How To Remove Squirrels From the Attic

Because of how common they are, squirrels may not seem like a member of wildlife that needs to be removed from your yard, but like many other animals you may discover in your area, they can cause serious damage to your home or space. Not to mention, also like many other members of wildlife, they can carry dangerous bacteria and diseases that could be spread to the family and friends occupying the home. Here is a great resource at squirrelattic.com to learn more about how squirrels can invade your attic and how to remove them.

Seeing one or two squirrels in your yard may not be cause for immediate concern, but consistently seeing many of them in your yard or area may eventually lead to a home invasion. It may be best to move forward and prevent any further squirrels from coming onto your space by trimming your trees or changing your birdseed. Trimming any trees that overhang your house can be helpful in preventing squirrels from reaching the inside of your house. Certain birdseed can also attract and be enjoyable for squirrels, so switching that out can be helpful in prevention as well. You can install motion-sensor sprinklers in your house and even purchase a plastic owl to place on your fence or in your yard somewhere to deter them from the space.

If you are hearing scurrying and scratching in your home or attic, it may be too late for these prevention methods. Those methods are perfect to implement after the animals are removed from your attic, but for now, if you hear squirrels INSIDE of your home, removing those is now the priority.

Squirrels likely made their way into your attic through small openings, cracks, or weaknesses in your walls or roof. You will know that they are present when you hear scurrying or scratching in the attic, water damage to your walls or ceilings, and strong, foul odors coming from the space. You will also likely see teeth marks from chewing or footprints in dusty or dirty areas.

The first step in removing squirrels from your attic is finding their exact location. You need to know where their nest currently is to be able to efficiently and thoroughly remove them from the space. You also need to know how they made their way into space. Knowing how they got in and what entry and exit points they use are crucial to removal. 

All the entry and exit points except for one will need to be filled, covered, or repaired in order to properly remove all of the squirrels and keep any from being able to make their way back in during the removal. The entry/exit point that was left open should be easily accessible and a space that the squirrels frequently use to move in and out of the space. This hole needs to be covered with a one-way trap door. This door is useful because the squirrels will need to exit the space at some point. Whether they are going out for food or nesting materials, they will need to leave the area to gather what they need. If the trap door is placed on the only current entry point, they will not be able to return. The trap door lets them out, but not in.

Depending on your state’s laws regarding entrapment and relocation, once they are out of the door they can be removed and relocated to another area at least five miles from the space. A professional will be able to guide you on what your state’s laws are regarding animal trapping and relocation.

If you have discovered squirrels in your home or space and would like a professional’s guidance or assistance throughout the removal process, you can give NY Wildlife Control a call. We have the experience and expertise to remove the animals and keep them away for good.

How To Remove Squirrels From the Chimney

Squirrels are one of the most common types of wild animal intruders across properties all over the United States. And while they may appear cute at first, squirrels can cause just as much damage as any other type of predator. This is why you’ll want to take the appropriate steps and have the squirrels removed as quickly as possible if you discover any on your property.

Expert Advice: Your pet, often your dog, may be tempted to chase the squirrel, but this can cause your pet to become injured, and possibly even infected with the disease. So if you do have wild animals on your property, we suggest that you keep your pets indoors, until the wild animal has been safely removed.

That being said, let’s talk a bit about what you can do if you discover you’ve got squirrels living in your chimney.

First of all, what are squirrels doing in your chimney?

Well, squirrels are known for their skills as climbers, which is how they often end up on roofs. And from there, if your chimney isn’t covered, it’s a quick way down your chimney which often makes for excellent nesting ground, as it’s isolated and offers some safety.

What are the dangers of having squirrels in your chimney?

The main danger of a squirrel nesting in your chimney is that, come autumn, the squirrel itself, as well as the materials used for building the nest become a serious fire hazard. When you light a fire in your fireplace, these can easily catch fire, putting your property, as well as you and your family at serious risk. This is why you want to remove squirrels as soon as possible.

So How do you remove squirrels from your chimney?

You can help them escape.

A popular method involves hanging a length of thick rope from the top of your chimney. This gives the squirrel an easy and quick way to escape. 

Try scaring it with noise.

Squirrels are also prone to fleeing if there are loud noises around. A good way to dislodge wild animals from inside your chimney is to cause intense noise, using speakers, a radio, or even hitting pots and pans together near the mouth of the fireplace.

Trap them.

We strongly recommend using humane live traps, which are the same as normal traps, but without the killing. You can set a trap, baited with peanut butter, for example, either along the roof, or down by the mouth of the fireplace, to attract the squirrel. Once the animal is safely secured inside, use the trap to relocate it to an area where it won’t bother you (or anyone else).

Call a professional.

If other methods fail, there’s always the possibility of calling a wildlife removal professional, like Magic Touch Exterminating and Wildlife Control. Not only will they trap and remove the squirrel itself, but they will also inspect your chimney and roof, and figure out what’s wrong. They will then advise you on future prevention, and help you eliminate possible attraction points, to deter wildlife from approaching. 

Some professionals might even help fix the damage caused by the intrusive squirrel, so it might be worth giving them a call.

What to do next…

Trapping and removing the bothersome squirrel is only the first step in squirrel-proofing your home. It’s important that once your chimney has been cleared, you install a chimney cap. This will prevent wild animals from getting in, as well as protect the insides of your chimney against rain or other types of weather damage, so make sure you cover up!