Squirrels are now hatters?

 

(Slight mis application here. Hatters were mad due to mercury, not lead.)

There's just no accounting for what squirrels like to eat.  

 

For some reason, they ate a section of my track.

My folks lived in Alabama for 25 years. When Mom came to live with us my brother and I had to replace the lead covered sewer vents on the roof. The squirrels had chewed them off. At the local Home Improvement store a fellow in the roofing and lumber Dept told us that it had happened to him. He advised coating the new vents with roofing cement (tar). The squirrels apparently don't like the sticky feel (or maybe the taste) of the cement.

Good luck with what ever you do as I hear they get used to most every none violent deterent.

 

Regards,

Luckily squirrels are not a frequent visitor here, though I do see them in transit from time to time.  Maybe it is because I have dogs, there are also cats nearby and of course no tall trees.  They do seem to cause havoc to many Stateside railroaders.

 

If they appreciate lead, as it seems that they do, it might be unwise to leave older stock outside particularly those models that have paint with lead in it.           I guess it is really the tooth sharpening thing though and not the lead itself.

Gosh, had no idea squirrels would eat ties, and chew on wheel stops, etc...

 

We've had problems with ground squirrels digging into the roadbed.  A ground squirrel is not exactly the typical bushy tail variety you think of when you think of squirrels.  Best way to describe them is they look like fat chipmunks. 

 

Least messy way to get rid of them is a mouser cat, or Havahart traps.

 

We've used this particular model on both chipmunks and ground squirrels (smaller pests):

 

 

For the larger squirrels, and especially pack rats, this works (larger pests):

 

Packrat 2 Door Trap

 

An even larger trap may be needed for those super big squirrels, as we have never caught one with the traps above.   But our big squirrels, Albert's, don't seem to be too interested in the train layout...thankfully.

 

What you do with the animal after catching is up to you.  We like to take them far away into the forest releasing them alive.  Hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure the ones captured have not come back.

 

Oh almost forgot, all of these critters just love Reese's peanut butter cups as bait.  They can't resist it.

at least your troubles havent been explosive - watch this muppet clip

 

Actually, this was done by termites..., very confused termites at that.