# We have squatters! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 30, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536 "2002-04-30T19:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536/1 "2002-04-30T19:45:56Z")
The four-legged kind. It seems a family of squirrels has taken up residence in our mechanical closet, the little room off our balcony where the furnace/AC equipment is. Yeah, we’re going have to evict them so we can have AC this summer. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Parrothead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/59ef9b/32.png) [@Parrothead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parrothead)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536/2 "2002-04-30T19:59:45Z")
I cannot tell you how much I feel for you. I had squirrels take up residence in my attic, and begin to use anything and everything up there for teething/nesting material. I n addition, they made an awful racket at night. Lost my phone cabling, electrical cabling to two rooms. Lord only knows how close I came to a fire. The following url has some good information, humane and inhumane ways of getting rid of them (with a heavy bias toward the humane) and it debunks several myths/ineffective ways of getting rid of squirrels (mothballs, loud music, etc.) [http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page359.html](http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page359.html) I know, it looks like a catalog url, but it’s not, really. It has a lot of good info. I ended up sealing the openings to the house, and since there were no youngsters inside, they gave up fairly easily. I got lucky. Best of luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536/3 "2002-04-30T20:01:46Z")
Napalm. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536/4 "2002-04-30T21:26:00Z")
My famiy’s old house had pigeons living in the walls. The constant cooing at night made me nucking futs. We had a squirrel living in the house for a couple of days and we didn’t know it. Then he decided to run around all crazy-like and my tiny little mother was chasing it around with a broom while we kids cowered in a corner. After she chased it out, I lay my 1-year-old nephew to sleep on a pillow in my parent’s room. I went to check on him about an hour later. He was still sleeping peacefully, and I was about to walk away when I saw a furry tail peek out from the edge of the pillow. The squirrel had been hiding under there for who knows how long! I snatched my nephew up and the squirrel shot out again, finally spotted the open window and ran out. Ever since then I’ve regarded squirrels with a little…suspicion. But back to you. Well, if you can find a 4’11" lady to put the fear o’God in them with a broom, you’ve got a chance. Otherwise…good luck. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-squatters/106536/5 "2002-04-30T21:30:11Z")
And I thought this was going to be about another poop table. Squirrels are rats with tails. Evict 'em now or pay a heavy price later.