Day…ah,who’s counting, anymore?: Operation Rodentia Freedom
I got you, my pretty.
If you watched the scores drop in my battle with chipmunks and squirrels on Monday, you’ll understand why I’ve kept mum on the subject for a few days. I laid three traps in the yard, placing them snug against the house or barn.
At first things looked good. I started off with a clear advantage: the element of surprise! This allowed me to trap SEVEN unsuspecting animals in one day: 2 squirrels and 5 chipmunks! All day long I heard SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, and SNAP! I spent the better part of five hours chasing down critters, transporting critters, photographing critters, blogging about critters, cursing critters, even tweeting about critters (I tweet about nuisance yard pests…what has the world come to?).
But at day’s end I had only transported THREE of the four detainees off the property. The other fellows ESCAPED, being small enough to fit through the holes in the larger of the three cages.
A friend drove me out to the kuntry to let Squirrel #2 go free.
Ah, there’s always tomorrow, I thought, while lathering the cages with mounds of sticky peanut butter.
But the next day, despite several hours of cage oversight and maintenance, my traps were trippin’ but they weren’t catchin’!
And here we stand, my yard noticeably lighter with squirrels but still chattering with chipmunks.
My neighbor’s pool foundation is also being compromised by chipmunk tunneling, so we’ve joined forces and renewed our vigor to fight this age-old battle between man and rodent. But it can wait until next week. I’ve got some living to do between now and then, and hear tell, so do the resident rodents.
This is Squirrel #2's new home. I'm quite jealous as it is a very birdy piece of property that I've lusted after for years. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Good luck with your battle…
Hey! I’m with you, Laura! We’re having trouble with those pesky squirrels getting into the feeder. Hmmmm…never thought of trappin’ ‘em : ) I can see my husband getting right on that idea. Happy Birding!
You will never win. I expect one day to step out of my house and plummet to the center of the earth due to chipmunk tunneling. Our neighbors began trapping and relocating. I swear they all returned leading new recruits!
We live in the country, so trapping them and taking them to the country isn’t really an option LOL I have to settle for the squirrel proof bird feeder alternative. Really though, there are so many oaks where I live they don’t bother the feeders much. The corn field across the road helps distract them too
CyndyZ: Good luck with your own rodentia freedom project. Good thing you have some help…it takes an army!
Jessica, Good point! I guess taking them for a “ride to the country” isn’t a viable option!
Dymphnasis: Love the vision you impart!
Good to hear from you.
Dymphnasis says it. You will never win. Take this from a wildlife biologist: Your area is obviously great habitat for critters. When you remove some it just creates space for more to move into. From the looks of it, you’re surrounded by great habitat so there is a ready source of new tenants just beyond your fence.
Whether you trap and release or kill (not that you are, just some people do), the results are the same. About the only ‘tried and true’ solution is to alter the habitat so it’s less suitable, which is probably not an option because it’s also habitat suitable to (and enjoyed by) you.
Another thing about trap and release. It’s not always benign to take animals from one location and dump them in another. There are other factors, such as the territoriality of the current resident who now has an unexpected (and usually unwelcome) guest, are there adequate food resources, shelter, predators, etc. The lifespan of your dumpee could be greatly reduced in the release into a new area. And, if you’re letting loose several animals in the same area it could compound the problem.
Mammals are territorial and space themselves according to resources, dominance, and available space, among other things. It would be like someone dropping off a van load of strangers to come live in your house. Just something to consider.