our tin at the bottom of the barn is being destroyed by something, cats, rabbits, skunk etc. gun out of question as i haven't caught anything in the act. what do you guys suggest to deter these. i will try anything. isnt there something that i spray around the barn that wont hurt horses but run everything else off? thanks
critters tearing up bottom of barn!!
- Thread starter SuperDave
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TXBobcat
Well-known member
SuperDave":1l8povvn said:
I wouldn't think it would be cats, skunks, etc that is tearing up a metal barn. Are you sure it's not the horses doing the damage? What kind of damage is it - dented, etc? How high up does it extend? Any hair left behind on the edges of the tin?
If you suspect varmits, you might set some live traps.
I had 2 woodchucks, or groundhogs (are they the same) that made holes in the tin, and I assumed living in the walls. One the dog killed, and the other moved to the neighbors with her 4 babies. Saw them running around the outside of the barn in the early AM.
certherfbeef
Well-known member
Sounds like opossums to me. Plug one once a week here.
SuperDave":2vfrwhpt said:
Where do you live Dave? Sounds like dillers to me. I don't know if moth balls work on them or not. If it is a diller they are kind of hard to trap also. I have used a baseball bat on them but it make a mess on me and the walls.
Are you seeing any ground torn up?
Bama
Well-known member
I was thinking diller also. I havn't saw any damage to tin yet. I have saw where thay will dig down next to it though.
Turkey Run
Active member
Racoons
Bama
Well-known member
SuperDave":nwncif1z said:
Diller is armadillo, the best description is a possum on a half shell. They have strong claws and dig for grubs and such. They are in the south. I don't know where your from. They are slowly moving north. I'm in North Al. we just got them about 10 -15 years ago. I ain't never seen tin damaged by one, but I guess its possible.
milesvb
Well-known member
SuperDave":1kyp3anl said:
If there are teeth marks then I'm pretty sure it isn't an armadillo.
sounds like you got you some big wharf rats, SuperDave. good luck with that.
try sprinkling a buttload of pepper around there. if its anything with a sensitive olfactory they'll be turned off. or at the very least be easy to find. AHHchoooooooo!
try sprinkling a buttload of pepper around there. if its anything with a sensitive olfactory they'll be turned off. or at the very least be easy to find. AHHchoooooooo!
sidney411
Well-known member
I sure couldn't see why any critter would chew on tin. Must be one heck of a set of chompers. What about a beaver?
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
Im betting its groundhogs seen them do it alot
I have to go for the woodchuck, groundhog theory. I have a pair with young ones that chewed through the wood on the bottom of the feed shed, then through the tin inside and are making paths in the walls. They pulled the tin out so it looks like someone shot a cannon through the wall, then tore out all the insulation and threw it out the hole. So far all the lights still work in there.
i like the cannon analogy, thats darn funny. i will buy all the moth balls and pepper i can find and put it everywhere. i'll try to get some pictures on here. im in oklahoma and yes i do have a "dillo" problem but im pretty sure they aren't near the barn, they just leave holes everywhere and make lawn mowing very bumpy. those things are funny though, they'll stick their whole head in the ground and i'll walk up and tap them on shell and scare the hell out of them. they are suprisingly FAST! my dog wont mess with'em guess thats why they stick around. i would buy some live traps but those things cost about 50 a pop. anybody have any homemade ideas for a trap. thanks everybody!
Turkey Run
Active member
anybody have any homemade ideas for a trap. thanks everybody![/quote].22
farmer rich
Well-known member
.22[/quote]Turkey Run":20ykvh45 said:
Got a good rat trap. Kind of hard to describe.
Basically a large oil drum with a free turning bar over the top with planks leading up. You bait the middle of the bar. When the rat climbs along it to get at the bait the bar rolls and he drops into the barrel. How you dispose of the rats is up to you, but a terrier works pretty well.
