Somehow a squirrel got into our basement. He did a lot of damage to my layout and rolling stock.
Well, if I had found him, there would have been one less squirrel in this world.
Squirrels are nasty little buggers. When we lived back in Dayton, it was a constant battle keeping them out of the attic of our 1880s Victorian. I tried chicken wire and moth balls. I finally trapped and relocated them about 10 miles away. I guess I could have poisoned them, but didn't want to resort to that. They chewed the rafters and the electrical wiring.
Having a hard time with Photobucket.
I keep the squirrels outside, because that's where I feed them. Hate to see one lose on the layout, they're twitchy and prone to panic. What a mess.
Cats can be a similar threat, but mine never do more than a little derailment carnage. Squirrels will always tear stuff up, just by moving on those tiny claws so frenetically.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Wow that's crazy ! How do you think he got in there? We have some friends who had squirrels get into their attic. What a mess.
Mike.
My You Tube
JOHN C TARANTO Well, if I had found him, there would have been one less squirrel in this world.
Yup,fried squirrel sounds mighty tasty. Several years ago I had a problem with a rat that got in the house and he really made a mess of the N Scale ISL I had at the time. To add insult to injury he whipped my wife's cat in the process of leaving-a fatal mistake. Three nights later my wife and I was woken up by the sound of a mad cat and a squealing rat.
Rosey dragged that rat around 2 or 3 hours before she put it down.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
No where near as bad as it could be. A friend of mine had one eat a big hole on the outside of his wood house. Then there is the house wiring they can get into.
He also had a problem with raccoons coming down the chimney. He saw two on top of he chimney and he shot at them with his shotgun. One came tumbling down the roof and the other disappeared. Did I say it was a weekend home. He discovered he got both with one shot, the next week
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
One of my friends recently had a racoon come through the side wall of his house. On the second floor no less! Nasty creatures. He destroyed the kitchen completely.
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
Darn pesty squirrels
But they're nothing compared to the crushing power of elk:
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
I hate squirrels!!
Last fall a squirrel chewed up all of our deck lighting. It was 120v. I wish I had left the power on. They also regularly destroy our window boxes and planters. We tried using a slingshot. On the rare occassions when we manage to hit them it barely bothers them (we use dried chick peas). We have tried using cayenne powder. It just goes mouldy. My neighbour trapped seven of them within one week last September. That was a waste of time as the vacant territory was re-occupied again within days.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Matt:
That's nasty! We are nature lovers but the thrill of having Elk walk through our yard would soon wear off if they were doing that sort of damage. I suspect you see them as pests.
I used to hunt, and eat them! very good, lots of meat from the ribs back. Mom made a gravy, and it was heaven.
I keep our neighborhood population at bay. They have very few preditors in a town/village setting.
Wow... Can't believe I am the first to say it...
"Hello Sandy. Me Patrick. Do You understand? Pffft. Squirrels." - Patrick (SpongeBob cartoon.)
Stupid squirrels.....
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
slammin I finally trapped and relocated them about 10 miles away.
Yeah, my father-in-law did the same thing. He said the squirrels made it back home before he did.
Had a probelm at the old house we used to live in the squirrels ate the siding and got into the attic, you could hear them up running around. My dad had to put a tin plate over the hole to keep them out. Another one had got into the pool and could not get out and drowned, found it when i took the kids out to the pool.
Modeling on the cheap
Have an active squirrel population here, but all outside. So far, no outdoor wiring or anything has been touched by them (pool equipment - just bite into that 220 line, I dare you!), lights strung around the patio, the fiber optics for the pool lighting, etc. The dogs sort of keep them in control, but the squirrels have quickly learned the capabilities of the dogs and will even taunt them at times. No chance in one getting caught by either of my dogs (they're Pugs), so they take advantage. They know the dogs can;t get past the fence, so will jump on top of the fence and just sit there, or one day I saw one go up a tree, the dog is under the tree, knows the squirrel went up therer, and is walking around the tree looking up for it. On the other side of the tree (large oak), the squirrel is moving around the trunk at the same speed as the dog, just staying out of sight. I wish I had my phone to video it. Most of the time though, one of the dogs will see a squirrel, chase it to the fence, squirrel goes under, dog then patrols the area until finally walking back, head held high with pride in a job well done - and the squirrel immediately returns under the fence and continues what it was doing.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have more pictures of my rolling stock and engines laying on the concrete floor, but I got tired on fooling with Photobucket. There is more miner damage to track in other places. There are places where the lichen was pulled off some scenery and a hillside made from expanding foam damaged. A scratch built bridge was also damaged.
Most of my motive power is Stewart/Kato F-units. Most survived with minor damage but the one that ended up on the concrete floor might be totaled.
If you remove a squirrel from your home, they must be relocated at least 10 miles away or they will try to get back in. That's according to 'Critter Control', the people that trapped the squirrel. They believe the squirrel got in through the unused chimney. I will have to get it capped.
While at first blush it is remarkable that a squirrel could find it's way back from 10 miles, squirrels used to migrate. Lewis and Clark found them swimming accross a river. After a big acorn year, they produced two litters and then there were too many squirrels. They weren't known to be good swimmers either. The last squirrel migration was in 1998 in Arkansas.
Rats can be equally distructive on wiring. I had one get in my RV (common in fall as they seek a place for winter) He chewed up all the wiring in the basement area. Took me days to patch all the wires (still not done) as well as clean out the mess he left behind. He had made a nice nest and brought about a gallon of acorns in. Actually, I am glad it was a rat rather than a squirrel because I know that a squirrel can be more distructive than a rat. Have had them in the attic in the past.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
PED Rats can be equally distructive on wiring.
Rats can be equally distructive on wiring.
Mousies, too.
I once opened up an exterior wall to find the old romex had turned into three parallel conductors: two bare and one covered with black insulation. Very interesting.
Ed
A friend of mine had a firm rule for his young son: you do NOT touch the trains unless I am around. Is that understood?
One day he found trains moved around and even knocked over. He confronted his son who was evasive about whether he had ever violated the above-rule, so the boy was punished. Tears, etc.
Then it happened again; trains knocked over, scenery damaged. This time the punishment was even more severe. Tears, etc.
And then my friend was called at work by his wife, who was in a panic: "We've got a squirrel in the basement!" Tuns out all the damage he had seen was done by the squirrel, not by his son.
My friend felt very small when he had to apologize to his son. Remember the Donald Duck cartoon where Donald accuses his nephews of smoking and punishes them only to learn that the cigars they were trying to hide were meant as a gift for him? That is how my friend felt.
Dave Nelson
Having read all the way through this thread I extend my sympathy to all of you folks who have had bad encounters with critters.
Here in the Dessicated Desert the county's rodent population (all types) is almost non-existant. When one gets into a house it merits a thirty-second bite on the five o'clock news. As for squirrels, the native Joshua trees are not squirrel-friendly, and all the transplants from wetter climes have to be irrigated. The horticulture experts did NOT import squirrels.
When I lived in the Tennessee woods I had a squirrel bite the hot wire on the pole pig that fed my house and short itself across 7200 VAC. The good news? Instant fried squirrel. The bad news? The bare wire shorted to the casing and blew the transformer. No power for two days.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in Southern Nevada)
We have tons of the critters, never bothered anyone here, roof rats are another issue but not in my house so far.
Southwest Chief But they're nothing compared to the crushing power of elk:
OUCH!
Dang.
SQUIRREL!!!
Seriously,sorry to hear of the damage to your layout.Never had one in the house,but I've lost several large tree limbs due to squirrels "ringing" the branches - chewing the bark off all the way around.
Mike
You know you can put a screened chimney cap on just in case you want to use that flue at some point in the future. It will also keep out the rats with tails.
I have two cats and two dogs. No rat or Squirrel problems
YGW
My worst fears have come true. My layout has a short in it. I hate squirrels.
Oh man ! Sorry to hear. A lot of wire tracing to find it.
Now as far as that elk thing........steaks are way more tastier that squirrel.
ricktrains4824 Wow... Can't believe I am the first to say it... "Hello Sandy. Me Patrick. Do You understand? Pffft. Squirrels." - Patrick (SpongeBob cartoon.) Stupid squirrels..... "When in doubt... Pinky out!" -Spongebob I love that show. -Kevin
ricktrains4824"Hello Sandy. Me Patrick. Do You understand? Pffft. Squirrels." - Patrick (SpongeBob cartoon.) Stupid squirrels.....