Squirrel in the house! WWYD?

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:25 pm

Yesterday a squirrel paid a visit in my bedroom.
I live on the second floor and apparently he hopped in through the open window.
I freaked out and quickly face timed dh to show him this impudent little thing.
Dh said he'd only be home in an hour.. and I should ask neighbor for help. I ran down, and told my neighbor who got me super scared by saying that squirrels are very dangerous in a house. She said they get super scared, don't know where to go and can start biting.
I was shrieking and begging her to please, please help me, perhaps one of her sons would come up.

In the end, we went up together and thankfully it seemed the squirrel had left, leaving some traces behind (aka feces.) It was just so awful.

So I'm curious WWYD if you found a squirrel in your house?

NovelConcept

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:30 pm

I'd feed it. Smile

I've done that before. But only with a squirrel I'd already befriended, as it had come to our balcony every day for nuts.
Yes, they can go wild when they feel trapped.
Call Chaverim. They send someone to help you out.

amother

Periwinkle

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:32 pm

I would trap it in the room it has entered & called pest removers right away. My friend had a squirrel in her house, it totalled her couch.

doctorima

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:33 pm

I don't know where OP lives, but here in NYC, I can't imagine them dispatching somebody to help out with a squirrel in the house, certainly not in any timely manner.

amother

Linen

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:38 pm

I don't know about the city branch, but Monsey Chaverim is amazing.
My husband is a member and we hear often on the radio: Any unit available for a PC?
PC stands for pest control.
Not every member will take the call, but there are those who will. They'll even respond for a mouse in the house, if, for instance, the wife is terrified and her husband isn't home. (Or vice versa.)

FranticFrummie

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:39 pm

Just leave the windows open and go to another room. The squirrel will eventually calm down enough to find the window and leave. They don't like being trapped any more than you like them being trapped.

I did once find a squirrel sitting on my kitchen counter, sampling my challah. When he saw me he ran right out the window I had cracked open. I cut back the tree branches next to the house, and never had another visitor.

I did have a hummingbird get stuck in the house once. I opened the doors, and gently herded it out with a broom.

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:43 pm

NovelConcept wrote:

I'd feed it. Smile

Feed it? As in, in your house?

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:44 pm

amother wrote:

I would trap it in the room it has entered & called pest removers right away. My friend had a squirrel in her house, it totalled her couch.

I was nervous about that too.
Can they really destroy household things?

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:45 pm

doctorima wrote:

I don't know where OP lives, but here in NYC, I can't imagine them dispatching somebody to help out with a squirrel in the house, certainly not in any timely manner.

Right... I thought so too. Though the chaveirim idea sounds like a good one.

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:45 pm

amother wrote:

That sounds really amazing.
I wonder if they have that in BP too.

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:47 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

That's also my question. Why would a squirrel enter a house? I would think they're not looking to be trapped in an enclosed place..

amother

Coffee

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 12:48 pm

In my town (not NY) the animal control officer says to open the windows and wait for the squirrel to leave, and do it during daylight.

amother

Papaya

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:01 pm

amother wrote:

Yup, my husband's a Chaveirim member in Lakewood (where animal control is nonexistent) and you hear these calls all the time. Squirrel in the house, raccoon in the house, bat in the house, mouse in the house... usually accompanied by frantic panicked woman and screaming kids Wink

amother

Peach

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:08 pm

I think squirrels are quite cute but they can also bite and be aggressive. So I'd leave the house , collect some of the things they like to eat from under a tree or bush and put it out on the balcony. It will go out to eat because they need the nutrition before winter starts. Always remember... It's probably more scared of you than you are of it!

icebreaker

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:11 pm

The first week we moved into our new house, we had an opossum try to climb in through the kitchen window shock

My kids and I just started yelling and making noise and it fell down and ran away. If a squirrel came in, I’d try the blanket trap, but my dogs might try to get it as well though Confused

Now if there was a nest with babies, I’d call the appropriate agency to help with that.

Last edited by icebreaker on Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

FranticFrummie

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:14 pm

You will most likely get a little visitor if you don't have screens on your windows, and if there is a tree or power line nearby. Squirrels can be very curious, and they are always looking for new food sources and nesting materials. They don't mean to get trapped, they just wander in and find themselves in a scary situation.

If you really want to keep them out, just get screens. It will keep the mosquitoes out, too.

Make sure that all branches are trimmed far away from your house. Trees should never touch your roof line. Rats really love to get in that way also.

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:17 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

Thanks FF for your good and practical advice!!
The window it came in from has a fire escape which does touch some branches. So that makes sense. I guess I'd need to look into having them snipped. And screens as well.

As for rats, I'd have a squirrel any day over a rat. Rats disgust me like nothing else.

amother

Silver

Wed, Oct 24 2018, 2:18 pm

icebreaker wrote:

The first week we moved into our new house, we had an opossum try to climb in through the kitchen window shock

My kids and I just started yelling and making noise and it fell down and ran away. If a squirrel came in, I’d try the blanket trap, but my dogs might try to get it as well though Confused

Now if there was a nest with babies, I’d call the appropriate agency to help with that.

Oh, wow. That's scary.