How to get squirrels out of your house
If you are aware that your home is housing tree squirrels (or others such as flying squirrels, and grey squirrels) or sense their presence in any way, we would advise you to get rid of them as soon as possible. Squirrels mostly prefer taking shelter in the attics, garages, and storehouses where the chances of locating them are more difficult than usual. One could have made his peace with these otherwise adorable creatures, but the problem arises when they start gnawing the interior and exterior of walls, cables, timbers, and electric wiring, leading to severe damage.
How to spot the squirrels?
Squirrels commonly seek refuge in houses during winter to evade the winter chills. However, this is not always the case. To remove the squirrels permanently from your house you must first spot them all. Thoroughly scan their movements and try to understand whether they are more active during the day or at night. For the uninitiated, squirrels are extremely energetic creatures, implying that they create a lot of noise in their habitat and can be traced in this way.
Head to the garage or up to the attic during the day and diligently examine the spaces for small cracks and holes through which the squirrels can potentially enter your house. If there’s little or no access to these areas, you can keep a watch on them using binoculars from your lawn table. In the segment below, we will be breaking down a DIY technique to remove these rodents and ensure that they never return.
1: Locate their entry points
Construction gaps, gutters, ridge cap, soffit, gable, and roof vents are regarded as the most common entry points of the squirrels simply because through these outlets, they can enter and exit whenever convenient. Besides depending on the sunlight to spot these gaps, have a flashlight at your disposal because then you will be able to inspect rear parts of the roof shingles right below the roof sheeting. If you happen to discover any such opening, seal them with strapping substances like galvanized steel flashing to ensure that there is no room for a further incursion.
2: Baby squirrels also pose problems
A piece of information that might come handy when you are trying to do away with the squirrels in your house is that squirrels have babies twice a year. While one of the litters is born somewhere between the months of January to May, the other one is born between August and October. When you are trying to detect their breeding spots, rummage around for spaces that are insulated with leaves, twigs, or even some debris from your compound. A rule of thumb in exposing squirrel nests and their babies is by following the feeble sound that they tend to make when they feel that something or someone is approaching them. If you do not find the mother squirrel there, it's best not to disturb them.
3: Close the entry points
If the previously mentioned tips don’t seem feasible for you then call the wildlife professionals instead. They are experts and once they take out the squirrel from your chimney, they make sure that it is safe to light a fire in your fireplace.
4: Use effective sprays to treat the area
After you are certain that no escape points remain except for the entry and exit point, treat the area with an effective squirrel-repellent spray. Start from the outlet that is yet to be closed and then gradually move on to the rest of the space. Remember not to go overboard with the treatment because most of these sprays are toxic and their overuse can prove hazardous to your health. Once you are done remedying the zone, give it at least one full day for the squirrels to evacuate through the hole you didn't seal.
Or, you can trap the squirrels.
After you have located the entry path of the squirrels, trap them using baits and then relocate the rodents 4-5 miles away from your home so they do not come back.
5: Close the main access hole
As soon as the above-mentioned span lapses, scrupulously glance over the entire attic or garage to confirm all the squirrels have left and then close the main access hole.
6: Keep the squirrels away from your property
If the issues with the squirrels have been recurring in your home, eradicate all the feeding posts around your property that are meant for creatures like birds. Additionally, if possible, distribute some granules around your home’s foundation and take extra precautions during winter because that’s primarily when squirrels may sneak inside houses. Other things to keep in mind:
- Look for cracks in the foundation wall and repair them.
- Clear off firewood stacks.
- Cut down the branches of the tree that hang on the roofline of your house.
It is advisable that you use the squirrel repellant once every season to ensure they stay away from your home