I Have Something in My Attic

[Hoosier Gun Coat]

I believe I have something living in my attic. No it's not my mother-in-law. It sounds too large to be mice. From my past experience with mice, they tend to scurry alot and are constantly on the move. This creature seems to stay in one place. It sounds about the size of a small squirel. I have checked the eves and soffits and can't seem to find anyplace for something to get in or out. Whatever is living up there has to eat sometime. I see no evidence of mice (ala poop) in the house or anywhere else. I would really like to evict them since they are not paying rent. Any ideas?

 

[hunter962]

12ga shot gun 45 glock and a long fork :-)

 

[shooter521]

I see no evidence of mice (ala poop) in the house or anywhere else. I would really like to evict them since they are not paying rent. Any ideas?

Squirrels or raccoons would be my guess. My folks had a raccoon problem last year; had a have a professional come out and trap them. Ended up getting 5 of the critters out of their attic, then sealing up every possible entry point. No issues since.

 

[Lars]

you could pour two or three gallons of gasoline around the attic and then toss a match in.



I actually don't have any useful suggestions other than to say, Orkin seems to have done a good job for my family in the past.

 

[shibumiseeker]

They are a flying squirrel (geeza, my day for posting about squirrels...), not the red or gray squirrels, but between the size a chipmunk and a larger squirrel. They can't actually fly, but glide. I have had them from time to time. They are very aggressive about getting into attics. They gnaw holes to get in. I bought a high powered air rifle specifically to get rid of them, and rodent bait bars do the trick too (as well as taking care of mice).

Annoying little %^$#ers.

 

[CountryBoy19]

If its raccoons you should be able to see evidence of them. They're not at all discreet about where the excrete their "waste". Also, they should be easy to shoot with a .22 if they're up there when you go check. They'll either run out of the hole that they're using to get in and out, or they'll run to a corner or some other place where they feel more safe and hunker down. My advice: get a .22 pistol (rifle will work but its not as easy to maneuver in an attick) and open up your access, then go up there and see what is there. If you don't see any raccoon evidence, I'm betting you've got chipmunks. In that case I don't know what you should do besides try to seal up their exit. Rat poison may kill a chipmunk, but I would say that is a last ditch effort.

 

[Scutter01]

 

[ghitch75]

They are a flying squirrel (geeza, my day for posting about squirrels...), not the red or gray squirrels, but between the size a chipmunk and a larger squirrel. They can't actually fly, but glide. I have had them from time to time. They are very aggressive about getting into attics. They gnaw holes to get in. I bought a high powered air rifle specifically to get rid of them, and rodent bait bars do the trick too (as well as taking care of mice).

Annoying little %^$#ers.

i wouldn't boast to much about killin' them....there protected...

Tree Squirrel - Wildlife Conflicts Information Website

it's down at the bottom...


and there really cool to watch......had over 30 at 1 time at my bird feeders at night...

 

[Mini-14]

i wouldn't boast to much about killin' them....there protected.

Outside the house their protected. Inside the house their fair game!

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I'd say get one of the small live traps and put some sort of food in it for bait. Catch it and go from there on how you kill it.

 

[CombatVet]

If it's a coon you could put a can of tuna down and put lots of Tabasco sauce down. It's not harmful to their systems (that I know of) and should rid you of the problem. Something else you can do is spray Habenero and a water mixture in your attic. It keeps all sorts of bugs/vermin out and is non lethal.

 

[shibumiseeker]

i wouldn't boast to much about killin' them....there protected...

Tree Squirrel - Wildlife Conflicts Information Website

it's down at the bottom...

Looking at the DNR's website they do not show the fly squirrel as protected.
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/Mammals_of_Indiana_April_2007.pdf
Their FAQ on nuisance animals in the attic does not mention it:
DNR: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to Nuisance Wildlife

The link you show is in conflict with the DNR information.

When I built the cabin after the fire one of my most diligent efforts was to seal the attic area as tight as possible (except the vents). We spent two days up there with wire mesh, spray foam, etc etc during the daylight to see any possible openings. Then at night we set up the light inside and went around the outside. It's worked so far.

 

[ghitch75]

Looking at the DNR's website they do not show the fly squirrel as protected.
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/Mammals_of_Indiana_April_2007.pdf
Their FAQ on nuisance animals in the attic does not mention it:
DNR: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to Nuisance Wildlife

The link you show is in conflict with the DNR information.

When I built the cabin after the fire one of my most diligent efforts was to seal the attic area as tight as possible (except the vents). We spent two days up there with wire mesh, spray foam, etc etc during the daylight to see any possible openings. Then at night we set up the light inside and went around the outside. It's worked so far.

look here page 16.....

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-hg_generalinfo.pdf

 

[shibumiseeker]

look here page 16.....

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-hg_generalinfo.pdf

That's hunting restrictions, but it does not address nuisance animal. I'm going to email DNR for a clarification unless someone has a point to a specific cite?

ETA: A call to the District 8 DNR office says that ghitch is indeed correct, as a nuisance animal in the attic they may be trapped and released but not shot.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

My next door neighbor had a racoon in the attic. They found out when it chewed through their security system and the police and fire truck showed up. At that point the officer said it couldn't be killed and they spent close to $100 trapping it and having it set free at FT Harrison.

It was amazing how tiny the hole was it used to get in. To look at it, you would have never guessed it could squeeze in there.

If you go into the attic to kill it, be carefull. They get pissed when you corner them.

 

[indoorsoccerfrea]

Bring a pitchfork or other similar long pointy object. I had to kill a possum that got into our chicken coop last year, and probably would have been scratched up if it weren't for the pitchfork. I cornered him and then skewered him safely from 5 feet away, dragged him out of the coop on the pitchfork, and then finished him off. Getting close to a cornered wild animal is bad news...usually for you.

 

[Greg.B]

That's hunting restrictions, but it does not address nuisance animal. I'm going to email DNR for a clarification unless someone has a point to a specific cite?

ETA: A call to the District 8 DNR office says that ghitch is indeed correct, as a nuisance animal in the attic they may be trapped and released but not shot.

Correct; as they are a protected species in Indiana. to you for doing your research to verify on your own!

 

[printcraft]

HA! Beat me to it! I was going to suggest he call an exterminator......

 

[singlestacksig]

If you can't / don't want to catch it try putting moth balls around the attic..
once spring come find out how it got in and close up the hole..

If you do got up after it becareful it might be a bat. If you want to catch it with out killing it right away , try a co2 fire exingisher one good blast from that will stun a bat..

Bats are a big carrier of Rabies , so take care..

 

[CSK22]

Squirrel I'd bet,