# An critter in my downspout **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582 "2010-04-28T00:20:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FE3O4ENAIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FE3O4ENAIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FE3O4ENAIL)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/1 "2010-04-28T00:20:26Z")
We hear scratching and scraping for days in the outside rain downspout. I took out the screws but there was no play in the fit between the aluminum tube and the plastic drainpipe, so I couldn’t leave the end of the pipe open. I stuck a wedge into the joint hoping that the beast could find his way out. Several days later, no luck. Something is clawing inside the downspout. I take out the mounting screws and bend the tube to get the end to be free. Now he can escape I think. Days later the unwelcome guest still has not left. OK, time for fireworks. I get out the smoke bombs, (I SWEAR my kid told me they were smoke bombs when she gave then to me). I lite the fuse and put the flaming ball into a ladle, and hold it under the pipe, expecting a harmless smoke trail to gently waft up the pipe, coaxing the furry/feathered friend to find a more suitable location. BAM, the cherry bomb goes off, leaving me with a ruined ladle, and exploded drain pipe and ringing ears. The bird did fly away after that,so thats nice. ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/2 "2010-04-28T18:02:58Z")
Did the bird fly away under its own power, or leave looking like a cannon ball with singed feathers? ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/3 "2010-04-28T18:13:17Z")
It might not be a bad idea to check the spout for a nest site. A bird isn’t going to enter it for _no_ reason. ---
**Author:** ![FE3O4ENAIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FE3O4ENAIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FE3O4ENAIL)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/4 "2010-04-28T21:40:04Z")
> [@RalfCoder](#): > > Did the bird fly away under its own power, or leave looking like a cannon ball with singed feathers? The six inches worth of leaves and straw that was its nest fell out after the boom. A healthy but startled bird followed. ( re: an critter? Started out as an animal and I though critter sounded better, oh well) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/5 "2010-04-29T12:19:11Z")
Yes, I’m still mildly obsessing over “an critter.” ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/6 "2010-04-29T12:31:08Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Yes, I’m still mildly obsessing over “an critter.” He should have called her! > **[Webs.com has been shut down: Find out more](https://www.vistaprint.com/digital-marketing/webs-shutdown)** > > Webs.com has been shut down on the 31st of August 2023. Find out what that means for your site and how to move it to another provider. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/7 "2010-04-29T13:59:32Z")
I probably would have got out the hose and ran water down the downspout. ---
**Author:** ![FE3O4ENAIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba9def/32.png) [@FE3O4ENAIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FE3O4ENAIL)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-critter-in-my-downspout/537582/8 "2010-04-29T20:57:21Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I probably would have got out the hose and ran water down the downspout. We had a hard rain the entire weekend. I thought that would have done something, but no.