Northern Flying Squirrels.

[roscoe]

Anyone else have these critters?
I had one in my attic last winter.
Somehow he ended up in the kitchen, chased him out the door.
They are about the size of a chipmunk, with huge skin flaps on each side of their body.

I now have at least 4 of them visiting my bird feeder each night.
Appear to be 2 adults and 2 young.

They are getting used to me sitting on the deck about 11pm.
Sometime I stand about 8-10 feet from the feeder, 6' from the tree, and they will glide down and land right in front of me.

They are fast. Can jump from the feeder, go 30' up the tree, glide to the roof 20' away, over to another tree, 30' way, and back to the feeder another 45'. Entire trip takes them about 10 seconds.

They are nocturnal, but the flood light on the deck doesn't seem to bother them one bit.

Not many good photos of them on the net.
Here's a couple I snapped last night.

 

[Roca]

Might make a good meal. Lol

 

[aspeck]

They are fun to watch till they get in the house ... then they can do some damage!

 

[dwco5051]

Attic Rats

 

[Grub54891]

We had a couple years ago at out cabin. We had a coffee can in the outhouse with a spare roll of paper, and went to open it up, the top was chewed open and the squirrel was in there. We left it there, on the shelf for 5 years. He would fly from tree to tree and be kind of entertaining. After we got indoor plumbing, we tore down the outhouse, as they actually tax ya for each structure on the property. Outhouse included....lol

 

[gm280]

Squirrels and even flying (gliding) squirrels are interesting to look at, but so destructive. You seriously have to make sure they don't eat the insulation off house wiring. And believe they will. They also stripped the carpet out of my son's boat and even eat the plastic lens on the trailer lights. And I know not many will believe this, buy the squirrels around our neighborhoods have eaten though the aluminum straps from the top of our chain-link fence in our back yard a few times now. Seem they love to chew on the aluminum wire straps to control their teeth length. So while squirrels look nice, they do lots of serious damage. And if anybody wants a few of ours, they are certainly welcome to them. JMHO!

 

[WIMUSKY]

They're actually protected. That is, unless they get into your house IMO. We had one a few years back. Chased it around the house with an ice cream bucket. Caught it perfectly with just the head sticking out. Then came the hammer........

Had a weasel once too. Was able to scoot him out the front door.

 

[MTboatguy]

Had a Weasel yesterday, my motorhome is parked about 6 feet from the side of the garage and I was walking in between them and he ran out from under the motorhome, stood up on his hind legs squeaked at me and ran around the end of the garage, I think he was hunting the chipmunks that have been hanging out.

 

[gm280]

Had a Weasel yesterday, my motorhome is parked about 6 feet from the side of the garage and I was walking in between them and he ran out from under the motorhome, stood up on his hind legs squeaked at me and ran around the end of the garage, I think he was hunting the chipmunks that have been hanging out.

Oh yes, we are also covered up with Chipmunks as well. But they don't seem to damage anything around our area. So I just watch them and see the funny things they do. We do have Green Anoles, Eastern Scaly Fence Lizards, 5 stripped Skinks along with Opossums, Raccoons, Armadillos, Red Fox, Rabbits, Squirrels, Chipmunks, Tree Frogs, and regular Frogs as well. Basically everything but Deer, Wild Boar, Bear and Gators, although we do have a gator living about 400 yards on the golf course pond. Use to have deer come through the yard until they finish building the golf course that comes up to our back yard. There still black bears, deer and wild boar that live close, but they don't come through out yard. The green Anoles and Eastern Scaly Fence Lizards are pretty abundant and I see then everyday all day long. They actual are attracted to the orbital sanding I do. Seem every time I start sanding anything, they come within inches of the sanding and watch. I can even pick them up without issue. Don't know way, but it is interesting. JMHO!

 

[MTboatguy]

So far this summer we have had deer in the yard everyday, I can run in and out of the house and not even bother them, Thursday I was working in the shop, went out the door and a yearling buck was peeking around the corner of the shop door trying to figure out what I was doing, he followed me back to the house and then went around the house and laid down on the hill outside the living room watching me watching him! And We don't feed them!.

Lots of snake this summer, and the endangered Rocky Mountain Spotted Toad, they are all over the place! Mountain Lion's, Elk, Wolves, Bears, Snowshoes have gone crazy this summer, they are all over the place! Had a Badger a couple of weeks ago, wander through and growl at us. We don't get the possums, to cold in the winter, so they don't like living here or for that matter anywhere in Montana. Had a Moose the other day about a 1/2 mile down the road, had not seen one of those for a few years.

But it has been a very active summer for wildlife this year.

 

[GA_Boater]

Good thing Bullwinkle wasn't with Rocky this time.

Too many critters are nice to look at and are so destructive.

 

[roscoe]

My biggest animal issues this year have been the red squirrels, 19 (RIP ), and 2 bears have been destroying things in the neighborhood for 2 months.

The reds chewed the wires off the coil packs on my Trailblazer. $$$$$

The occasional possum and raccoon never seem to hang around.

The deer live in the backyard, but usually just walk through to get to the neighbor's soybeans.

The turkeys are a real pain as they get up on the deck and poop all over, and rip up the grass.

The bears have been up on the deck also, stopping to peer in the patio door.
Bird feeders are now 12' off the ground, hanging from a 1/4" rope.

Only 2 rabbits have been able to elude the coyotes.

Chipmunks were nonexistent around here just ten years ago. Now they are everywhere.
They claim they are a major carrier of ticks with Lyme's disease, and we are in a "red zone.".

The fliers are ok, as long as they don't get into the attic again. Screen on the gable vent has been upgraded to hardware cloth, but who knows how long that will hold them at bay.

 

[WIMUSKY]

The other day chippy got stuck in the garage all night, attached. He chewed his way out by morning.....

 

[WIMUSKY]

Weasel? Under my deer stand.....

 

[sphelps]

Had one jump out of a bird feeder one time when I took the lid off ... Scared the carp out of me !! :fear:Until I saw what is was .. :lol:

 

[BWR1953]

We have the Southern Flying Squirrel down here. Saw one for the first time a couple weeks ago. Very fast and very cool.

 

[angus63]

I have lived in my home for 23 years. Last year saw a few bats flying around the yard at sunset. This year it's like an air show every evening. I have no idea where the "bat cave" is or why they took up residence nearby. Any idea how to locate the source? Wife hates em and the dog loves em so much he spends evenings running amok thinking he can catch one.

Sorry to hijack Roscoe, but I figured since we were on the subject of invasive critters...

 

[Grub54891]

bats are good to have around. They eat lots of bugs. On another note, at least here they are a protected species. You are supposed to have them re-located if they are in your attic. But there are ways to rid them of an area, once you find the source. just google it........

 

[angus63]

I have been stalking them but they return home after sundown and I do not have a FLIR system (yet).

 

[Gyrene]

Squirrels and even flying (gliding) squirrels are interesting to look at, but so destructive. You seriously have to make sure they don't eat the insulation off house wiring. And believe they will. They also stripped the carpet out of my son's boat and even eat the plastic lens on the trailer lights. And I know not many will believe this, buy the squirrels around our neighborhoods have eaten though the aluminum straps from the top of our chain-link fence in our back yard a few times now. Seem they love to chew on the aluminum wire straps to control their teeth length. So while squirrels look nice, they do lots of serious damage. And if anybody wants a few of ours, they are certainly welcome to them. JMHO!

I just had about a $1,000 repair bill for my car because some rodent chewed into the wiring harness.
I have an ongoing battle with squirrels - I pick them off with a pellet rifle, and started counting - I am up to SEVENTY TWO and there are times I still see three at a time!
I have walnut, butternut, oak, hazelnut and pecan trees and the bushy-tailed rats can't stay away....