# squirrels in my attic **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684 "2002-04-09T16:16:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darwinself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Darwinself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwinself)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/1 "2002-04-09T16:16:52Z")
Without destroying them (the silver tooted sneering rats)how do I quickly get rid of them. Fast. My husband is in the mood to adopt. He may be shooting blanks but my kalisnokov aint. Darwin has PMS ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/2 "2002-04-09T16:23:33Z")
We successfully live trapped some squirrels out of our attic a couple of years ago. I can’t remember what we used for bait, it might have just been peanut butter. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/3 "2002-04-09T16:33:38Z")
Not answering your question, but… Tell your husband that squirrels are extremely destructive in attics. The chew threw wiring (possible fire hazard at least), they tear up insulation and make nests, they make restroom spots and will urinate in the same place enough that it will seep through and stain sheetrock, etc… Get rid of them quick, you will have a mess if you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![hudley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@hudley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hudley)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/4 "2002-04-09T17:54:18Z")
put a couple of cats up there and they will be out in no time. If I didn’t want to put my cat up there, then I’d trap them with a rat trap. I had one that found a way in to my attic a couple of months ago. I found where he was getting in and plugged up the entrance after chasing him out. If you can get them out for a while, put mothballs around where they are coming in. ---
**Author:** ![NevarMore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7feea3/32.png) [@NevarMore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NevarMore)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/5 "2002-04-09T19:54:23Z")
Be sure to trap them or kill them such that you know where they die. Any sort of rat poision could lead to you having to search through your attic playing “Find the dead rotting varmit.”. Traps are your best bet in this case, glue, live, rat, cage, bear. Sorry, but you’re probably going to have to kill them. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/6 "2002-04-09T20:16:38Z")
Squirrels. Nothing but rats in drag. Nasty, diseased, dangerous animals. Get rid of 'em. Find out if killing them is illegal where you live—it is in a lot of towns (including mine). My last apts.’ attic was infested with squirrels. The landlord trapped them in one of those “no-kill” cages, then drove them out to a nearby park. He let them go, they followeed his car right back to my place and blew raspberries at me on their way back upstairs. So make sure you drive 'em faaaar away. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/7 "2002-04-10T00:54:25Z")
[I have felt your pain.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=6163&highlight=i+really+really+hate+squirrels) ---
**Author:** ![EagleEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@EagleEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EagleEye)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/8 "2002-04-10T02:39:52Z")
Simply play a radio in the attic. Play it really loud if you can. They will go out, and you can plug the hole. Then you can still enjoy the little monsters out in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/9 "2002-04-10T06:42:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EagleEye \* > \*\*Simply play a radio in the attic. Play it really loud if you can. \*\* Or a CD player with an “Alvin and the Chipmunks” disk. Chipmunks and squirrels are natural enemies; the Jets and Sharks of the urbanized feral rodent world. ---
**Author:** ![Stinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@Stinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinky)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/10 "2002-04-10T14:59:21Z")
Put a couple of open cans of used kitty litter around the smell of cat piss should send them running. Replace with “fresh” litter each fall to keep them from comeing back. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/11 "2002-04-12T04:13:28Z")
Cut down all the trees around your house. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![biker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@biker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2002, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/squirrels-in-my-attic/102684/12 "2002-04-12T11:17:35Z")
a veterinarian friend of mine told me as soon as squirrels discover nuclear energy it is all over for mankind. they are cute, they are rats with bushy tails. you can’t get rid of them but you can make life unpleasant for them. the best solution is to live trap them and drive them about ten miles away to a park. you can buy live traps at farm supply centers. squirrels go nuts when trapped so have a blanket handy to toss over the trap when you transport, they will scare the hell out of you. moth balls do drive them away but only in enclosed places. find the entrance they are using and get it repaired. they will chew right through a wood home and have a tendency to return to the same entrance time after time. they do an incredible amount of damage, as mentioned in other posts. try to rid your property of all food supplies including bird feeders. i have a spring loaded, squirrel proof bird feeder and it does work.