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Unpopular opinion: Ornamental fence toppers are more trouble than they're worth after my squirrel incident.
Honestly, trying to add decorative finials to a client's picket fence led to a whole family of squirrels setting up camp in them, and now I'm the neighborhood squirrel relocation expert.
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the_adam8mo ago
Seriously, @noahmartin, wire mesh just redirects the problem instead of solving it. Those determined squirrels will just chew into the eaves or attic next. The fancy toppers basically become a welcome sign pointing to your house.
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jana_hart186mo ago
Around my neighborhood in Portland, we had this exact same issue with a condo complex last spring. They put up the fancy netting and mesh, but the squirrels just chewed through the soffits in three different spots. What nobody talks about is trimming back the tree branches that hang over your roof. My neighbor finally solved his problem by cutting every branch that was within 5 feet of his roofline. Squirrels need a launching pad, and if there's no tree or power line close enough, they can't make the jump. It's way cheaper than those toppers and actually stops them from getting near the house in the first place. Just make sure you don't have any ivy or vines growing up the siding either because that's basically a squirrel highway.
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diana_ramirez8mo ago
That whole squirrel relocation expert thing you mentioned is too real! Once squirrels move in, it's like they own the place. I feel for you, dealing with that mess after just trying to make a fence look nice.
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