Kinda pool related, but kinda not (Pool shed and critters)

[Wolfmarsh]

So, we put our christmas stuff in the large shed in the back, which is also where we keep the pool toys.

I noticed the floor started looking like someone was having a party with confetti. Turns out, some kind of rodent is eating our boxes and has even eaten through some of the plastic rubbermaid containers.

So, without completely thinking this through, I put some poison pellets down in the shed. Moved the pool toys out so they didnt get eaten, and waited.

Well, I waited a bit too long. Its been a couple of weeks, I have the day off from work, and I decided I should go check on the shed and maybe clean it up.

I open the door and BLAM!, a smell that I can only describe as the nastiest pure f'ing disgusting Rear i have ever smelled comes rolling out.

So in my grand plan, i forgot that when the things were killed by the poison, they were probably going to die among our christmas stuff, and all over the floor. It looks like a squirrel graveyard in there. It smells WAY too nasty to clean out right now.

So, if anyone wants a free vacation in Charleston, SC, feel free to come clean out the shed. My wife is a great cook, and thanks to this site, we have a sparkling pool.

Any suggestions on how to tackle this without setting a couple of cans of febreeze on the floor and nailing them with a rifle?

 

[tagprod]

Gonna have to man up and knock it out. Better you than me :-D

 

[Rangeball]

Re: Kinda pool related, but kinda not (Pool shed and critter

It looks like a squirrel graveyard in there.

My wife is a great cook.

Any suggestions on how to tackle this without setting a couple of cans of febreeze on the floor and nailing them with a rifle?

Looks like you answered your own question...

 

[Wolfmarsh]

It looks like a squirrel graveyard in there.

My wife is a great cook.

Now thats just nasty

 

[tagprod]

ain't nuthin wrong with bbq'd squirrel. Thems good vittles... :lol:

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

ain't nuthin wrong with bbq'd squirrel. Thems good vittles... :lol:

Not if theys been D-Conned fust...

 

[crazycanuck]

tyvek suit, charcoal filtered mask, rubber gloves, bleach, trash bags... sopranos style.

 

[Wolfmarsh]

Hah, sopranos style.

I did go out there with a respirator and a shovel and got the dead one I can see out. The maggots almost put me over the edge.

Now im letting it air out before I go in and start getting everything out.

I just hope our christmas stuff isnt ruined.

 

[From_Arizona]

Wel, Christmas is a few months away...you culd let nature take it's course and clean up after everything has been dried up?? May be a little less of a smelly mess after all decayed and dried up.

 

[Wolfmarsh]

Ok, i struck back in the battle of the squirrels today. We cleaned the shed out, moved everything up to the new ceiling mounted storage racks i put up in the garage (after cleaning it all out).

I then stapled chicken wire over all of the roof eave openings on the inside of the shed.

My BBB skills came in handy also, I covered the entire floor with bleach to get rid of any organic squirrel remains and then hosed it out after a couple hours.

Take that you ******** (the squirrels).

 

[From_Arizona]

Hmmmm - Sounds like you stepped up to the plate and manned up to the project - good job!!

Hope you are having an awesome weekend!!

 

[AnnaK]

My sympathies on the critter invasion, wolfmarsh! You did an excellent job dealing with a nasty situation.

Here, we have groundhogs (woodchucks, marmots) which dig under sheds, concrete steps, houses, and, yes, pools. My pool is pretty safe from them because of the dogs but we did have some considerable trouble with burrows under the shed. The solution, and this would work for rodents in your shed as well, is moth balls. The old fashioned kind, the naphthalene ones.

We dropped a few balls down the GH holes and backfilled with dirt. Left one hole open for those that might have been in the burrow to escape. The next day, we backfilled that hole as well. I haven't seen any GH evidence since then and this is several years ago. Naphthalene is also what's in Snake-Away which is a powdery substance you can scatter around the perimeter of your property if you have snakes.

Smells bad. I don't mind it so much in the shed but my husband can't stand it. Still and all, it's kept the mice out of the camping gear and the snakes out of my garden.

Anna

 

[SeanB]

What kind of poison did you use?

Usually a Decon type product will keep them from dieing in your house / shed, etc, because it dehydrates them and they leave seeking water. I always use traps myself though. That way I know exactly where to find the corpse.

 

[mbar]

:super: unkrock: To Wolfmarsh, now go and relax!

 

[jj]

In my housekeeping experience I have always wondered why people didn't secure their premises.
Even when we were young, on ranches, in ranch houses, I would go through and tack down can lids over holes, plug around drain pipes with steel wool, caulk, whatever it took to secure my home.
People see to think rodents are something you have to live with and they aren't!
Your homebuilder leaves them simply because he is too irresponsible to have or pay or make sure his men to do a neat job.
I should add ....this goes for outbuildings also. We have many, in the woods, homebuilt from scraps and not a rodent in them! jenn