Does anyone know if a southern flying squirrel will leave an attic though a bat tube?

The tube is a 10 inch length of 2 inch PVC pointing downward at about 40 degrees from vertical.

It will depend on where the tube has been installed, how frequent of a travel pathway it covers, and the personality of the squirrel. Should a 2" PVC pipe allow a flying squirrel to crawl through? Yes, but will it crawl through and launch itself outside of the structure is a different question.

I would think that once it begins to travel down the tube, it's claws would be unable to hang on to the slippery surface of the PVC and have no choice at that time to slide completely down and out of the tube due to gravity.

Of course I'm assuming that all other entry/exit points have been sealed during the exclusion process.

Flyers,

I have video of bats crawling up and down exclusion tubes with no problem whatsoever. I can't believe that a flying squirrel will not be able to cling to the PVC if it wants to as they have better claws than the bats.

That really surprises me that their claws can grip the smooth plastic. Does this mean that bat tubes don't really work even for bats?

Bats defeating the tubes is an exception, not the rule. We have had a "tube smart" colony....it is a matter of tweaking the exit.

Proper angle of the tube is important.

--Eddie

I use 4 inch galvanized stove pipe. I have added length so it hangs over the edge of the house. It depends on the pitch of the roof. I use 1/4 inch hardware cloth, from the opening out six to twelve inches, then attach the pipe. This gets my release site away from the opening, leaves air coming out at the exit and works on small openings. Most of my openings are in overhanging eaves. I have added 1/2 in hardware cloth over the top when squirrels are possible.

I am the homeowner and just before winter, the house was 90% sealed up. I say 90% because just yesterday I noticed a new opening near the end of a drip edge. I screwed down and caulked many places like this before winter but didn't do all of them. I suspected these points as potential problems and now I know they are. These will be secured in a few weeks.

But regarding the bat tube, it sounds like most of you are telling me it probably won't work for flying squirrels. I installed it at only 7 feet up from the ground which is probably lower than it should be anyway.

On a related question, is the 1/2 inch openings on one way door cages really small enough to keep flying squirrels from escaping?

Lundy,

So you have found that southern flying squirrels cannot reenter 4 inch galvanized stove pipe when angled downward at about what angle? 40 degrees from vertical or more downward?

I guess then the plastic bag sleve your SUPPOSED to attach on the end of the tube really does serve a purpose ...
as far as bats are concerned

I use aluminium flashing. Cut to length then role up and duct tape. You can cut and trim to fit the angle you need.

Flyers, I run my end of the pipe off the edge of the roof. I will put a 90 degree elbow and another section if I need to. I use a two foot section on a 12/12 pitch roof. Anything less I add more pipe to get it hanging in open air.
I don't do many squirrels, mostly Bats, but I make sure they have to go vertical for two feet and the tube is big enough they can't reach both sides. I tried 2" pvc for Bats and saw evidence they could climb up it, on a 6/12 pitch, and went to larger pipe. I use 4" for Bats and 5" or 6" for squirrels.

Flyers,

Bat tubes work just fine as their purpose is to allow the bats to leave but not reenter the structure. I don't care is they make 1 or 10 trips to the bottom of the tube as long as they leave the tube and can't get back in. Don't think of an exclusion tube like a water slide where once you start down it, you can't reverse direction. Instead, think of exclusion as the water slide WITH the pool at the bottom. As long as everyone that uses the slide reaches the pool do why care if they chicken out at the top several times before they go down it?

In terms of 1/2 by 1 wire for catching flyers, yes that size will keep a flying squirrel contained.

Lundy,
I am planning on cutting a new hole in a soffit and running a piece of pipe vertically down from right there. Would you recommend 4 inch PVC or 5 inch stove pipe for little southern flying squirrels.

Then I will go over the whole house securing the drip edge issues that I missed last year.

I know this sounds mean, but I would like for them to fall into a bucket of water when they come out. I really don't want them to continue trying to get back in. This has been going on for years and years and I'm pretty fed up with it. I'm afraid though if they look down the pipe and see water instead of the ground they might may not come out.

Flyers,

If you plan on killing the squirrels (Ohio law does allow this), there are betters ways of doing so than an exclusion device they may not even use directed into a bucket of water. I don't think you'll be fixing your problem by doing from how you've talked about the situation, but I also understand your frustration.

WCT,
I see what you're saying. Lundy has me considering bigger pipe but by staying with the 2 inch PVC in a long term installation, it will have the advantage of keeping out the bats and birds which the 5 inch may allow to enter.

Maybe I should stay with 2 inch PVC and install it perfectly vertical.

WCT,
You told me a while back that killing them is legal in Ohio which I really appreciated knowing since I was having a difficult time making that determination at that time.

But since we have a colony here which over the decades has evolved the ability to totally ignore traps and baits, what other methods would be available for killing them?

Flyers,

The point I'm trying to make is that even killing off your existing colony only address the symptom (flying squirrels), not the problem (why they want your house). That doesn't mean that I'm opposed to them being killed, just that you may not get the desired results by doing so. Total lethal control of any species where multiple animals may be present can be difficult, time consuming, and not always effective (think of mice). Developing a lethal control program for situations like this requires knowledge of how many target animals you have, locations of target animals, and usually multiple control methods such as shooting, lethal trapping, and live capture with euthanasia. Continued lethal maintenance is then usually required to keep animals removed with habitat modification and sanitation (removal of food sources) control for optimum results.

I think you're on the right track with exclusion and home repairs and would recommend doing that in conjunction with a trapping program and probably a full attic cleaning (insulation removal, cleaning of rafters and trusses, soda/dry ice blasting, odor control or something along these lines) as well for optimum results.

Exclusion is the RULE! I seal houses so mice can't get in. Then I set snap traps to catch what is inside. I tell them to leave the snap traps set, forever, that way if the get another mouse, we can figure out why it got in.
I was just sharing what I use for an exclusion device. I totally agree with what Eric said. There are positive set live traps you can place over the hole. Then you can euthanize them however you want. Bats and birds cannot fly up a stove pipe. It is narrower than their wing span.