First ever red job, getting into stone foundation basement. I have the place littered with baited cage traps and snap traps. So far nothing. I see them on my camera. There are openings around the plumbing that I saw them use as a travel way, set those with RBGs.

Please comment any and all advice. Thanks

I would set an excluder with a nose cone to a colony trap on each identified entry/exit point. Once they are deemed removed, or excluded you can seal up the openings with chew proof material.

Problem is, the assumed entry point is inaccessible under deck. Stone foundation

No problem.

How and where are they getting under the deck to get to the foundation? Narrow it down and block all other access points off and set it up.

You can also do a ground exclusion around the deck, as you would for groundhogs and skunks. Leave one opening for a colony trap, or trap them in the basement. Make sure you have additional cages for the ones trying to get back in. Check your sills for rot and any gaps in the stone. If in doubt, foam all gaps that even a mouse could use and wait a day or two for a chew out.
99% of the time I tell customers to remove bird feeders, with reds I may tell them to start one, then annihilate them at the feeder. Reds are always a challenge, and about 5% of the time they will be high like a gray, but mostly the situation you have.

thing thats confusing me the most is they're just completely ignoring my baited traps. I've caught tons of squirrels with the exact same bait combo, so I know it works. a local friend recommended using actual walnuts, so I'm getting some and trying that tomorrow with PB

Red squirrels can be finicky to cage trap. Forced trapping and exclusion are the best course of action on them many times.

X2

x3. An empty cage at the entry is just as good as baited. And being at ground level, you don't have to worry about bait drawing in non-targets.

Caches of food in the basement can supply them for a long time. I ended up going around and physically removing all of the black walnuts from the stashes all around the basement and excluding pockets I couldn’t get into clean. That job even had them chewing holes in the customer’s stored emergency water once they couldn’t find it anywhere else. Red squirrel jobs are like rat and raccoon jobs. Sometimes you just get a really hard one.

Find some actual Pecans or Corn on the cob instead.

Update to all, so after positive setting the entry point under she deck and putting a camera on it, no action. Customer still reported sounds in the walls and first floor ceiling. I’m now thinking I may have the rare case of a red getting in up high. Chimney has 2 flues, on is uncovered. He may be entering up there (walnut trees overhang the roof) and traveling down chimney into basement /wall cavities. There is an ash clean out at the base of the chimney in the basement. I covered that with strips of tape, we’ll see if that’s disturbed when I return.

These things are horrible.

Possibility of flying squirels, mice / rats or multiple problems ? What time is the activity being heard?

Daylight hours. I have at least one squirrel on my game camera inside the basement. They definitely have mice too but they’re not worried about them…

I’m thinking there has to be a gap in the chimney somewhere allowing him to access the floor cavity from inside.

Don't rule out a burrow, especially if there's a dead tree root close to the foundation. Also an open floor drain in the basement. I've seen them use both. Reds are just a smidgen easier than rats. Look for a midden under a pine or walnut tree and get out the air rifle. All options are appropriate for reds.

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wistrapper97 ,
I've seen some big middens (feeding/food storage areas) some outside , common here is finding them near a spruce tree that have the pine cones the size and shape of an ear of corn , smoother on the outside compared to other pine cones. Some middens inside like inside a lawn shed or attic. The stuff there would easily fill the bed of a compact pickup. Most of these are located within 100ft of the animal. Knowing where the midden is can be important to the animals travel routes and where it will be able to help catch it.

After catching the animal/animals , sell the exclusion and clean up. This is where the good money is made doing ADC work.

If the midden is located inside , you can easily charge $500 or more in some places to do a bio-hazard ish clean up. Most homeowners will not touch a job like that. They would prefer to have someone skilled to do the dirty deed. A decent wet/dry vac and protective clothing with a mandatory respirator useage , is all you need.

I’ve been keep an eye out for floor drains, this house doesn’t seem to have them. The one burrow I did find leads into the basement I have set with a pass thru comstock trap. I was 99% sure that was my entry point. Then customer reported the usual sounds/scampering in first floor ceiling. But nothing in my trap. Which tells me he’s getting inside from a different point. Has to be the chimney flue .

I’ll Check for middens when I go back.

First floor ceiling is typical for a ground entry red. Get on your hands and knees and go all the way around the house, I'll bet you missed a hole around the foundation sill. Under the deck is tough if you can't crawl under.