What caliber for squirrels? (SERIOUS!)

[Deanimator]

A 4 ft. long 0.625 cal. barrel blowgun with a zytel broadhead dart (dipped in "Pur-Cap" or hotter hot sauce) will make short work of raccoon and/or squirrel ... silently, and (if you're a good shot), mercifully ... and you can still use the meat.

+1 on the blowgun, although I prefer the 6' model. They're quite accurate at close range, totally silent and nobody thinks twice about somebody carrying a length of "conduit" on their own property.

I'd use the homemade piano wire darts with a bead from a cheap necklace as the tail. When they hit something and penetrate deeply, the bead pops off.

 

[atk]

Regarding all the suggestions to kill the creatures: don't forget that you'll have to clean up the carcasses, and any mess that they leave (blood, urine, feces) when you kill them. And squirrels may carry diseases, and insects (like fleas) that will spread those diseases.

If you deal with live traps, then you have to deal with emptying those traps.

If you can get them to leave, of their own volition, you save yourself some problems - but you should still clean up whatever mess they've already left in your home (get rid of their feces, replace or repair damaged electrical wires, clean their urine with bleach).

My suggestion is to use Arfin's recommendation of a one-way door, combined with sm's mention of food to attract the squirrels out, combined with fresh urine of an animal that the squirrels don't like (like snake, or fox, or something that's their natural predator). The urine trick may only work once - from what others have told me with similar problems, it scares them out, but they'll come back when the smell gets stale. A reapplication may work, but it's tough to know.

You'll also want to be sure that all entryways are completely sealed - you don't want the animals finding their way back in.

And, if I read correctly, you said you live in a townhouse (maybe that was someone else...). Is there a condo association? Do you own the outside of the building, or does the association? If it's the association's responsibility, let them know of the problem ASAP. You may be able to petition them for redress.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

Legal or not legal they breed like rabbits so it seems. Four litters a year and live to the ripe old age of the mid twenties. Pheremones drive each other crazy and they chase each other around like mad breedin. I could set my grandfather clock just from the breeding cycles. Shot 70 plus inside 18 months and I am trying to be civil about it. Neighbors don't help. One has been worshiping the tree rat ever since he was in the sixth grade and has a stainless steel shrine on his back deck, absolutely loves em.
Other neighbor has kids and grands who supplant him with bird feeders every christmas. that attracts them from miles around. I know it is a free country after all. Call me Robin Hood because I live in a wooded area and consider every approach like branched highways for these grey squirrels. All I want is to keep the numbers down. It's sad I have to knock em off to do so but to the uninitiated in the ways of mother nature, you start mucking around with her and the balance of things gets whacked real quick. I have tried Rat Traps. Too smart. Pellet Guns Too weak. CBs at 710 FPS through a 22lr with a 14 power scope is king. No noise. Too weak to pass though the animal most of the time and quieter than most airguns. The firing pin drops and you hear it hit the squirrel. Accurate...

 

[Hot brass]

RWS mod 34 from Natchezzs, Midway or MidSouth will reliably take care of any tree rat problem.

 

[dead on]

if its raccoons, theres a fly bait you can buy at a farm elevator called golden malrin....mix the pellets in pepsi...it will desolve...the raccoons won't get 10 feet from the dish....but keep pets away.

 

[ThomasT]

I had forgotten about doing this. I used to have a couple of rubber snakes and an Owl that i put on a stick and put these in my fruit tree to keep out the squirrels. It worked for a while until they got used to them. Works with birds too.

You might put some rubber snakes or an owl in the attic and maybe they will leave long enough to cover the hole. The squirrels will never stop to think how the hell a GD owl got in there. They are smart but not that smart.

Or you could put some speakers in the attic and play Achey Breaky Heart.

I can't believe no one else has thought of this before now.

 

[verb0s]

I recommend a Crosman 1077 RepeatAir. its a .177 pellet gun that runs on Co2 powlets or paintball cartridges.
Its whispher quiet compared to my 22 lr, and definiately capable of killing small animals at 10 yards. However, I noticed a gradual drop starting at 15 yards to 70 yards, where the power drops from air rifle down to airsoft gun.
One thing: definitely do not go to Walmart unless there is no other choice. Sport authority and Big 5 (West coast US chain) sells air rifles much cheaper than walmart. Walmart is only good for pellets.

The specs on the Crosman 1077 as follows:
Semi-auto .177 pellet rifle
48 shots to a CO2 powerlet or 400 to a paintball CO2 cartridge
uses 12-shot rotatary pellet clips
620-650 fps average

If you mount a cheap airgun scope, it can put all 48 rounds into a 1/5" target at 15 yards.
If you're quick on the trigger, you can shoot all 12 pellets into a target in less than 3 seconds. Thats messy kill, but it will garentee the target is dead.

I got mine at Sport Authority for $49.99
Extra 12-shot clips are 3.99 for 3 clips
Walmart sells cheapest pellets at 1.99 for 250 conical pellets
Sports authority sells CO2 powerlets at 19.99 for 40 powerlets.
Unless you're intending to kill dozens of animals, the 1077 with the CO2 powerlet system is fine. otherwise, upgrade to the paintball CO2 system. I think thats 20$ or so.

I shot all sorts of small animals, birds that prevented me from sleeping at night so I killed them during the day; several rodents that poop all over the garage carpet; and bird across the street for pooping on my car.

 

[Nightwing]

right there baby! get out the ol bolt action .22 and letter rip!