Rodents/Squirrels Chewing Composite Decking

[thinkxingu]

Ok, while we've been at camp, squirrels or other rodents have destroyed some of our decking stairs.

Anyone have this happen before? Best solution after I replace the boards?!

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[Winilyme]

A 22 rifle and scope?

Actually, many years ago, we had a similar problem in CT with grey squirrels chewing our white cedar shingles. It was clear something needed to be done or we'd be looking at a siding replacement. I tried all the recommended remedies such as essential oils, hot pepper spray, squirrel repellent, flashy hanging ribbons, etc.

Nothing worked. Besides, most of those things required reapplication or maintenance which wasn't going to work for us since we're mostly here at the lake in the summer. I was afraid we'd go home to CT one weekend to find nothing left of our house except the foundation, chimney and appliances.

What ultimately worked: I stapled aluminum window screening over all the siding from the ground and up about six feet (only on the back side of the house since, strangely, the squirrels didn't chew anywhere else). We haven't had a problem since then. In our case, it's not unsightly since it blends in well with our bleaching oil finish.

Not sure if this is a possibility in your situation but in ours, it put an immediately end to the problem and gave us peace-of-mind when we're away each year.

[ApS]

Start trapping RED squirrels.

(NH's most destructive rodent).

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by ApS

Start trapping RED squirrels.

(NH's most destructive rodent).

I have to agree. They are everywhere and are constantly probing for ways into our house. If they get in they destroy everything.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Years ago I had a pair of red squirrels who were insistent in trying to chew their way into my garage.

I put out a "Have a Heart Trap" and captured both of them at the very same time. Go figure two red squirrels in one trap at the same instance! I never guessed it would be so easy. That was the end of my problems.

By the way, they really enjoy unsalted peanuts in the shell as well as bird seed and peanut butter from the jar.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Years ago I had a pair of red squirrels who were insistent in trying to chew their way into my garage.

I put out a "Have a Heart Trap" and captured both of them at the very same time. Go figure two red squirrels in one trap at the same instance! I never guessed it would be so easy. That was the end of my problems.

By the way, they really enjoy unsalted peanuts in the shell as well as bird seed and peanut butter from the jar.

Maybe a dumb question, but what did you do with the captured squirrels?

Also, I assumed there would be others that would follow, but maybe they're territorial?

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[tis]

Think, I can't imagine the composite decking is too good for them. All the plastic and preservatives, yikes...

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by tis

Think, I can't imagine the composite decking is too good for them. All the plastic and preservatives, yikes...

It looks like they've not actually eaten anything as there's a lot of shavings.

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[garysanfran]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Years ago I had a pair of red squirrels who were insistent in trying to chew their way into my garage.

I put out a "Have a Heart Trap" and captured both of them at the very same time. Go figure two red squirrels in one trap at the same instance! I never guessed it would be so easy. That was the end of my problems.

By the way, they really enjoy unsalted peanuts in the shell as well as bird seed and peanut butter from the jar.

Red squirrels are much more destructive than the grays. Until recently, reds have dominated my area. Now the grays have taken over even though the reds, although smaller, are much more aggressive.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

It looks like they've not actually eaten anything as there's a lot of shavings.

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From what I have read they sharpen their teeth on it! I have heard bitter apple spray MAY work to keep them from doing it again...

Dan

[tis]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

It looks like they've not actually eaten anything as there's a lot of shavings.

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So they just gnaw on it to make life difficult for you huh?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by tis

So they just gnaw on it to make life difficult for you huh?

Yup. And expensive!

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[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

From what I have read they sharpen their teeth on it! I have heard bitter apple spray MAY work to keep them from doing it again...



Dan

Like I posted above, any liquid deterrent got/will get washed away by the rain.

I've got a trap incoming, though, and we've been home with the dogs the last few days, so .

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[thinkxingu]

TRAP (WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND UNSHELLED PEANUTS BAIT) SET

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[WinnisquamZ]

You can always give them a lake bath once trapped


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[thinkxingu]

Caught a chipmunk yesterday, reset and found all the peanuts missing this morning...with the trap still set.

Might be a worthy adversary!

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[ApS]

Bait the trap with a scrap of composite decking.

Or you can put your favorite shirt in there. They'll want to chew holes in it, just to keep their teeth sharpened.

To make your trap more sensitive, tape or glue some weights atop the metal plate that triggers the trap. (Coins, washers, composite decking scraps).

If a chipmunk couldn't get out, I'm curious how your trap's model was selected.

[NH.Solar]

First of all, I hate to kill anything, but I dispatch red squirrels anytime I can with a high powered pellet gun and like someone else mentioned here the grays and chipmunks have taken over since. I had no problem with either until last winter when I found out that grays are not much better. I've had to replace the caps on multiple fuel cans because they are apparently still made using the soy based plastics thatcritters so like to chew on. But the real clincher is that over the winter the gray squirrels destroyed about half of the young red maples in my yard. I had assumed it was woodpeckers until I happened to see a red squirrel in late winter at the top of one of my trees happily stripping the bark, eating the sugar sweet cambium, and dropping the outer bark at the base of the trees ...they are occasional target practice now
Still killing anything is not my nature, and as an alternative I also spray fox or coyote urine around the base of anything valuble and my sheds. Rodent don't like it and will often move on, but if they don't the foxes and coyotes will enforce the ruling. Poisons? absolutely no way, I like my hawks and ground predators