URGENT - Need help removing squirrel from sign

[mpetys]

Ok, this is a strange request but I need help / info ASAP. My husband is in the sign business and one of our customers has a nice, expensive, electronic sign that was reported out. About a year ago, it went out and when he went out to service it, found that squirrels had chewed the wiring inside the sign. He fixed the wiring and put a aluminum grating (like you would put on a screen door) over the area of the sign that the squirrel was getting in.

Fast forward to today. Same problem only this time when he arrived, a young squirrel (he thinks 3 months old) popped his head out of a hole in the aluminum grating. The squirrels had apparently chewed a hole in the grating! The sign is on a pole that is surrounded by a CONCRETE pole cover. The squirrels (momma and 2 babies) ran down the pole cover. He can hear them in there, running up and down. He needs to get them out. He is worried that if he cannot get them out, the sign owner may get them out by putting poison in there or something. Please note, the sign owner has not indicated they would do such a thing and at this point, I don't think they even know the squirrels are still in there. He was walking across the yard to my husband while we were talking.

So, HELP. If we leave the squirrels there, we don't know what will happen to them especially if they eat the wiring again and the sign goes out.

[mpetys]

I tend to be long winded and slow typing so I went ahead and posted what I had. This location is about a 2 hour drive from where we are at so it is not like my husband can hang around much. The sign is about 30 feet from some bushes and then a bit further out are some oak trees.

We want to suggest them letting us make a bunch of squirrel boxes to put in the trees surrounding the area the sign is in to help in the future.

Would one of those things they sell that plug in and are supposed to repel rodents, would that work for a squirrel? Just wondering if we could get something like that and plug in at the base of the sign to keep them away.

Please any advice or suggestions.

Michele

[mpetys]

Also, my husband is a beekeeper and he has his smoker with him and was wondering if it was possible if he drilled a small hole and blew smoke in there, if the squirrels would react as the bees do and think their "tree" was on "fire" and they need to get the "heck" out of there.

[mpetys]

Ok, well my husband just called. They have just left the site and left the squirrels in there. The sign owner said they were going to call a wildlife removal service to see if they could get them out. They were very adament that they would not want the squirrels killed or harmed. They could not allow that to happen and word get out. He said that even the trapper could not get them out, they will just pay my husband for more service calls and hopefully by summer they will be out. Gosh I don't have the heart to tell him how crazy our Florida squirrels are about dropping babies all year round!

I would still like any advice that you can share as we may still be dealing with this in future.

Thanks so much,

Michele

[mpetys]

I posted this in the emergency life threatening section cause I felt that it was life threatening in that I didn't want them killed or poisoned. Since that threat is off the table at this point, if ADMIN wants to move this threat to the non emergency section, I understand.

[JLM27]

Some sort of mild an unpleasant "tear gas"? Not really tear gas, but something stinky that won't hurt them and will dissipate in a short time. Then clap hardware cloth over whatever holes they made.

[mpetys]

Some sort of mild an unpleasant "tear gas"? Not really tear gas, but something stinky that won't hurt them and will dissipate in a short time. Then clap hardware cloth over whatever holes they made.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking with the smoker. Not enough to hurt them but enough to scare momma into thinking, "gotta get my babies out if here!"

I guess we will need to learn as much as possible so we are prepared next time. May still have to deal with the squirrels in this sign.

May have to call one of those wildlife trappers to get advice. We would never want to harm a squirrel and would always want to be able to steer the customer in the direction of causing no harm to the squirrel.

[CritterMom]

These aren't little babies, right - young adults with mom, right? Totally non-toxic is to buy a bottle of peppermint oil at a health food store and saturate a rag with it and stuff it in there - rodents don't like peppermint. If they are old enough to relocate on their own, you can use moth balls. They also hate that smell, but it is toxic if they can't get out. I would do the peppermint first.

Good customers, by the way!