Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
We just came home to discover large pieces of bread and baked goods all over the kitchen counter, along the windows above the sink. Thinking that we had just become house mates with super-rat, I summonsed my DH to find it while I packed.
Closer investigtion (by him) revealed a tear in the screen, pushed outward, as in exit. Apparently Einstein Squirrel climbed onto my new window box and chewed his way in and out through the screen. I was somewhat relieved to find a large piece of bread outside, on top of the fence a few feet away.
We just moved here and have lots of squirrels. I love leaving my windows open, which is something we couldn't do in our previous home for safety reasons. Now this! Is this normal? OMG!
Gwen from OH
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RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Squirrel lovers and damage doubters beware. The attached picture may be disturbing. This foul beast is flashing its teeth and chewing through my bedroom screen. She (are those teats?) is carrying off pieces in little sheets she gets hold of. Nesting maybe? How do I stop this? I don't want her and her little friends to go through every screen in the house. I'll try putting mothballs on my sills. Other ideas welcome.
Post By Ravi (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Squirrel lovers and damage doubters beware. The attached picture may be disturbing. This foul beast is flashing its teeth and chewing through my bedroom screen. She (are those teats?) is carrying off pieces in little sheets she gets hold of. Nesting maybe? How do I stop this? I don't want her and her little friends to go through every screen in the house. I'll try putting mothballs on my sills. Other ideas welcome.
Post By Ravi (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Geez, I think I'd cover my screens with some heavy duty ventilated material, like the light weight metal grids you can get for your screen door to keep pets from puncturing your screen. Better still, since you obviously cant leave your windows open while they are doing this, could you just take out the screens for a while? At least they wouldnt get torn up and you'd save the expense of replacing them. We're in the middle of heat wave, so I havent had my windows open for several weeks.
Post By gwen (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Definitely squirrels for us, and they've now chewed 4 screens, including a second floor window and a skylight. They're coming in and going out, as they please. Don't know what to do. One of the windows was the baby's room.
Post By massachusetts (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
I have had squirrels before in apartment we rented. The not so bright landlord put a sheet in the roof which in turn trapped them in the roof and they decided to come into the apartment. Landlord was looking for a cheap way to rid them but made it worse. Then a couple of years later, a squirrel ate a whole thru our kitchen screen to eat some brownies on my counter. We decided to keep that window shut for a long time. Now again, I have some disgusting squirrel trying to make another hole in the same kitchen screen that was fixed once before. I saw him this morning on the sill and there are a few small holes in the screen now. Again the window will have to stay closed. I need something to put out on the window sill short of something that could harm them. I just want them to leave my home alone.
Post By squirrelhater (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Dana, I hope you will try the Pinesol. Let me know if it helps. I havent had any problems since I started using it, but that could just be luck. I may use a stronger screen material to replace mine as well.
Good Luck!
Post By Gwen (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Screens-Porch Example
I would definitely say it's squirrels causing your problem, as I'm having the identical issue with my screened in porch currently. Your 3" diameter holes are similar to those being chewed in my screens. We have seen the squirrels inside the porch and climbing outside, but no raccoons recently. As described in the other entries, raccoons make bigger holes.
Our problem began last January when we had a large cake for my daughter's birthday. Since it was too large to fit in the refrigerator after the party, my wife thought it was a great idea with the cold weather just to leave it covered out on the screened in porch, which backs up to the woods. Bad mistake!
The temptation was just too great to pass up, as the squirrels chewed through the screens in two places to get at the food. Other than the usual squirrel problems with the bird feeders we have (for which the main one is out near the woods and about as 'squirrel proof" as they come), we had never in several years had any squirrel chew the screens or attempt to enter our porch until then.
I left the holes to repair during better weather this summer. I was motivated to get with it recently when I noted a squirrel was using the old holes to add the inside of the porch to its territory again, even though we had been careful to leave no more food out on the porch . I repaired the holes with new screens, and added a second layer of aluminum screen (instead of fiberglass screen as elsewhere) over the area where the most accessible hole had been just in case.
All was for naught. The squirrel has chewed new holes through the screens elsewhere (not in the area of the aluminum screen), despite my wife trying to be vigilant and scare him away during the day. Knowing there is no food lure, I think now its seems its just a matter of habit and territoriality. Not sure how to "untrain" him at this stage. I find it hard to believe it's looking for food, as there is plenty of spillover from the feeder near the woods.
I may have to trap and release out in the country since the acquisition of this bad habit. The squirrel can chew through screens on our porch more quickly than I can patch or replace. I'm not sure how well the repellents would work, and don't want to take a chance on affecting our finches and cardinals.
Post By Dana in Virginia (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
I too have a squirrel problem and know the damage they can do. But just a comment: Your last house got broken into through a screen, and you're still leaving the windows open when you leave? Forget the neighborhood, you're courting trouble. I live in an extremely safe place, but when we go out, everything gets locked up. Insurance companies can refuse payouts when a house is left open like this--it's tatamount to leaving the keys in a vehicle.
Post by susanmajp
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
I've never had anything chew its way in, but I do have a houdini cat that loves to chew her way out. Once she had holes in every screen in the house, we replaced all our screen with a heavier duty metal screen. Not cheap, but it worked!
Post by lonefive21
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
oh yes, I forgot to add...squirrels are NOT up at night
Post By Enter your name. (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
I have to agree with Joan...we have had squirrels for years and years...we feed and encourage them...I have NEVER had one be destructive...to anything!! It is the d. chipmunks that have ruined everything around my place. We even raised a squirrel for two years and when we put him outside he would climb the screen when he heard the school bus for my son to play with him...but he never chewed it!! We have racoons and that is a good, good bet for you to check into.
Post By Enter your name. (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Hello the previous owners probably fed the squirrels however i might suggest you get rid of the window box you just put up other wise you will never be rid of them, they have had a taste of whats inside your home now so don't give them a way to get in your windows again keep them clear of tables, tree limbs and keep an eye on your screen door don't leave the inside door open.... We humans always under estimate the thinking of squirrels they are quite intelligent and they will get in to any kind of bird feeder there is out there and will study it to get in to it... I guess the only way to beat them is to put some Corn cobs out there that Lowe's sells or any pet food institution... Basically just feed them and away from your house..
Post by candleglows
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Mothballs! Scatter them around the yard and varments will high-tail it out of there. Works as a snake deterrant too.
Post By Ginger (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Yes, indeed squirrels will chew screening if food is in sight! I caught a squirrel chewing on the porch screen. After chasing it off a few times I realized it was after a piece of bread in plain sight on a shelf. I removed the tantalizing bread and the squirrel was no longer tempted. I have the hole covered with heavy tape until the screening can be replaced.
Post By Charlotte (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
So, how big was the whole in your screen? Ours was about 3 inches in each direction. Is that big enough for a raccoon? I havent seen any raccoons around, although I'm sure there must be some. We watch the squirrels play and sun themselves along the top of the wooden fence where we found the bread after the incident. I'm not sure if happened after dark or not. Gads! It was light outside when we left and dark when we returned. I'm shocked that animals will do this. (Did I mention we moved here because its a very secure neighborhood? Our last home was burglarized by someone coming in through a window screen during the night!) Glad I dont live out in the boonies! Gotta admit, I'd feel much better knowing it was a squirrel instead of a raccoon!
Post by gwnelliott
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
I"m with MissouriMom. I live in an area with lots of squirrels and I've never known one to chew through a screen. Sounds more like a raccoon. Here's how you can tell: what time does this occur? Squirrels are strictly dawn to dusk animals. Raccoons are nocturnal.
Post By Joan (Guest Post)
RE: Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens
Hi Gwen,
Are you sure the guilty party is a squirrel? Several years ago I had an apartment that backed to the woods. One night (of course I was home alone) my little dog woke me up, growling and barking like crazy...I found him just outside the kitchen doorway, every hair on his little body standing straight up. I called my mom on the cell phone, whispering: "Yeah, Mom? I'm in my hallway. Charlie is going nuts. There is someone in the kitchen. I have a baseball bat. Stay on the line, Mom. If I scream, please call 911, okay?"
Then I flipped on the light to find a giant raccoon sitting on the counter, an entire loaf of wheat bread scattered from here to there. He just sort of looked at me and blinked, as if to say, "Join me for a midnight snack?" He wasn't afraid of me OR my ferocious watchdog! I had to hop up and down and throw things before he sauntered back out through the window screen, which he had torn from the lower corner and pulled out of the way for easy entry.
Maintenance man fixed that screen the very next morning. Two weeks later, the intruder returned. We had to stop opening our kitchen window altogether.
Good luck with your bandits!
Post by MissouriMom
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