Showerthought: my bathroom fan repair turned into a battle with a squirrel

Honestly, I had a choice last Tuesday: either take apart the whole bathroom ceiling vent to see why the fan was humming, or just ignore it and hope it fixed itself. I picked the first one, and ngl, it was a wild ride. After I got the cover off, I found a huge stash of dog food kibble and a very angry, fluffy tail staring back at me from the duct. The squirrel had been using my attic like a pantry for weeks. I had to gently coax it out with a broom and a trail of peanuts to the window, all while my cat watched like it was the best show ever. Now I have to patch a hole in the soffit and figure out how to animal-proof the vent cap. Has anyone else had a 'fix it' project turn into wildlife control? What did you use to seal things up for good?

4 comments

4 Comments

lunab971mo ago

That exact thing happened with my shed. Steel wool is the real answer for keeping them out. Stuff it into any gaps or holes before you put the wire mesh over it. They hate the feel of it on their teeth and won't chew through. A layer of that, then some hardware cloth screwed over the vent opening, has kept the raccoons out for two years now.

michael_craig25d agoMost Upvoted

Ha, bet the raccoons are real polite about it now too!

kelly.daniel25d agoMost Upvoted

Dive-bombed by a robin" haha, that's rough. I had a similar deal with a squirrel once - I swear it stared me down through the window after I patched a hole in the soffit, like I'd personally ruined its retirement plans. Steel wool really is the gold standard though (learned that the hard way after a possum figured out how to pop out a loose vent). I just wish they'd make it in a color that doesn't look so obvious if you can't get it tucked in all the way.

drew9061mo ago

Oh man, the universe just loves turning a simple fix into a nature documentary... my last attempt at patching a hole ended with me getting dive-bombed by a robin who was very upset about her nest site. Steel wool is a solid tip, though I'm pretty sure if I try it, I'll just find out the squirrels in my neighborhood have evolved metal teeth or something.