Turkey Tracks: July 20, 2018
On A Mission…
…to reduce the squirrel/chipmunk numbers at my house.
Every morning when I went down to my front porch, the critters had dug up the container pots.
Dirt everywhere.
Sunflower seeds coming up in pots.
I tried this trap first:
It sets by lifting the handle to lock it in place.
It worked twice. Then would not trigger when an animal was walking all over the inside trip plate–a common complaint according to google. Back it went–with my recommendation that the store send ALL of these back to Havahart. DO NOT BUY THIS TRAP.
Different store, different traps next. Two door traps that WORK.
One large, for the grey squirrels. One small again for the red squirrels and chipmunks.
Count so far is 13 rehomed. I have relocated 6 red squirrels (my goodness they are aggressive), 6 chipmunks, and ONE grey squirrel. The latter ROCKED that cage I can tell you. Furious rage and panic.
Yes I am taking them waaaaaayy away from my house before releasing them. No, I am not letting them out near anyone’s house.
So many trips to make. Things have slowed down today. It’s been just over a week. Will maybe pause to let things settle. I seriously doubt that I have gotten them all.
One trick to share: they do not like peppermint. So after scrubbing everything on the porch (lots of urine) I put an inexpensive peppermint essential oil on all the porch railings, on the lid of the metal trash can that holds their food, and at the base of the screens. I think that forced the grey squirrel to seek food in the trap, and I have not seen any other creature get on the rail, the screen, or the trashcan lid.
Louisa Enright's Blog 
You know you have to take them across water in order to be sure they won’t come back. We are also having a terrible time with the chipmunks this year. They ate every one of my strawberries 🍓 we didn’t get even a taste of one! So annoying. I used to think they were cute but now I think they are just cute rats!! Remind me to tell you the story about my parents and their experience with trapping and releasing grey squirrels on Cape Cos. It’s hysterical.
Will remind. Hoping our Maine grey squirrels are not as smart as your Vermont ones. Hoping 4 miles will do the trick. No easy solution to taking them over water.
Good for you! Well done! Bravo!
we too have a problem w chipmunks. One got into the garage and ate a hole almost through the door baseboard! Believe me had we known it was there…… But thanks for the review on the traps. a couple years ago we had some foxes in the neighborhood they really took down the animal population…. not even a bunny in the area. Not sure where they moved off to. Wish they would come back.
Thanks.