Squirrel problem in Henry's pen

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This topic has 7sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 8 months ago by Nutmeg.

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- 08/06/2018 at 7:33 PM
  Martha
  Participant
  11 posts
  Hi, I’m new and didn’t know where to post this. Do let me know if I should post this in another area.
  
  Henry is our beloved pet rabbit. He showed up on our land 2 years ago in the SW desert. He’s a white rabbit with red eyes. It took us a month to catch him. He still doesn’t like to be touched.
  
  Henry’s set up is he has his own room in the enclosed deck. The deck has a pet door in it where the sliding door is and he hops on through that to get into our living room where his salads are. There is another sliding door from the deck that goes outdoors into an enclosed pen we have for him. It has fencing all around it and bird netting on top plus lots of shade cloth. Our problem is our rock squirrels have gotten into the pen and they have lots of fleas. Also they dig big holes that Henry could also dig further and escape. Not to mention they are getting on our roof and making noise. We don’t want them to get into the house. It seems like all of a sudden they are taking over.
  
  Does anyone have any suggestions what to do? We are squirrel lovers too and don’t want to harm them, just deter them from taking over and getting into Henry’s pen.
  
  Thanks, Martha
- 08/07/2018 at 7:40 AM
  Q8bunny
  Participant
  6345 posts
  Unfortunately, you’re dealing with a species that’s not responsive to frightening or repelling methods. I would add a chicken wire top and bottom to Henry’s pen. The top won’t affect him, and the bottom can be covered with a layer of packed dirt to prevent sore hocks. This should prevent any unwelcome critters from sharing digs and fleas with the bunneh
- 08/07/2018 at 7:58 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  What Q8bunny suggested – I also found using steel wool stuffed into places they can get (the side of our eastrofts for example) also stop them as they don’t like the feel of it and wont do much to try to get it out. I just replace is every few years, if needed, and its cheap.
- 08/08/2018 at 9:21 PM
  Martha
  Participant
  11 posts
  Posted By Q8bunny on 8/07/2018 7:40 AM
  
  Unfortunately, you’re dealing with a species that’s not responsive to frightening or repelling methods. I would add a chicken wire top and bottom to Henry’s pen. The top won’t affect him, and the bottom can be covered with a layer of packed dirt to prevent sore hocks. This should prevent any unwelcome critters from sharing digs and fleas with the bunneh
  
  Thanks. You are certainly correct about squirrels. Henry’s pen already has chicken wire around it. This pen is quite large, it’s 25 feet long by 15 feet wide and 7 feet high. The top of his enclosure is covered with bird netting and the squirrels don’t even try to climb up that and get in that way. We have rocks around the entire bottom too. Maybe they are getting in because they are still young squirrels. When those little rascals dug a large hole two days ago, even momma and papa could get in but John, my husband, filled the hole with sticks, pine cones and stones. Today one got in and we don’t know how and was running around on our roof. John needs to put wiring on the roof where it could get into the actual roof rafters through one small hole. It certainly has us busy!
  
  Martha
- 08/08/2018 at 9:23 PM
  Martha
  Participant
  11 posts
  Posted By Nutmeg on 8/07/2018 7:58 AM
  
  What Q8bunny suggested – I also found using steel wool stuffed into places they can get (the side of our eastrofts for example) also stop them as they don’t like the feel of it and wont do much to try to get it out. I just replace is every few years, if needed, and its cheap.
  
  That wouldn’t work with our set up. Tomorrow I can put some photos up. Thanks so much!
- 08/09/2018 at 8:56 AM
  Q8bunny
  Participant
  6345 posts
  They’re awfully good diggers and climbers We’re in a constant battle here too, because they destroy our produce.
- 08/09/2018 at 9:37 AM
  Martha
  Participant
  11 posts
  Posted By Q8bunny on 8/09/2018 8:56 AM
  
  They’re awfully good diggers and climbers We’re in a constant battle here too, because they destroy our produce.
  
  Oh my aren’t they ever!!!! We have had a garden for years but the critters eat it and so we grow it for them and once in a great while we have something for ourselves.
  
  Here are two photos I just took of Henry and his enclosure. We have strong winds in the desert so we are constantly putting up new shade cloths.
- 08/09/2018 at 10:43 AM
  Nutmeg
  Participant
  594 posts
  Ohhhh I gottcha!
  I can’t really think of anything else than what you are doing… chickenwire and such.
  Hopefully someone else has a more creative mind that me and can give suggestions.
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