Search This Blog


Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Day the Squirrel Went Berserk (and cost me $659.00!)

Have you ever seen the Ray Stevens' song, The Mississippi Squirrel Revival? If not, go to YouTube and watch the video.  I think that squirrel is visiting southwest Oklahoma!

Evidence:

#1: 2 months ago we were in the process of adding on to our house.  There was a hole in the outside edge of the roof (for electricity, I think).  One day I went out of the garage and saw this squirrel coming out from that hole.  I ran to the hole, afraid if it was a girl squirrel, she might have been trying to have babies in the new attic, or maybe it was a boy or girl and was trying to store up nuts for the winter.  Either way, squirrel wasn't welcome and I threw something to scare it away.  It scurried down the house and up a tree, but it only scurried half way up the small tree.  Unusual for a squirrel...they usually go all the way up.  The SQUIRREL STARED ME DOWN AND WOULDN'T MOVE!  After a few seconds, I realized that the squirrel was wanting back in that hole for some reason.  I didn't want to leave it open, but was in a rush to get somewhere at the time.  I had a water bottle in my hand that was about half empty.  I stuffed that water bottle in the hole.

Score:  Me: 1  Squirrel:  0  (BooYahhhh!)

#2:  Six weeks ago, I was out in the new addition of our house.  The wall between the new addition and the existing house hadn't been taken down yet.  The side door of the house was open just a tiny bit to allow a pipe to run from our existing laundry room to the outside.  As I was cleaning up construction materials, I looked up to see that crazy squirrel again!!  It ran towards me and up the ladder that was right by me.  I screamed and it took off into one of the new bedrooms in the addition.  I was afraid if I went to the door of the room, the squirrel might jump on me, so I just pounded on the wall to scare squirrel away.  I yelled to my boys to run around the house and open the side door all the way.  Thankfully the squirrel finally found the open door!

Score:  Me: 1 Squirrel: 1 -  Tied this round, I would say, so total:  Me: 2    Squirrel:  1

#3:  A few minutes after that I yelled for my oldest son to come to the house from the field.  He came and I told him to get his BB gun.  After several minutes of chasing the squirrel from tree to tree, my son gave up.  He got away!  (By the way, if the fact we were trying to shoot the squirrel bothers you, you are WELCOME to come rescue him!!  Let me know when you'll be here.)  

Score:  Me: 0    Squirrel: 1    
Total:  Me: 2      Squirrel: 2  (BOOOOOOO!!!!)

#4:  A few days ago the battery light came on in our Expedition.  My husband made an appointment and took it in to be fixed, but they had to order another part and scheduled another appointment for today.  The guys replaced the part and found that the wires in that area had been chewed in half!!!  The squirrel had eaten right through the plastic and wires resulting in a total bill of $659....and 24 cents, to be exact!!!!  OHHHHHHHHHHH, I am angry at that squirrel!!!!  He is in BIG trouble for causing such a problem!  And, by the way, after it is all fixed and repaired, the battery light is still on!  Not good!  Not good at all!

Score:  Me: 0     Squirrel: 1      
Total:  Me: 2      Squirrel: 3  .....Dislike :(

By the way, in case you are interested, the man at the Ford dealership said an old farmer had given them some advice in getting rid of squirrels eating up vehicle wires:  Take cotton balls and soak them in fox urine (Oh, yes, that is readily available, isn't it????!!!  Can you buy it at Walmart???  Actually he said maybe at a farmer's co-op, but I worked at a co-op when my dad was a manager and we didn't have that in stock! Maybe some do, though.)  After soaking the cotton balls, put them in a zip top baggie.  Poke holes in the baggie and put it in a safe spot under the vehicle hood.  Easy as pie!

Well, the next best place to learn good information is Facebook, right?  Almost as good as "googling" it. A friend said to use dryer sheets and stuff them under the hood.  She tried it after having trouble with a squirrel (Probably the same one.  He probably stopped at her house when he was coming from Mississippi to southwest Oklahoma!)  It's a pretty safe assumption that dryer sheets are easier to come by than the other suggestion, don't ya think!

So, for now, squirrel, you are winning - BIG TIME!  But, you haven't seen the last of me.  I will win this war!  (And remember, for any of you extreme animal lovers, you are MORE THAN WELCOME to rescue the crazed creature!!)

There is a possibility that our crazed squirrel has left our residence and has headed across town, to my husband's bosses' house.  Yesterday a squirrel was in the pipe that goes from their stove or oven up the roof.  When the guys were trying to get him out, the squirrel jumped and basically attacked one of the men, bit his finger....taking off the nail....and jumped in the air through the laundry room!!!  I can't remember the rest of the story, but I think the squirrel is on the run.  He may be headed to your place.  If so, I'm sorry!

3 comments:

Karla French said...

Ask Judi French for her "Mississippi" squirrel story!
You could call Bryant Ferris. He might trap him. Meanwhile, I think your cotton ball trick would be a good prevention. Have fun. Love ya, Karla

Unknown said...

I will ask Judi! Stan is the one who got bit!! I think Bryant can't trap in town, though some of our front yard is out of city limits, so maybe we can catch him there :). Love you, too! Take care!

Wa Wa Waughs said...

Crazy! Are you sure it did the damage to your car? Anyway, my mother had a similar experience a few years ago. A squirrel went down one of the vent pipes that stick out of the roof and ended up drowned in the toilet. Wouldn't that be fun to lift the lid and see? NOT

 
Pin It button on image hover