Hello Group, I'm relatively new to the group having been a lurker for years, now I have a concern. My wife and I built a log home in the 80's and added an addition to it two years ago. Both the house and the addition are prone to gnawing by squirrels but the house's damage is almost invisible due to the nature of its texture. The addition is a different story. The squirrels chew the lower edge of the vinly "fake shake" siding. We have been able to minimize their attacks by rubbing soap along the edges but this creates a filmy appearance and does not last very long. I thought about replacing the siding (by GENTEK) but that is an ordeal as it will require taking down the entire face from the top to get the bottom panels replaced. The GENTEK product looks great but it has a few disadvantages when it comes to replacing sections. Anyway, I'm getting off track. I want to replace the siding with something less susceptable to squirrels assaults. Cedar was the first thought but we wanted something requiring less maintenance that a natural wood product since we already spend some time maintaining the log walls. Hardy plank came into thought but I wonder if that too would be a source of chewing gratification for the squirrels. Has anybody here ever seen squirrels gnawing on Hardy Plank? Any "barrier" type applications recommended to keep the squirrels away for long periods. I've tried soap. cayyenne pepper and shooting the beasts (The latter is the most fun but it does not get them all- we live in a densely wooded area) We don't want to apply poisons as we raise ducks and geese and sometimes they come up to the decks. Siding and reppellent recommendations welcome. You can even reply directly to duckbiteATqisDOTnet
Thanks in advance, Marc