So grossed out/freaked out by a squirrel!

[WatchingThemGrow]

We've had squirrels in our attic two different summers. It cost us a LOT to have them professionally removed. We park our van in the carport and getting all 3 DC out and into the car means that sometimes I forget to shut the doors right away. I usually walk back by the window with the remote and shut the doors after everyone has landed inside/removed shoes/washed hands etc. So, it's not forever that the van stays open, but I'll be changing that practice now....

Last night we went to the gym, then this morning we did the preschool dropoff before heading to the children's museum. When we got there, I pulled out the BJCED for DS2 and my friend's DD, and a freaking squirrel jumped out of the stroller as it was unfolding! :47: Totally freaked me out. I used an antibacterial wipe to clean up the stroller, and we went on with our day. We got back home after picking up DD, and I realized the squirrel gnawed on the van's rear seatbelt in multiple places! The dealership can replace it tomorrow afternoon (thank goodness for shuttle driver who will drop us all back home then take the car to the shop) but what else do you think I should be inspecting in the car? Obviously, I'll pull out the carseats for when it goes to the shop so the mechanics can GET in the backseat/trunk area. We currently keep 4 seats plus a double and a single stroller in there,lol. Ewwww, ewwww, ewwwww....

[TxCat]

Ew. I'm having the creepy-crawly feeling just reading that. I hate squirrels. I still remember my freshman year of college (campus was inundated with psychotic squirrels), opening the passenger door of the car I was sitting in, window all the way down, and simultaneously a squirrel fell/leaped out of the tree above me, landed on the car door window railing and hissed at me. I was terrified.

Ack. Shivers just thinking about it.

[happymom]

Eww, I also don't like squirrels. My coworker just told me a story about how she once walked into her kitchen and was greeted by a squirrel sitting ON HER COUNTER eating some candy! She called her DH freaking out and his response? What do you want me to do? I'm 45 minutes away from home.

Men! :rolleye0014:

[DietCokeLover]

Oh, I would need some strong medication after that.

[KathyN115]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I am so sorry! And I can relate a little. A few years ago, before DD was born, DH and I had just gone to bed, when we heard something in the living room. DH goes to check it out, and yells for me to come out there. Well, there was a SQUIRREL running around our living room. OMG. So he tries to catch it in a garbage can with the broom, and it starts running right toward ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was holding a swiffer (?) and BAM, I hit him with it. I almost had a heart attack. DH put him outside, but he had pooped all over our house. Yuck. It took months before I could sleep with the bedroom door open again. And now I HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE them. They are just rats with fluffy tails.

[Kungjo]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

So he tries to catch it in a garbage can with the broom, and it starts running right toward ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was holding a swiffer (?) and BAM, I hit him with it. I almost had a heart attack.

Sorry, but this cracked me up. LOL. I would have done the same thing and then freak out afterwards. Hate those suckers.

[Jo]

I don't mind them in the yard, but I would pee my pants if I found one in the car.

[twowhat?]

When I was in college, the campus squirrels would chuck acorns at students walking beneath the trees. I kid you not. And, from personal experience, it HURTS to get pelted by a squirrel.

[soon2b4]

Okay, first let me say I am sorry for you.
BUT, I am so enjoying all of these stories! Thank you for making me laugh at the end of this yuck of a day.
:ROTFLMAO:
ETA: And I agree, those darn squirrels have good aim and strong little arms - it hurts when they throw acorns and pecans at you!

[DrSally]

Um, yeah, I had that happen with a mouse. DH left the van door open AND a bag of sugar coated popcorn in the van. I came out to find mouse droppings all over the van. Talk about utterly disgusted. I cleaned it up and even with the van door shut, I still found droppings the next morning. I never did find the mouse, I assume it died somewhere, but it still bugs me that I never found it (no more droppings).

ETA: it also ate some of the foam from the recessed seats. I was so, so thoroughly disgusted.

[citymama]

Eeeeks! That would freak me out!

My DD is crazy about squirrels and I attribute it to a creepy 9 months of living with squirrels nesting in our *walls* while I was pregnant with her. Ughgggh. Hated the darn rodents. After months of complaining, our landlord finally had some guys come and physically remove the nests and squirrels and board up the entry point, but I am sure they figured out how to return the next winter - by which point, we had moved out.

Not helpful at all, but have your kids read Those Darn Squirrels? (http://www.amazon.com/Those-Darn-Squirrels-Adam-Rubin/dp/0547007035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306385004&sr=8-1)

Might help with keeping sane while you figure out how to make your home unappealing to squirrels!

[JoyNChrist]

Well y'all will be completely icked out by this, but in high school I rescued three baby fox squirrels whose mother was killed when my grandpa cut down the tree they were nesting in. They were teeny tiny and hairless. I fed them puppy formula with eyedroppers (setting my alarm to wake me up every two hours at night...great practice for having babies), then bottles when they got bigger. After about 6 months I found a wildlife rescue that would take them (none would take them initially because they said they would just die) and they were successfully reintroduced to the wild several months later.

They were really neat...they would run up my arms and shoulders and play with my hair. I can feel you all shuddering right now. ;)

But a wild squirrel in my van would have shocked me too.

[WatchingThemGrow]

These stories are freaking me out worse! Ody is currently at the shop, getting the $400ish service of seatbelt replacement. waaaaah.

I need to refer back to KrisM's thread about how to stock a van since I pulled EVERYTHING out of it for the intensive cleaning they are going to do.

[zoestargrove]

I can't read past the first few posts. I've had a few run-ins with rogue squirrels in my life. Just reading these posts is making me feel queezy.

OP, I'm sorry. I would have FREAKED out!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Just in case you ever need to replace the seatbelt in your Odyssey, it is $390. (barf)