I don't think there is much more destructive than a red.

Had you started the car Kevin?

We had a red squirrel eating our BBQ cover. Got some walnuts and set a trap.

No sooner got rid of him (her) their friend showed up. Arranged a 22 caliber diet for that one.

As CSI used to say - it was a thru and thru...

Destructive little f'ers.......I hate them.......

oh they are so cute..........nothing more than tree rats! Trapped thousands of them over the years.Super destructive little buggers! The hood insulation and air filters are favourites for sure. We live on the river and they just keep coming and coming-so I keep trapping them-and no its not catch and release.

68sd396rag wrote:

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oh they are so cute..........nothing more than tree rats! Trapped thousands of them over the years.Super destructive little buggers! The hood insulation and air filters are favourites for sure. We live on the river and they just keep coming and coming-so I keep trapping them-and no its not catch and release.

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 I'll email you a picture John.

Kevin, that is nasty! Imagine if you hadn't caught the destruction before starting.

About a year ago I had something burrowing under my cement slab in the backyard. I could see gravel & aggregate being dragged out. I tried filling in the hole, flushing it with water, and as a last resort a little gasoline. They always came back. You know what worked? Red chili powder! They burrowed into it once, that was all it took. Probably lit their eyes, nose & mouth on fire. They have never been back.

I lost the turbo on my diesels twice to the little buggers. Bird feeders usually draw them to your property. One time I backed my el Camino out of the garage and a squirrel came flying from the back down over the windshield. It was real pissed at me. I looked in the back and their was a fresh crop of 4 or 5 babies in my car cover I had left there, just born Id say, they had no hair. I didnt nurse them with a little bottle of milk. I call them tree rats too.

We had one trying to chew his way into the house, the wife set a live trap. She forgot to check it and we had a big snow storm. She checked it and asked me to dispose of the dead squirrel in it. It was a real rat, a kinda reddish one, not the black or dark gray you mostly see.

I've trapped and relocated dozens of Reds and Chipmunks to a ex-member of the PEI government's property 10 kms. away. Sorry for the political post.

MC wrote:

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64PARCONUK wrote:

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Wow! We've obviously been brainwashed over here. The UK red population is all but wiped out since the North American grey was introduced and took over the majority of the habitat. We were "told" that the red was the more timid species and consequently conservation methods have been introduced where the reds still exist (mainly on the Isle of Wight - where I've seen as many as 8 in one day - and in the far North and Scotland). Perhaps your reds are different? (Ours are very small, probably half the size of our grey invaders)

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 No, I don't think they are very different.  They are just trying to survive like we all are as well, but people get ticked off at them when they damage their stuff while trying to survive.  So they get some satisfaction over killing them, I guess.  I have them all over my property and actually find them quite fascinating for many reasons.  They don't seem to bother my cars, but maybe it's because I spray Krown rust protectant on them... I'm sure it doesn't taste very good...

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 I feel bad for the death of them. I live trap them in the Fall before the cold weather sets in. I once caught one and I think it died of hypothermia because the temperature went low that night, and I felt terrible looking at it dead in my "live" trap. I only trap them every few years once their population on our property builds up again and they get intrusive.

Mice/rats are another story ...

Your tune changes when they threaten your home. I had squirrels in my attic a few years back. They'll chew wood and wiring like any other rodent. They're also a hazard to your pets. Cute goes out the window in a hurry, this means war! We "relocate" them permanently!

-- Edited by cranks38 on Monday 23rd of March 2020 10:19:32 AM

cranks38 wrote:

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Your tune changes when they threaten your home. I had squirrels in my attic a few years back. They'll chew wood and wiring like any other rodent. They're also a hazard to your pets. Cute goes out the window in a hurry, this means war! We "relocate" them permanently!

-- Edited by cranks38 on Monday 23rd of March 2020 10:19:32 AM

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 There is no tune to change.  You do what you have to do to protect yourself, your family and your property.  But the difference is in having respect for the world around you, including other animals (people seem to forget we are animals too, not superior creatures graced by god or whatever).

I dont want to say anymore, we all have a right to our opinions, but I cant help but be irked when folks seem to take some kind of joy or have some kind of pride in how proficient they are at killing things.  No offence intended, just stating my opinion, as are the others in this thread.

Change of topic, but related, mouse news: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/mouse-found-atop-a-22000-foot-volcano-breaking-world-record/ar-BB11AyT1

MC wrote:

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 There is no tune to change.  You do what you have to do to protect yourself, your family and your property.  But the difference is in having respect for the world around you, including other animals (people seem to forget we are animals too, not superior creatures graced by god or whatever).

I dont want to say anymore, we all have a right to our opinions, but I cant help but be irked when folks seem to take some kind of joy or have some kind of pride in how proficient they are at killing things.  No offence intended, just stating my opinion, as are the others in this thread.

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 I meant no offense, either.

At the time, we had a city-wide infestation. We still have too many and they're still making trouble for homeowners. 

I take no pleasure in killing and I never will. I don't hunt and I don't like fishing for the same reason. We did what was necessary and I won't apologize for it. 

Text and context are wide open to interpretation and I do apologize if I gave you the wrong impression. We killed some varmints and we didn't enjoy it, except to terminate their destructive activities and the commune they were building in our home.