I feel for ya. That sucks. I can relate but it was a much easier to remedy. I once had my daughter's teenage kitten in the duct work here. damm thing was a climbing acrobatic machine. Still is. Anyway, I was remodeling and adding on here so I had exposed framing and open duct work for some time and Wha La. Came home to a meowing cat stuck inside the system. I dicked around trying to get her out for hours (it took about 6 total) and I was about to start cutting drywall and dropping duct work. Then the sound was closer to one particular vent so I took it off of the wall (a high supply air grille) and kept calling her. Eventually she came and I could reach in and grab her. She had made it to the opposite end of the house by then from where she went in. Boy was she pizzed off and out of sorts. Funny now but it wasn't then. Good Luck! I think a squirrel would be monumentally tougher to get out. Then if it stays and dies you have a problem there. Wear some thick gloves when you do go for it. I'd try to bait it, etc; You are going to have to do what you have to and I'm not sure what. Maybe try to isolate it in certain area then work it out some how. Maybe try a mesh bag attached so it sees day light and scare it out into that............ Might have to get real creative.
I got him, hadn't heard anything all day and was feeling kind of discouraged. In bed, trying to go to sleep when I hear him moving in the duct. I still had that pillow case duct taped over the vent so I went and crouched by it. I waited maybe 10 minutes there listening to him run back and forth and then sure as heck I see the pillow case moving, I quick snatched it up and closed the top tight one flying squirrel in a bag I sent him on his way back into the woods
After I had him there in the bag I laughed for like 10 minutes straight because I couldn't believe that it worked
I was going to suggest having rottiman drop Bear off for you. He'd take care of that squirrel, "Snots" style. I'm glad you got it, and hopefully it stays well away from your house since you were merciful on Christmas.
Every now and then a blind squirrel finds an nut ............. or a flying version a pillow case. That was pure good luck and perfect timing right there. I was telling my wife about it and she remembered our cat ordeal. Either way animals are not OEM parts of any HVAC system. It's great you got him out but what are the odds? At the time he was hemmed up in the pillow case was likely a great X-Mas present at that moment.
The odds of it all are what floor me, I thought for half a second about trying to take a picture of him in the pillow case, but given the fact that it would be almost impossible to catch him if he got back out, I used what small amount of common sense that I possess and took him right outside
This thread has educated me somewhat. If that is possible for such a dense hardwood headed person......... I researched the flying squirrels and knew of them but never gave it much thought. I have been in the woods at night many, many times over the years but can honestly say I have never seen a flying squirrel or at least seen one gliding. Nor recognized anything to be one. I had to leave my NVG's Night Vision Goggles when I left the military so it's hard to look for these little flying punks at night when you can't see. They are pretty fascinating and many like myself never pay any attention. They are throughout the entire east side of the US both North and South. Many times more common than the other frequently seen common squirrels. Crazy! Some areas have both the Northern flying and the Southern in the same state. Ohio I believe. Now I will be on the lookout more closely. I'd like to see one but I am not so pumped up about it that I want to chase one around inside my house. I will pay closer attention because I'm sure they are right outside my door here in Northern KY. Pretty cool little critters. Well,,,, cool for a tree rat anyway.
Not sure if I had another one or the same one got back in but it didn't end so nicely this time. 22. Bird shot good to know, how badly would it damage interior walls?
I sure hope not, I'm tired of waking up in the middle of the night to my cat chasing something around the house.
