Squirrel intruder!
July 13, 2011 7:00 PM Subscribe
A squirrel chewed through the window screen and broke into our apartment. How can we live with the windows open again?
A couple days ago I caught a squirrel trying to claw through the window screen into our kitchen. I chased it away. Today I came home from work to this scene. Upon further investigation, I found a squirrel sized hole in the window screen. I assume the squirrel landed on the counter, knocked down the knives, freaked out, and climbed back outside through the hole in the screen. We've searched the apartment and thankfully found no other evidence of critter mischief.
We're obviously getting the window screen replaced, but how do we prevent the squirrel from making another break in? Will it try the other windows? We have tons of windows and it is a hot summer, so keeping all of them shut is not an option. There are no birdfeeders or animal food nearby, just potted plants three stories up on the roof that are also being terrorized by squirrels. Our landlord doesn't allow pets, so we can't have an attack dog or cat at the ready.
Any advice/anecdotes/support appreciated.
A couple days ago I caught a squirrel trying to claw through the window screen into our kitchen. I chased it away. Today I came home from work to this scene. Upon further investigation, I found a squirrel sized hole in the window screen. I assume the squirrel landed on the counter, knocked down the knives, freaked out, and climbed back outside through the hole in the screen. We've searched the apartment and thankfully found no other evidence of critter mischief.
We're obviously getting the window screen replaced, but how do we prevent the squirrel from making another break in? Will it try the other windows? We have tons of windows and it is a hot summer, so keeping all of them shut is not an option. There are no birdfeeders or animal food nearby, just potted plants three stories up on the roof that are also being terrorized by squirrels. Our landlord doesn't allow pets, so we can't have an attack dog or cat at the ready.
Any advice/anecdotes/support appreciated.
Could you get Tiger Wire screens or similar? I have no personal experience with these, but they're supposed to be very heavy-duty/animal-proof.
Maybe in the meantime hang some jingle bells on the screens with ornament hooks? The sound could scare them away, at least temporarily.
Good luck! Those squirrels sound crazy bold!
posted by dayintoday at 7:11 PM on July 13, 2011
Maybe in the meantime hang some jingle bells on the screens with ornament hooks? The sound could scare them away, at least temporarily.
Good luck! Those squirrels sound crazy bold!
posted by dayintoday at 7:11 PM on July 13, 2011
Best answer: We had nearly the exactly same problem, with a squirrel who chewed through part of the window screen but thankfully didn't chew enough to get through. Friends who garden told us that they sprinkle their garden with chili powder to keep the squirrels away. My husband doubled that by spraying Sriracha sauce all over our window screen. So far, no squirrels.
posted by pised at 7:18 PM on July 13, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by pised at 7:18 PM on July 13, 2011 [4 favorites]
You might also have a neighbor that is feeding them. My aunt fed them and thought they were so cute until she returned from vacation to find her kitchen trashed when the squirrels broke in for their expected feeding.
posted by effluvia at 7:19 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by effluvia at 7:19 PM on July 13, 2011
On how the squirrel got up to your window: it looks like your exterior walls are nice, rough-faced brick with deep channels where the mortar is? I'll bet the little beastie isn't using a tree, he's just 'walking' right up the wall --- for a squirrel, that kind of wall is a perfect ladder, no trees needed.
posted by easily confused at 7:45 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by easily confused at 7:45 PM on July 13, 2011
Response by poster: Oh, there are definitely climbing-friendly bricks and proximate trees to jump from... How the squirrel got to our window is no mystery. I had contemplated using sriracha - good to know I'm not the only one!
posted by Maarika at 8:18 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by Maarika at 8:18 PM on July 13, 2011
I had problems with squirrels digging up one of my outdoor planters, and managed to thwart them by making a sort of plant-cage out of hardware cloth. It's like bigger, badder window screening material and can usually be found for relatively cheap at most hardware stores. I could conceivably see maybe making some partial window-screen covers out of it, maybe not large enough to cover the WHOLE window, but enough so that you could open them enough to get some airflow. Just be careful if you go that route as the cut edges of hardware cloth can be rather pokey. But unless you're beset with mutant iron-toothed squirrels it ought to keep them out.
posted by aecorwin at 8:37 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by aecorwin at 8:37 PM on July 13, 2011
Oh and I should add that I have FOUR (indoor, unless leashed) cats who regularly stare at the squirrels in the yard and parade around in front of the windows, etc. The squirrels just laugh. So even if you had permission to get a pet it wouldn't necessarily ward off the breaking-and-entering rodent population.
posted by aecorwin at 8:40 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by aecorwin at 8:40 PM on July 13, 2011
I have a lovely and very feisty foster cat who could certainly help you frighten squirrels. She has one eye. One piercing eye. She loves to chase things.
Seriously, a cat or two would help -- if you've been on the fence about bringing cats home.
posted by amtho at 9:06 PM on July 13, 2011
Seriously, a cat or two would help -- if you've been on the fence about bringing cats home.
posted by amtho at 9:06 PM on July 13, 2011
On reflection (and non-preview) -- yes, we had a sweet gentle older cat with minimal prey drive who sort of helped us corner a squirrel in our house once. A more, well, predatory cat is what you want.
posted by amtho at 9:07 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by amtho at 9:07 PM on July 13, 2011
i asked this a while back, adn the hardware cloth works wonders
posted by PinkMoose at 9:13 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by PinkMoose at 9:13 PM on July 13, 2011
The OP says pets aren't allowed.
I don't know if they'd work with squirrels, but your local garden center might have those shiny, fluttery silver mylar strips that are supposed to scare away birds. Or maybe try putting aluminum flashing on the outside of the sills - it might make them too slippery for the squirrels.
posted by rtha at 9:14 PM on July 13, 2011
I don't know if they'd work with squirrels, but your local garden center might have those shiny, fluttery silver mylar strips that are supposed to scare away birds. Or maybe try putting aluminum flashing on the outside of the sills - it might make them too slippery for the squirrels.
posted by rtha at 9:14 PM on July 13, 2011
Hmm. Looking more closely at your second photo, I don't know how you'd attach the flashing to the nice, climbable brick along the sides. So maybe not that.
posted by rtha at 9:24 PM on July 13, 2011
posted by rtha at 9:24 PM on July 13, 2011
Best answer: Strategic placement of lion dung might do the trick. Not sure if it's effective against squirrels but it could be worth a try.
If don't have access to a lion, you can buy the dung in dried form. Silent Roar is one brand name.
posted by run"monty at 4:19 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
If don't have access to a lion, you can buy the dung in dried form. Silent Roar is one brand name.
posted by run"monty at 4:19 AM on July 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I had this problem with a rat that chewed through a ground-level window screen. Problem solved by buying very fine-mesh steel window screens; they are slightly shiny but completely impervious to any kind of rodent.
posted by Atrahasis at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2011
posted by Atrahasis at 10:19 AM on July 14, 2011
Response by poster: Final squirrel update: landlord replaced the screen, and we've been keeping that window closed during the day. The guy at the hardware store said to get fox or coyote urine from a sporting good store, but we haven't seriously pursued that yet (note: he also said that "cayenne pepper doesn't work for crap").
A neighbor suggested that perhaps squirrels are attracted to shiny things, such as the knives drying on the adjacent counter. I think there may be some truth in this, although despite keeping the shiny things covered, the squirrel still mocks me from the window sill. I'm going to pour some sriracha on the sill tonight.
posted by Maarika at 6:28 PM on July 26, 2011
A neighbor suggested that perhaps squirrels are attracted to shiny things, such as the knives drying on the adjacent counter. I think there may be some truth in this, although despite keeping the shiny things covered, the squirrel still mocks me from the window sill. I'm going to pour some sriracha on the sill tonight.
posted by Maarika at 6:28 PM on July 26, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sugarfish at 7:11 PM on July 13, 2011 [3 favorites]