need help with repelling squirrels!!!!

[Stndbck]

Hi- am in fact a squirrel lover.
However I am at my wits end in trying out how to keep them from nesting in my engine compartment of my truck. Today when going out to go shopping we noticed sticks under the truck, my husband opened the hood to find that a pretty good sized nest was made right smack dab in the center of the engine. Luckily no one was in it. The squirrel ate my spark plug wires and the hood liner to pieces so this is going to be a costly repair on my part!!!
I had used the truck on Friday and by this morning, Sunday, this happened.
I certainly do not want to have it happen again. Is there any sure way to deter them from doing it again??? I own a sports car which is also threatened as I do not drive it much during the winter, and it is covered.
I do not want to hurt any of my furry friends but certainly do not want this to be a repeat... You all know what they like, WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT DON'T THEY LIKE??? ANYTHING TO KEEP THEM AWAY???
I do not feed them, do not have a cat or dog. We live in a rural area and have lots of trees....therefore, lots of squirrels around, except when the hawk comes to visit.
HELP!!!

Sandy

[Sissy]

Hi Sandi, you have come to the right place for answers. I'm sorry to hear you are having problems with the fuzzys. Maybe if you put up some nest boxes in some trees close by they will take to them instead of your truck engine. Put out some nuts by the nest boxes too, so they will have something to eat. They are wonderful but they can cause problems too. I'm sure more people will be along soon to give you some more great ideas about what to do.
:Welcome to TSB!

[skwerls_R_soft]

I have heard that ferret urine will deter squirrels. A local pest-control guy I know uses it on cotton balls and places them in spaces where squirrels have nested in houses (attics, etc) and swears it sends them packing. He gets the used litter from ferret cages at the pet store.

Maybe get some from your local pet store and seal it in a bag with a towel and let it marinate for a day or so. Then place the towel under the truck or wherever you think might be the fuzzer's point of entry.


We're all real good at attracting squirrels, but not so sure how good we are at deterring them :dono

[thundersquirrel]

my guess is that a pregnant female, possibly a first timer, is looking for a nest site and can't compete with the more dominant squirrels in the area.

i assume you don't have a garage.

do you know the entry they used to get inside the car? i know there's pastes and liquids that keep squirrels and rodents away, i just can't recall the name of any. i'm sure someone with a better memory will be here soon. :)

watch your car closely. try to figure out the squirrel that likes it- it's probably only one squirrel, but you need to get her away before she has her babies in your engine. :shakehead

[island rehabber]

Rags soaked with ammonia are a good deterrent -- stuff them in all the openings where the squirrel could be getting in.

[TexanSquirrel]

:osnap

Glad no one was home at the time!

Sounds like you're going to have to pee on your car to keep the squirrels away. o.O

[Apple Corps]

I would agree with placing a few nest boxes in the area. Do you need any help on where to purchase them or the building plans?

The lil fuzzer is probably desperate for a home - especiall since it is winter!!!

Thanks so much for caring - they are really special lil creatures mjs

[Sciurus1]

As an alternative to peeing on your car, may I suggest to use WHITE VINEGAR! It works well to let a Squirrel know this territory is taken. I had a friend use it as a perimeter barrier to keep her chipmunks from crossing over it to her car, and it WORKED! Of course it doesn't last very long, but then again it can't hurt the squirrel either.

[4skwerlz]

Are you sure it isn't mice nesting in your truck? When we lived in the country, they made nests on the engine compartment (and even in the glove compartment). How big was the nest?

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Good point, 4S. I don't think a squirrel would build a nest so low to the ground.

However, putting up a nestbox nearby would be a good idea either way. Somebody is likely to move in and enjoy it, and you get to watch it coming and going.

Wildlife in general don't like loud noise, so you could try leaving a radio playing in the front seat, as well as some moth balls placed around the vehicle.

[Mrs. Jack]

The critters go up through the wheel wells. there's a lot of ways to get up under and in on a vehicle, remember the feast of shells in my engine :p and if you drive it frequently, it's not easy to put rags or whatnot that you have to remove every time you drive. It could also be chipmunks, my parents have a heck of a time with chippies who want to live in their motorhome engine.

I park under cover, but not in a garage. In warmer weather I just left the damn hood up, and in colder weather I put my bright flashlight on in there. both seemed to do the trick.

[PBluejay2]

Are you sure it isn't mice nesting in your truck? When we lived in the country, they made nests on the engine compartment (and even in the glove compartment). How big was the nest?


I agree--mice or rats. I once blamed squirrel for doing the same thing in the engine compartment of my old truck. Turned out to be rats (I didn't see them because they are more nocturnal), but after another set of plug wires, I saw the culprit one day and had to apologize to the squirrels. They all said "We like to get high, dummy! We wouldn't want your old truck anyway!" I've never seen a squirrel nest (except ground, of course, so low).

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

::hand raising::me, too..
had truck n wire damage.on my 05 Dodge Durango...it was a field mouse...CHEWED through my truck wires..did 400.00 bucks worth of damage..OUCH..I ended up catching her.babies..kept them in an aquarium....."TREE hugger"..lol
Sorry..no, help..for you..just a good laugh.for..you..sorry..:thumbsup

[susanw]

I have also heard that mothballs would work, like the rest of us they hate the smell.:)

[Stndbck]

Could not drive the truck because of the chewed wires, so I had to use my car for work. I came home around 5pm, and checked the truck and found that the animal had been there again. Lots of leaves, and sticks but looked like it did not eat anything. This means it was in there during the day, as I left for work at 7:) AM and came home about 5:30Pm.
Went out and got a bunch of mothballs and amonia while my husband cleaned the mess yet again and also used engine cleaner to try to get rid of any scent in there. ( it is not exactly work on your car outside weather here in NJ). We are trying the mothballs tied up in pantyhose for today.
We do not have a garage, so I have to figure something out. My next step is to get a live trap and try to catch the bugger & relocate it.
Sure wish there was an easy fix for this. I am off today but sure don't feel like wanting to sit he watching out the window for the fuzzie to show up.
I am pretty sure it is a squirrel, since we have so many in our yard.

[nubbynicksmom]

I agree it could be a mouse or rat. A child in my daughter class was late for school and her mother said, so embarrassed, they found a nest of baby rats in her daughters dresser drawer! :dono We are also in a rural area, in Florida so it is warm, all our squirrels are high in the Oaks right now. Try the repellants suggested, sounds like the way to go for either.

[Stndbck]

Definately a squirrel, I saw her today.... she did not seem to like the mothballs. I got 2 live traps from a farmer friend, and have put them out. Trying some peanut butter as a bait mixed with some hamster food. Hoping I will have some luck! Cross your fingers!

[Apple Corps]

Stndbck - if you do trap the lil fuzzer please be sure to contact one of the rehabbers here to help with a release. Putting her out in a strange area in cold winter weather could be a death sentence.

We are here to help & thanks again mjs

[4skwerlz]

Definately a squirrel, I saw her today.... she did not seem to like the mothballs. I got 2 live traps from a farmer friend, and have put them out. Trying some peanut butter as a bait mixed with some hamster food. Hoping I will have some luck! Cross your fingers!

If you trap her, then what? If you release her in a new area, she won't have a nest or any food stores and she will probably die. Rather than letting her freeze or starve to death, it would be kinder to shoot her.

Try leaving the hood up. Squirrels will only nest in enclosed areas.

[cbell]

Go to Walmart and get a Tea Ball, put some cotton balls in it and at the sporting goods section get a bottle of Fox Urine and pour it on the cotten ball and hang it in the area under the hood were its nesting .

we do this in our parks to keep mice, squirrels, from nesting in the attic in the bathrooms and as a goose repelant on our beaches

[Stndbck]

Mothballs seem to be doing the trick. My yard smells like my grandmothers attic but, no nests!
Have 2 traps set but haven't caught anything. Perhaps the mothballs are doing the trick.
Thanks for all the tips, and If I do catch her I will be sure to contact someone about the release. I don't want to kill it.
Poor thing is just trying to survive.
As you can see from my posts, I had mixed the peanut butter with some hamster food... which my 3 hamsters donated for the project.
My hams are the most spoiled pets that I know. Kind of like a squirrel, minus the fuzzy tail ! !

[Mrs. Jack]

continued good luck! It would be best for all if they just made their nests elsewhere, rather than catch and release. You could put up some nest boxes to encourage activity far from your vehicles :D
I have a mouse, and she's doted on too, and I also think of her as a little squirrel, the way they use their little hands, love the little critters. :D feel free to hang around and stay with us.. show us some pics of your spoiled hamsters and talk about your yard squirrels!

[Apple Corps]

Has anybody mentioned the most powerful squirrel repellant known ?

Rodent Block

[Stndbck]

no, but could you enlighten me on that?:thankyou

[Lady Squirrelly]

OK AC you know they all LOVE it.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Apple Corps]

no, but could you enlighten me on that?:thankyou

Sorry - kind of an inside joke :D Rodent block is a well balanced, healthy food for rodents - including squirrels. Several of us have tried feeding it to free in the trees squirrels and they AVOID getting near it - like plutonium waste or something :jump :jump

[Squirrellie]

Where in NJ are you? I know of some places around here that might be able to help with the release.

[Stndbck]

Still no luck with the trap and the mothballs seem to be working.
Perhaps she has moved on to another vehicle someplace else!!
A friend suggested putting a "no vacancy" sign on my trucks and cars!!!
That is pretty funny about the rodent block... who would think they would not eat it? I feed Mazuri block to my hams in addition to their seed mix.
I want to thank everyone for their help and suggestions in repelling the fuzzies from my engine.
Will contact you if I have any luck in trapping.

mjs

[squirbymomma]

I hear cayenne pepper in a spray bottle or just sprinkled deters raccoons im sure any mammal would not like it and it is cheap and non stinky to humans? maybe that will keep em away

[Bravo]

Good answer squirbymomma... and I won't tell anyone that the last post in this thread was in 2008. ;) Sakes, here I thought Mrs. J and others were making a comeback. :thumbsup