A new resident in my well house

I walked into my well house this evening to get rabbit feed. I was greeted by a loud and angry squeaking- far too loud for a mouse. My mind flashed to news stories about how rats are becoming more prevalent even in rural places such as this. Something large, dark, and furry scuttled across the wall header; I flicked on the light. There in the corner crouched a very alarmed looking red-and-black squirrel! I shouted for my husband and he came running. We both got a pretty good laugh before the furry fellow flashed down into the fiberglass insulation. DH thinks we should board over the opening chewed into the soffit board, but I don't see the little fellow doing us any harm. Though nesting among scratchy fiberglass doesn't seem too nice a way to spend the winter! And I will still strive to keep the critter feed contained in vermin-proof plastic trash cans. And hope like crazy that the squirrel doesn't get it in his wee head to go noshing on the plastic lids!

 

Ohh, the little critter sounds so adorable! Too bad you didn't have your camera on you at the time. I wonder if he has a little stash of nuts hidden in there somewhere. Hope he doesn't cause you any trouble though.

 

Good luck with your new tenant CritterPainter. Maybe he likes it so much he moves his entire family there.

 

They are cute CritterPainter, but they can be destructive. I've seen squirrels chew thru the heavy plastic dumpster lids so they can get into the dumpster. I'm not too sure you want him to live in your well house...

 

Squirrels can be so destructive, even though cute from a distance. :-| Several years ago, I had bird feeders in my backyard and several corn holders for the squirrels. When they started eating me out of house and home, I stopped feeding. :-x The squirrels got so mad they chewed a hole in the top of the rubbermaid container the food was in. So I got a galvanized can and they knocked the lid off (somehow). :-o So I got a long spring that goes on an old screen door and attached it to the handles. OK, no more problems! HA... the squirrels then started chewing the electrical wire going to the pole. I started noticing that my lights would dim and then brighten up. After a couple of days and telling my son, he suggested I call the electric company. They came out and discovered what the squirrels had done. :twisted: They replaced the line and everything was OK. Oh NO it wasn't... the squirrels chewed the line still another time and had to be replaced. I sold the house not long after that (not for that reason). Wonder if the new owners continued to have problems. Just goes to show you that some cute (till you remember they are related to the rat), can damage things. If I were you, I would get rid of them at whatever cost :!: :!:

 

Sounds like a very startling moment,
my heart is tender, like yours, Mary and I would yearn to let the wee beastie stay, but . . .

Just my humble opinion -
I really wouldn't encourage him/her to get too cozy in the well house.
I'd try to make sure that he/she is out, and that there isn't a nest of little ones in there,
then I'd seal up the entry point.

Also, :-? from personal experience (and as has been noted by others here),
plastic (even heavy plastic) is NO barrier to squirrels.
We use an old fashioned metal trash can with a locking lid to keep feed in.
And even on our open back porch, it works great, they can't get in,
well, so long as hubby remembers to put the lid back on after feeding the birds.

I know lots of folks hate 'em, but I simply cannot take a hateful attitude toward wild creatures, not even squirrels.
However, I do feel that very unpleasant problems can develop,
to the detriment of animal and human.

We humans are the most destructive beings on this planet, and the biggest "users",
yet we become very angry if we feel that some animal has damaged something of ours
or learned to "use" us in some fashion.

We non-chalantly devastate their habitats,
then we are irked by wildlife which tries to find a new place to live in "our" spaces.

We scatter all sorts of foodstuffs around freely,
but we expect the critters to know which things we meant for them to eat,
and which ones we were trying to grow for our own enjoyment.

And we call them "dumb" animals.

 

I hate to tell you but its probably got a bunch of babies in there and they will chew your wires to your well
into and it may fry your squirrel.I would find away to keep it out with screen wire some how.They can destroy your well house and with all the holes may even cause it all to freeze up this winter.Good luck with your critters.

 

Unfortunately, in the small town I live near squirrels are a scourge. They chew into houses, chew wires, ruin every outdoor plant people try to have are a Big Nusiance.They are rodents. The chances that Your squirrel is not destructive is slim to none. You know he is a squirrel, Right?

 

I've always thought squirrels were cute. My husband told me they are just rats with good PR !!
Deanna
:-D

 

Yep, Stratsmom, we call squirrels that too!
OK, the thought of rotting foodstuff, squirrel carcass, and chewed wiring has convinced me to evict the little fellow. Knew I could get a good consensus here! Besides, there are no power lines or insulation in the nearby blacksmith forge, perhaps he'll just settle himself over there.

 

What a shame they are so destructive, It must be at least over 40 years since I last saw a red squirel these days only the grey ones are ever seen here in the uk.

 

Seal up the entry points with steel hardware cloth. Make sure there are no young inside first, otherwise mom will chew thru the wall to get 'em.

 

Seems like the odds are against the squirrel. I bet you would startle him so much each time you entered until he decided to move on his own. I'm sure more wildlife will be trying to move in as the winter progresses.