Squirrels in the attic...
 

I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic this
afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!
Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to get
it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve

Squirrels in the attic...
 

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:38:15 -0500, "Steve"
wrote:

I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic this
afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!

Yes, sir.

Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to get
it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve

Be sure to carrry a key in this situation, so the next time the
squirrel locks you in, you'll be able to get out.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

Steve wrote:
I'm an idiot!

Steve 1
Squirrel 1


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Squirrels in the attic...
 

In article , mm wrote:
On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:38:15 -0500, "Steve"
wrote:

I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic this
afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!

Yes, sir.

Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to get
it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve

Be sure to carrry a key in this situation, so the next time the
squirrel locks you in, you'll be able to get out.

And along the same lines... better carry a shotgun too.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Squirrels in the attic...
 

"Steve" wrote in message
. ..
I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic this
afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!
Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to
get
it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve

My Hav-a-hart locks when it trips but I guess upending could unlatch it.
Most animals I've trapped are docile in the trap but some go berserk. Last
raccoon I transported in trunk was unnerving with the racket he made.
Probably a good idea to tie rope around trap also.

Frank

Squirrels in the attic...
 

"frank.logullo" wrote in message
...
|
| "Steve" wrote in message
| . ..
| I'm an idiot!
| I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my
attic this
| afternoon.
| I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
| SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!
| Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap
to
| get
| it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
| In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it
downstairs.
| In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that
was
| available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
| Did I say I'm an idiot!
| With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
| I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached
to the
| house and locked him in.
|
| In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
| operation to well.
|
| I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....
|
|
| steve
|
| My Hav-a-hart locks when it trips but I guess upending could unlatch
it.
| Most animals I've trapped are docile in the trap but some go berserk.
Last
| raccoon I transported in trunk was unnerving with the racket he made.
| Probably a good idea to tie rope around trap also.
|
| Frank
|

just feed it peanut butter from the Georgia plant (#2111, plant number)
that'll show em who's boss

Squirrels in the attic...
 

"Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message
...

And along the same lines... better carry a shotgun too.


Re-read the story. Perhaps firearms are not a good idea in this case.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

Steve wrote:

I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic this
afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!
Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to get
it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve




I bought this book a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it:

http://tinyurl.com/2b9ahj

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:14:34 -0400, "Frank Ketchum"
wrote:


"Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message
...

And along the same lines... better carry a shotgun too.


Re-read the story. Perhaps firearms are not a good idea in this case.

Hmmm. When idiots can't have guns, only non-idiots will have guns.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

Thanks for the link: maybe there is hope!

Having tried many modifications to rat traps (mind u the rats just use them
as feeding stations too!), I was finally bought a squirrel box type trap.
After several modifications and bruisings of fingers I was forced to admit
defeat yet again. The squirrel could remove an almond, threaded on a piece
of wire with a knot in the end, and suspended directly over the trigger
plate of the trap, without setting it off. And to rub it in, the plastic
sleeving was also removed from said wire for exactly the length of the
almond and no more!

Then I had to get very 'clever' and this time stuck a piece of transparent
plastic to the trigger plate so that it continued as a window between the
squirrel and the bait (peanuts): so that attempting to reach the nuts simply
had to set off the trap. Yup: next day, trap set off, nuts gone, no
squirrel!

They really are the devils' own creatures! I find it quite scary!

S


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Steve wrote:

I'm an idiot!
I received allot of good advice and I captured a squirrel in my attic
this afternoon.
I would like to add one bit of information that NOW seems obvious.
SECURE THE ENDS OF THE TRAP IMMEDIATELY!
Thinking back I'm surprised it didn't get out when I tilted the trap to
get it down through the cut out in the ceiling.
In spite of some suggestions it was very calm as I carried it downstairs.
In the basement I put the cage down on end, to judge the height that was
available in the trap, next to a trash barrel...
Did I say I'm an idiot!
With the trap on end, the latch swings down and the door opens up.
I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.

I have to go lock the shed door so my wife doesn't open it....


steve


I bought this book a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it:

http://tinyurl.com/2b9ahj

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

"Steve" wrote in message
. ..

I chased the squirrel through a bulkhead door into a shed attached to the
house and locked him in.

In hindsight I think I may not have planned the second half of this
operation to well.


All you have to now do is insert the cat into the shed and wait.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

Steve H wrote:

Thanks for the link: maybe there is hope!

Having tried many modifications to rat traps (mind u the rats just use them
as feeding stations too!), I was finally bought a squirrel box type trap.
After several modifications and bruisings of fingers I was forced to admit
defeat yet again. The squirrel could remove an almond, threaded on a piece
of wire with a knot in the end, and suspended directly over the trigger
plate of the trap, without setting it off. And to rub it in, the plastic
sleeving was also removed from said wire for exactly the length of the
almond and no more!

Then I had to get very 'clever' and this time stuck a piece of transparent
plastic to the trigger plate so that it continued as a window between the
squirrel and the bait (peanuts): so that attempting to reach the nuts simply
had to set off the trap. Yup: next day, trap set off, nuts gone, no
squirrel!

They really are the devils' own creatures! I find it quite scary!


Yes they are, but it's sometimes fun to watch them learn. Several years
ago I converted the kids' old toy gumball machine into a corn feeder for
the squirrels and it took 'em milliseconds time to figure out how to
crank it around to get fed:

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/jeff/nuts.jpg

(Last photo was swiped by me from elsewhere...)

I also have a "Yankee Flipper" bird feeder which really frustrates the
little buggers:

http://www.yankeeflipper.com/droll/index.cfm

I stuck a small solar panel on the top of mine to keep it's NiCad
batteries charged up, 'cause plugging in a wall wart charger every few
days wasn't a very exiting chore, and when the batteries run down it
isn't a bit squirrel proof. G


snipped

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Squirrels in the attic...
 

As a batteryless version of the 'flipper', I did stop the squirrels from
getting at the bird's feeder by simply putting a couple of holes in a metal
1gal paint tin lid and fitting it on the guide wires on the top of a feeder
similar to the one shown in your Flipper link. Then hang the whole thing
from a length of metal (stainless) coathanger wire. Squirrels negotiating
coat hanger wire then have to contend with getting round floppy tin lid -
and so far have not managed it. It's planted things I can't protect
(without spoiling the whole garden or pots that is)...

Incidentally, I had thought of modifying the squirrel box trap to have an
electronic trigger with a pir proximity switch. Any ideas on how to go
about this?

S


"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Steve H wrote:

Thanks for the link: maybe there is hope!

Having tried many modifications to rat traps (mind u the rats just use
them as feeding stations too!), I was finally bought a squirrel box type
trap. After several modifications and bruisings of fingers I was forced
to admit defeat yet again. The squirrel could remove an almond, threaded
on a piece of wire with a knot in the end, and suspended directly over
the trigger plate of the trap, without setting it off. And to rub it in,
the plastic sleeving was also removed from said wire for exactly the
length of the almond and no more!

Then I had to get very 'clever' and this time stuck a piece of
transparent plastic to the trigger plate so that it continued as a window
between the squirrel and the bait (peanuts): so that attempting to reach
the nuts simply had to set off the trap. Yup: next day, trap set off,
nuts gone, no squirrel!

They really are the devils' own creatures! I find it quite scary!


Yes they are, but it's sometimes fun to watch them learn. Several years
ago I converted the kids' old toy gumball machine into a corn feeder for
the squirrels and it took 'em milliseconds time to figure out how to crank
it around to get fed:

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/jeff/nuts.jpg

(Last photo was swiped by me from elsewhere...)

I also have a "Yankee Flipper" bird feeder which really frustrates the
little buggers:

http://www.yankeeflipper.com/droll/index.cfm

I stuck a small solar panel on the top of mine to keep it's NiCad
batteries charged up, 'cause plugging in a wall wart charger every few
days wasn't a very exiting chore, and when the batteries run down it isn't
a bit squirrel proof. G


snipped

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.