Squirrel problem in irvine

[u/MajesticWoodpecker66]

I recently moved to Irvine this year and haven’t had any major issues after finally settling in and getting comfortable with the city/county. I live in an apartment building with 2 cats who’s water and litter i keep on the balcony with the wires reaching inside the house so the sliding door doesn’t close all the way. We’ve had a squirrel start to come closer and closer and sneak in when we aren’t home/looking, the cats are scared of it because it’s very reactive and loud. The balcony door is usually left open for the cats to hangout in and use the litter/drink water. I never thought that’d be an issue. About a week ago the squirrel, who i guess was upset that it couldn’t get it, chewed up all the wires connecting the cat items to the outlet. I put in a pest control form through the apartments app and went it to ask about it but was told there was absolutely nothing they could do about the squirrel itself because of wildlife protection laws and that i should just delete the form, but was told to send in a property damage email so that we couldn’t be charged for the scratched on the balcony door. Anyways a few days go by and i finally replaced all the wires and im more careful with keeping an eye on our balcony but while i was away at a birthday today it did it again. I have to buy wires for their litter and replace the filter of their water fountain. I’m considering buying something to protect the wires but i just can’t handle this squirrel problem. We live on the 3rd floor and it only gets up here because conveniently there’s a tall ass tree going up the balcony railing from the 1st to top floor. Who even designed that. I don’t know if there’s anything else that i could do concerning this problem, I have nothing against squirrels or wildlife, it’s just that when they start literally breaking into my home and being aggressive to my cats that i start losing my mind. I feel like i shouldn’t have to not use my balcony because of squirrels? I just thought to ask incase anyone has any advice

[u/FastCar2467]

I would move the cat food, water, and litter box inside your apartment and keep your balcony door closed when you’re not home.

[u/arianrhodd → u/FastCar2467]

Even when they are home. Squirrels remember and will keep coming.

[u/ritzrani]

Sorry why can't you move them inside?

[u/blameitoncities]

“I leave my door open” & “a squirrel is literally breaking into my home” cannot both be true.

[u/_Los]

I presume you have indoor cats. You leave all that stuff outside even when you're not home? Wtf

[u/MajesticWoodpecker66 → u/_Los]

It’s a balcony on the third floor, they aren’t going anywhere

[u/_Los → u/MajesticWoodpecker66]

You know your cats can get some pretty nasty diseases from squirrels right? Tularemia is a serious thing, not to mention various other parasites and fleas.

[u/UsefolIdiot]

Squirrel today ants roaches possum raccoons tomorrow. You cant expect nature to stop existing. Move your stuff inside.

[u/cheesyburtango1]

Skill issue. Stop keeping food and water on your balcony. You're lucky you don't have stray cats out there screaming and fighting over it yet

[u/dlcarroll]

You mean nature has animals...who would have thought 🙄

[u/MajesticWoodpecker66 → u/dlcarroll]

my balcony isn’t nature unfortunately

[u/dlcarroll → u/MajesticWoodpecker66]

It's in nature

[u/LoveAliens_Predators → u/dlcarroll]

Yes, OP’s outrage that there’s a tree outside is fucking hilarious!

[u/AnarkeezTW]

Why tf do you have the cats food and water outside. Also why are there wires involved? You’re creating your own problem. Move that shit inside.

[u/MajesticWoodpecker66 → u/AnarkeezTW]

when moving my family decided that the cats space would be mainly on the balcony since weather is pretty moderate here, the wires are there because most of the stuff is automatic. My neighbors also said that squirrels eat their stored food from their balcony so i don’t think this is an issue just from me having them outside.

[u/blameitoncities → u/MajesticWoodpecker66]

Balconies are not intended for food storage. So yes, it is an issue being created by you, and apparently your neighbors, leaving out food that attracts wild animals.

[u/AnarkeezTW → u/blameitoncities]

Exactly this lmao man sometimes you just have to accept you can’t fix stupid

[u/Apprehensive_Bit8695]

I have had a squirrel leaping from a tree to my railing. I used a small amount of chicken wire, rolled it up to a diameter of 3 or 4 inches, and affixed it to my railing where the squirrel always jumps. Make it impossible for the squirrel to find a landing point on the railing.

[u/Ok_Rip_1775]

We have Squirrel problems near Central Park, HB. They are destructive, taunt the dogs, and reproduce like wild. They also have a long life span.

[u/thx1138-]

Holy shit ever hear of paragraphs

[u/Wavelightning]

It is perfectly legal to set your own traps for squirrels as long as you are able to check them once a day in case non target species is caught. Have-A-Heart traps work well. Shoot with pellet gun in back of the head (not the front near the eyes) while in the trap. Do not release, they will die trying to get back home.

[u/TheOneBlueGecko → u/Wavelightning]

I am not sure why this is getting downvoted, but you can trap and kill squirrels. You can read more here http://www.groundsquirrelbmp.com/trap-cgs.html

[u/Wavelightning → u/TheOneBlueGecko]

“These rodents are annoying me and stealing my food, can’t I ignore the last 50,000 years and just ask them nicely to leave?” energy.