Squirrels in your attic are loud, dirty, dangerous, and can damage your home. Once a female squirrel establishes a nest, you may have a litter of squirrels that are helpless without her. Don’t let squirrels get comfortable. Take steps today to make sure squirrels are gone tomorrow.
Squirrels bring a host of worries with them when they enter your home. Not only will they cause damage to wood and insulation, they may chew electrical wires that could spark a fire. They mark their territory with urine, can transmit salmonella through their waste, and frequently carry fleas and ticks. We’ll tell you how to get rid of squirrels in your attic and how to keep them out.
The pitter patter of tiny paws is the most common indication that a squirrel got in your attic. Scurrying, scratching, and chewing sounds are all common and squirrels tend to remain active all day. In some cases, squirrels may also find their way into your wall cavities.
Other signs of squirrels include footprints, exterior damage near your attic, teeth marks, odors, and small round waste pellets. Don’t wait to schedule a service with Varment Guard if you notice any of these squirrel signs, you’ll want to evict them before they establish residency.
Can Squirrels Damage My Roof?
Squirrels can damage shingles, fascia, insulation, and electrical wiring. They are rodents, which means that their teeth never stop growing and they need to continuously chew in order to keep that growth in check.
Squirrel teeth benefit from a special enamel coating that allows them to crack hard nuts. Those same reinforced teeth can find a way through your siding, decking or ventilation. Squirrels have also been known to peel up shingles, leaving behind holes that lead to water damage.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attic
If you’ve confirmed that you have an infestation of squirrels in your attic, you should start with calling a professional wildlife technician. Trapping squirrels can be tricky and dangerous. A technician from Varment Guard can help you get the squirrels out of your attic and keep them out in the future.
Most states have strict laws that must be followed to trap them. Our wildlife technicians are knowledgeable and fully licensed. They can help rid your home of nuisance squirrels. Some of the steps they follow while trapping squirrel are:
- Locating the entry points. Squirrels commonly chew their way in through fascia, boards, soffits, gable vents, ridge vents, dormer corners and other roof junctions.
- Trap the squirrels. Varment Guard uses a variety of traps to capture squirrels from baited live traps to funnel traps that live catch the squirrels as they exit the structure.
- Repair and Prevent. Once the squirrels are removed by live-trapping, our technicians will seal all the entry points where the squirrels have entered your attic. They will also provide exclusion to the other common weak areas of your home that the squirrels could use to get back in, preventing future issues.
- Attic Remediation. Squirrels are messy, and often leave behind quite a bit of damage. Once the squirrels are gone and the home is sealed up, Varment Guard can aid in removing feces and urine soiled insulation from your attic. This service can include disinfecting & deodorizing the attic and adding new insulation, making it look like they have never been there to begin with!
- Repair exterior damage. After examining your home’s exterior, if there is damage our technicians will propose exclusion work. Exclusion work can include anything from adding metal flashing to chewed holes, gaps and missing trim, replacing missing soffit panels, installing heavy duty screening to vents and ensuring your chimney is capped. Our technicians are highly trained in exclusion work, and can help you with any of your exclusion work needs to ensure that your squirrel problem won’t return.
Before Squirrel Exclusion and Repair
After Squirrel Exclusion and Repair
How to Prevent Squirrels in the Attic
Once you successfully remove squirrels, take these steps to prevent them from returning:
- Prune trees. Limit the ways pests can access your roof and home by trimming the tree branches around it. Varment Guard technicians are well trained in exclusion.
- Remove food. Move bird feeders, secure trash containers and keep pet food inside. Any food source may seem like an invitation to squirrels.
- Secure your home. Make sure all gaps and entry points are closed. Repair broken screens and windows. Check out how Varment Guard can help with exclusion work.
Before Tree Trimming to Prevent a Squirrel Infestation
After Tree Trimming to Prevent a Squirrel Infestation
Get and Keep Pests Out: Safe & Humane Squirrel Removal
Removing squirrels is not an easy feat. That’s why you should get in touch with Varment Guard for humane squirrel removal. Our team can remove a squirrel nest in your attic, patch the damage, and prevent them from returning. Don’t second guess unpredictable animals nesting in your attic, let a professional take care of it.
