Q: We recently had our house painted. Suddenly something is chewing on the siding, window sills and other areas. There were some boards replaced so I suppose some creature could be trying to get to something they hid behind damaged siding. However, the “chewed” areas are in various places around the house. What’s your guess?

A: My guess is squirrels. A co-worker recently sent me pictures of several pieces of the thick aluminum wire used to secure chain link fence to steel posts. A homeowner had noticed a squirrel gnawing on the fence and took photos to document the damage. If they will chew metal, I guess squirrels will chew anything. Your mention that some boards were replaced gives another intriguing possibility. Is there any chance you covered the access hole a female squirrel was using to get to her babies in the attic? Wildlife experts say that mama squirrels will chew desperately to get back to their family. About all you can do to prevent the damage is to put a nasty-tasting repellant like Ropel on the surfaces they tend to find tasty.

Q: I would like to offer a suggestion regarding the recent letter concerning squirrels chewing on a house. We have also had a problem with them chewing on the house. I still do not understand why they do this, but I decided to try providing them with alternative chewing materials. I placed sections of plastic PVC pipe in locations near their favorite trees. I wired the pipe onto a chain link fence so that it would provide a stationery base for them to attack. Out of five chewing stations around the yard, one was discovered immediately and all but one are now receiving regular visitors. They are leaving the house alone and I am amazed when I see how much they have chewed off. It makes living with squirrels much easier.

A: I can’t explain it either but I’d love other folks to give your method a try and report to me their results!