I used to leave the trapped squirrel outside during the winter. They don't seem to survive the night when it's below freezing. Similar to the freezer idea but without the need to spoil the freezer. Besides it was the only option I could think of for the winter because I drain and shut off all outside faucets and therefore don't have easy access to water outside.

I too had a squirrell get in through a coverd (with duct tape and cardboard) flue pipe that was not attached to anything. The squirrell chewed through and came into the basement. I found it in a roll of carpet. It ran. We screamed. Then ran around basement to unfinished side and up into floor joists above to the finished side. Heard it 1-2 days at noght. 3-4 days later. SMELL!!! It smells like burned propane. Going on 8-9 days of odor. Just sprayed febreze on the air filter and is helping. Cant find the carcass..... Dave M

my attic is currently filled with blown insulation so using balls of cotton as bait would not be a good detector as the entire attic looks like a cotton ball.

You could try strangling the squirrels. A quicker way would be to just knife it with a shovel or something

You can also put a firecracker up the squirrels rear end and light the match. ha ha ha

First rate squirrel information and great tips, thanks a lot for posting those, I really appreciate finding this site!

Since when do chipmonks bother anybody. If they can't live by your wood pile, or in your yard, perhaps you should drown yourself!

get a PLASTIC 50 gallon drum cut the top off set it near a tree and cover the top of the water with sunflower seeds or peanuts so you can't see the water. They climb in to get the seeds and cant get out and drown. 4 floaters in a couple of days. get a pitch fork remove the floaters and dispose of and replace seeds or peanuts as needed. the hava heart didn't work half as fast. This is the cheapest fastest way and you don't have to be there to euthanize them. to long the other way.

Have you ever heard of using an electric cattle prod to electrocute the squirrl? I haven't tried it but if it worked it would be quick and painless. Cliff Green

I haven't tried it myself, but folks that save wheat and other grains for emergencies (search for "disaster preparedness" on the web) use dry ice to replace the oxygen in the 5 gallon buckets. they put a chunk of it in the bottom of the bucket and as it melts (goes directly to a gas) it fills the container with carbon dioxide, killing any insect pests. According to the sites I have read, carbon dioxide is actually poisonous in relatively small concentrations. There are cautions not to breathe the gas yourself. Dry ice is very cold and will frostburn you!!! Use leather gloves to handle it and don't hold it for long with gloves on.

Quick but ugly. Use a hatchet to sever its head.

Hi, Your site is very interesting. I just want to say that we have red squirrels that occasionally nest in vehicles, too. There are no grey squirrels here in PEI, Canada. A friend of mine was driving down the road when a squirrel popped his head out from under the dashboard. She nearly crashed the car! It's common to find stashes of spruce cones, seeds, etc. in vents of cars in the fall!

I have been reading, laughing, and learning for the past 30 minutes. I finally got to the part about trapping chimpunks. Your site has been very helpful for me since I have been losing sleep lately as the squirrels are scratching just above my bed at 2:10 in the morning. Thanks for posting this great site. Norm D. - Peachtree City, GA

I heard somewhere about freezing the squirrel. You put it into the freezer and they go to sleep permanently. I have not tried it since I have just a small freezer.

whoever wrote this webpage is super!

Is it possible that cleaning up squirrel poop could put you at risk for the Hanta virus? I understand people have died from cleaning up mouse poop with a broom (mostly in American Southwest).

Anyone who has had a squirrel running around in their house (as we have) would quickly learn that we need to combat, not coddle these invaders! Fortunately, both times it happened in our home, the invader drowned in the toilet.

I have humanely killed squirrels by hitting them on the back of the head with a ball-peen hammer. Breaking their necks by pulling their heads also works well. The method I use is to grab them firmly be the tail (cruel, I know, but it will only be for a minute at most) preferably with forceps if you can get them. Put the squirrel on the ground and it will attempt to run. Then, whack them with the hammer. Or pull its head (make sure your hands are protected. Needless to say, the hammer method can be messy, so do it outside.

I simply put the whole cage in a plastic lawn/leaf bag.attach a dryer hose to my car exhaust the other end taped to said bag..after a few minutes animal is sleep.. a few more minutes a seemingly painless demise..I guess thats why people choose this method

Sounds like you advocate drowning, but that is equally cruel and illegal (at least here in the UK)

I have been live-trapping them for about 4 years, and have found that a BB from a 'standard' air rifle is quite effective, especially if it is directed into the skull from the nape. With a little care and practice (I'm up to 217 by actual count), the procediure is very quick and clean. I freeze the corpses and bring them to a local raptor rehab center, where thay are much appreciated. (email address deleted)

The quickest, most humane method I've ever found to dispatch any small animal will probably horrify most people who haven't thought out the situation. But it works & it's free (no bullets, chemicals, and it's safe for the homeowner (no poisons or firearms). Once you have the squrrel confined in a live trap, put on a pair of HEAVY gloves ( very heavy; they chew hazelnut shells apart!), grasp the squirrel around the abdomen just forward of the hind legs. Swing the squirrel fast & hard so that his head makes contact against a hard surface like a concrete foundation, curbstone, stump or whatever hard surface is handy. The object of this means of killing is to prevent any possibility of unnecessary pain or suffering so anyone planning to do this should first practice with a sand filled heavy sock. You wouldn't want to swing too gently or inaccurately & inflict a painful but non-lethal wound. This method will not be possible for the faint hearted who fail to see that the violence they perceive is painful only to the human not to the animal.

What kind of paint do you use to mark squirrels ?

KILLING 4 PLEASURE step 1: use a handling glove and shove a m-80 up its behind step 2: light the m-80 and be sure to take cover from loose parts step 3: ENJOY!!!!!! (method not to be used if you plan on eating it) **Not for the faint of heart**

Sure do wish you were out here in Roswell New Mexico. Just got here from Newtown Pa. - Got a house and yes there are squirrels. No exterminators here do the job. City animal control has me waiting 3 weeks now for a trap. You're doing a great job with this site. Yes I use to think they were cute - and yes I did go "Oh No" when I read a bit of how to rid the critters but - Good Job! Regards, Carole

I know of a lady that freezes her trapped squirrels in her food freezer. She thinks this method is the most humane.

Call your local Game and Fish Commission (same as you would if a fawn or alligator fell in your swimming pool); they'll be delighted to come out, capture the animal, take it for a check-up, then release it into the wild.

killed 3 killed large rats in <30 seconds by pouring a mixture of Bleach and Ammonia into the garbage can that held them. I clapped the lid back on and they were dead very quickly. I suggest this method instead of drowning as it is very fast acting.

That is so unbelievably cruel, what is the point for killing the poor innocent creatures!!!

As mentioned on the message board, I would suggest a large plastic storage container filled with water. A photo of this would be good also. The containers can be purchased from Wal Mart, etc. and they can be used without securing the doors- the tolerance on mine is only a half inch or so on either end. I would also suggest a little dish soap to speed the process and some bleach for the water to keep the water somewhat clean. I think this is the safest and most effective way to dispose of trapped squirrels.

SQUIRRELS IN GENERAL, ARE GOOD CREATURES, AND SHOULD NOT BE KILLED. HOWEVER, IF THE NEED ACTUALLY ARISES (THEY HAVE RABIES, ETC...), THEY CAN EASILY BE KILLED BY STRAPPING A PIPE BOMB TO THEM. OR IF YOU FEEL THAT ISN'T SUFFICIENT, PLACE THE SQUIRREL IN THE CENTER OF THREE 1 MEGATON NUCLEAR DEVICES. THE COMBINED FORCE OF THE THREE BLASTS MERGING ONTO ONE CENTRAL LOCATION, WILL CERTAINLY REDUCE THE SQUIRREL'S PHYSICAL EXISTANCE TO SOMETHING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT OF A NEGATIVE SQUIRREL. THUS CREATING AN ANTI-SQUIRREL. THIS "ANTI-SQUIRREL" CAN BE THROWN AT ANOTHER SQUIRREL, CREATING A BLACK HOLE.

I like the new design of the website! It seems like Placement was a bigger issue than disguising the trap. I had a 1040 placed near the entry hole in the soffit. No luck using several different kinds of bait for five weeks or so. I also scured the trap to the roof with poor results. During this time (autumn) there was also an abundance of nuts from the trees around, so I think that with plentiful food sources, they were not as interested. I later moved the trap to the base of a large tree in another part of the yard and had immediate results- Nearly one a day average for the past week or so. It is hard to say if the exact attic invaders were trapped, but the odds are getting better over time. Thinning the herd can only help. I hope to ahcieve >80% reduction in the local population before the spring mating season.

What about electrocution? Two bare ends at 120V should do it.

We just drop the trap in a barrel of water. Drowns them in less than 30 seconds. Recommended by the store that sells the traps.

Most of these methods are highly illegal and cruel. What is wrong with you people? Look at that State SPCA statute - I suggest you do your homework and change your website. One other thing is you can only trap if they are destroying your property and what if there are babies left behind. There is a list of wildlife rehabbers under the NJ State Division of F&W - why don't you try educating the dumb by sharing ways of cohabitating with our wildlife - you are giving nature a bad name.