Squirrels are cute, but not when they're in your basement, crawlspace or attic.Cold weather sends wild critters hunting for shelter -- crawl spaces, attics, sheds and eaves. To prevent these unwanted lodgers or evict them from your home, make the space inhospitable.
• Provide no food: Put pet food in the house; store bags of oats or corn in animal-proof containers; and make bird feeders inaccessible to all except fly-in diners.
• Encourage their exodus with bad odors, loud noises and lights: Place ammonia-soaked rags in the corners of the attic, crawl space or shed, or use mothballs; serenade them with a radio tuned to a 24-hour station with loud music; and keep a bright light on in the space.
• Once the creatures are gone, don't let them come back. But how do you know for certain if your furry guests have left? Listen for sounds of animal movement. Leave one opening and sprinkle flour outside it. Check for tracks leading out. You can also cover the opening with a light plastic that the animal can break through when it leaves. Or construct a one-way door over the opening that allows the animals to leave but prevents them from returning.
• Be certain animals have left before sealing openings; otherwise, they may starve to death, and then you will end up with a big odor problem.
• Before evicting an animal, make sure it has no babies in its nest. If you are patient and they are doing no harm, allow the mother to raise her babies, then encourage her and her offspring to skedaddle.
Sure, there's also trapping. But discouraging them is better because even if you capture one wild guy, others may simply move in behind him. Also, live trapping and moving a wild animal to a new territory often means death for that animal. A relocated animal will be on unfamiliar ground. It will have to compete with resident populations for food and shelter.
-- Oregon State University Extension Service
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