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 these animals 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.
Signs You Have a Squirrel Problem
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 often peel up shingles, creating holes that lead to water damage.
How to Prevent Squirrels in the Attic
If you’ve checked your attic and don’t currently have a squirrel infestation, there are some steps you can take to prevent them from creeping into your home:
1. Prune Trees Near Your House
Trees act as ladders and bridges for squirrels, providing access points to your attic. Limit the ways pests can access your roof and home by trimming the tree branches around it. Cutting branches back so they’re at least 6-8 feet away from your house can help prevent a squirrel infestation.
Cutting back branches can be a big job, but don’t worry. Varment Guard technicians are well trained in exclusion. We offer professional squirrel pest control services that give you peace of mind. Our technicians will assess which trees might be access points for squirrels and ensure they’re properly removed.
Before Tree Trimming to Prevent a Squirrel Infestation
After Tree Trimming to Prevent a Squirrel Infestation
2. Remove Food Sources
Like all pests, squirrels are attracted to sources of food. Trash, seeds from bird feeders, and pet food are all delicious snacks if you’re a squirrel. Make sure that your trash containers are securely closed so squirrels aren’t able to smell or access the food. You can also move bird feeders away from your house and store pet food inside the home.
If you have fruit trees in your yard, remember that this can also attract squirrels. Clean up any dropped fruit to reduce your risk of a squirrel infestation.
3. Seal Gaps in Your Home
One of the most important things you can do in order to prevent squirrels in your attic is to make sure that all gaps and entry points to your house are closed. The first thing you want to do is inspect your house for any chew holes, damage, or other openings. Pay special attention to the roof, vents, chimney and soffits. Broken window screens can be another major culprit for squirrel infestations. Even a small gap is all a squirrel needs to enter your home.
Before sealing any holes or gaps, it’s crucial to ensure that all squirrels have been safely removed from your home. Attempting to seal openings while squirrels are still inside can trap them, leading to further damage and stress for the animals. Once removal is complete, holes can be sealed using materials like steel mesh, hardware cloth, or other durable metals, depending on the size and location of the opening. Proper exclusion work ensures squirrels won’t be able to re-enter your attic, protecting your home from further damage. Exclusion can be a complex task, but Varment Guard technicians are experts in identifying and sealing these gaps to keep your home secure.
We offer pest control services all over the country, and we're ready to help with squirrel removal near you.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attic: Professional Pest Control
Maybe it’s too late for prevention and you already have squirrels in your attic. Don’t worry, this is a common problem that we can solve! Don’t try to solve the issue on your own. Trapping squirrels can be tricky and dangerous. Varment Guard can help you get squirrels out of your attic and help prevent a future infestation.
Most states have strict laws that must be followed to trap squirrels and remove them from your home. Our wildlife technicians are knowledgeable and fully licensed to help with squirrel pest control. No matter how complex your squirrel infestation is, we’re here to help.
Here are a few steps we take to remove squirrels from your space:Locate the Entry Points
Knowing exactly how squirrels are getting into your attic is one of the first steps of controlling an infestation. Squirrels commonly chew their way in through fascia, boards, soffits, gable vents, ridge vents, dormer corners, and other roof junctions. Our technicians will inspect your home and locate the exact entry points squirrels are using.
We look for signs of entry which include chew holes, squirrel droppings, damage to your siding or roof and damaged insulation. Once the entry points are identified, we will create a plan to seal them. This will limit access to your attic and prevent future infestations while making it easier to trap squirrels.
Before Squirrel Exclusion and Repair
After Squirrel Exclusion and Repair
Trap the Squirrels
After we’ve identified their entry points, our pest control experts will trap the squirrels. Varment Guard uses a variety of traps to capture squirrels when they exit the structure. Once they’re trapped, we’ll remove the squirrels from your home.
Our team uses a variety of traps that live-catch squirrels, including baited live traps and funnel traps. Our technicians will talk with you about what squirrel traps for attics we recommend for your infestation.
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. This will keep the squirrels from finding their way back to your home. Our pest control technicians 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. A squirrel infestation can mean chew holes, damaged insulation, squirrel droppings, urine stains, and a host of unpleasant smells. These can cause more than unsightly issues. Damaged insulation can lead to higher energy costs and a poorly insulated home.
Squirrels can damage beams and wood in the attic with chewing, and this could cause structural issues if left uncontrolled for too long. Plus, squirrel feces carry parasites and can cause illnesses such as salmonella. Remediation after a squirrel infestation is necessary to keep your home clean and pest-free.
Varment Guard can aid in removing feces and urine-soiled insulation from your attic. This service can include disinfecting and deodorizing the attic plus adding new insulation. We’ll make it look like the squirrels were never 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.
Get & Keep Pests Out: Effective Squirrel Removal
Removing squirrels is not an easy feat. That’s why you should get in touch with Varment Guard for reliable squirrel removal. Our team can remove a squirrel nest in your attic, patch the damage, and prevent them from returning.
