Nanc says
I love your farmer taking a bath story…gave us a good laugh picturing it. We had a dairy farm in Wisconsin. One early am about 3 we got a call from a neighbor saying as she turned over in bed she came face to face with one of our jersey cows looking in her window and she was greeted with a big mooooo!
Needless to say we had an early am that day herding them back to the barn just in time to milk at 6.
As anyone familiar with cows definitely knows … they like that freedom☺️
Those SQs are our cross to bear ..we miss our birds too
Anne says
Cows are really nosy. Sheep always run away but cows always come crowding round to see what you are up to. Can be un-nerving sometimes.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, your response about cows being nosy reminded me of this very curious video of cows chasing (and I mean that literally!!!) a remote control car:
The first time I watched it, I was truly amazed! (It’s called The Great Remote Roundup by Darran & Frazer Leal.)
Nanc says
Yes,was very unnerving when had to get them going back towards the barn.
I was the most help in the truck keeping them from crossing the road…..my favorite place to be then.
Watched too many western movie stampedes when young.
Linda says
Here in New Braunfels it’s the deer. They seem to have the idea that anything I plant is purely for their enjoyment. I’ve learned the hard way I can only plant deer-resistant plants – and there aren’t many of those! 🙂
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda, but deer are so neat to watch! We have an area not too far from our home (Hollywood Park) that is inundated with deer. Sometimes I just drive through there really slowly so I can see them. It’s a lot easier than going to the zoo!
Diane says
I have a bird feeder outside our big bathroom window, and you can imagine my surprise when a big rat craweled into it, ate all seed,gave me a toothy grin and ran away. I was previously soaking in the tub and enjoying the little birds when this monster showed up. He gets past everything. Any suggestions?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Diane, oh my gosh! Our bird feeders were entirely squirrel-proof >>> except for the seeds that the birds dropped to the ground. I don’t have any suggestions, other than to get a good squirrel-proof (and rat!) bird feeder, or to take the doggone thing down. The last thing you need is a rat roaming around your house!