How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attic: A Short Guide

Squirrels will cause a scratching, scampering or gnawing noise above in the attic. Many homeowners experience the problem. They produce constant noise, may eat through wood and other insulation, causing damage, and are most dangerous, chewing on electrical wires, creating a fire hazard. Their refuse is filthy and infested with insects. The more squirrels remain, the more they cause damage that is hugely expensive. Once the question of how to get rid of squirrels in attic reduces to little more than the removal of an unwelcome pest.

How Do Squirrels Get Into Your Attic? Common Entry Points

Squirrels are smart and take advantage of the situation. They are small & flexible, they can make their body small to enter a small gap. Normally, at entry points, there are:

• Roof gaps: This is where roof shingles have been damaged or are missing.
• Vents and chimneys: Chimneys and vents that are not capped or capped with loosely screened cappings are prime targets.
• Soffits and fascia boards: Soft areas on a weak piece of wood or a piece of trim can be nibbled open.
• Gable vents, roofs and edges, and plumbing mats: these structural overlaps always cover small cracks or gaps.

Check these sites for chew marks, loosening boards or droppings to prevent a problem prior to its development. After understanding how to get rid of squirrels in attics it is important to close all the gaps.

What Do Squirrels Hate the Most?

The most important pillar to control in the long run is the knowledge of what squirrels hate most. Bad smells, in particular peppermint oil, capsicum (used in hot peppers), and white vinegar, are all highly offensive to them. Garlic, cinnamon, and coffee ground also does the same; they also help in removing the squirrels. These natural ways of deterring the squirrels can make them wary of getting inside. One other deterrent is noise. Squirrels hate noise, and boisterous radios, wind chimes, and even bright lights may scare them off. An experience of a smell mixed with sound can render your attic unfriendly to these pests

Chipmunk vs Squirrel

There are many people who do not know the difference between chipmunk vs squirrel. When dealing with attic invaders. Both types belong to the rodent family; their behaviour and impact are quite different.

Squirrels

• Adult squirrels are long and they have a hairy tail.
• Tend to be grey or brown, with no stripes on either their bodies or their faces.
• They prefer living in trees and are associated with getting into attics and other places in houses.
• Generally inflict destruction through nibbling in wood, insulation and electrical wires within residential places.
• Place feed in various out-of-sight places.

Chipmunks

• About half the normal size, around 4 7 inches in length with a shorter, not as bushy tail.
• Easily identifiable with light stripes down the backs of their body and across their faces.
• They spend most of their life underground in burrows and rarely crawl into attics.
• They are well known to dig in gardens and under porches instead of damaging the attics
• They store food in their mouth, cheeks for eating later.
• All these variations easily enable one to notice the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk inside or around your house.

How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attic

To know how to get rid of squirrels in attic, the following steps are workable to evict them and keep them out:

1. Find Entry Points

• Spot the holes, chew marks and nesting.
• Check during the day for any daylight to shine at you through the cracks.

2. Kick out the Squirrels

• Make your attic unfriendly: Ask the lights to be bright, or play the radio loudly.
• Make use of strong odours: saturate rags with vinegar, peppermint oil, or use store-bought repellents with natural irritants.
• Put special exclusion doors with one-way access over the primary entrance so that squirrels can escape, but not go back.

3. Trap and Relocate (more so as needed)

• Place live animal traps (with peanut butter or seeds) where squirrels show activity.
• Inspect traps frequently. After being captured, take the squirrel to a distance of a few miles in accordance with the local laws.

4. Cover All Cracks

• When you are confident that all the squirrels are out–there are no baby squirrels around–sheath every conceivable opening with steel mesh and caulk.
• Cover vents with a metal plate or hardware cloth, chimneys and soffits.

5. Clean/Disinfect

• Remove the nests, the droppings and the damage products.
• Wash the attic using a disinfectant to get rid of odours that can be used as a lure by future infestations.

6. Eyes and Repairs

• Pay frequent visits to your roof and attic to make sure that your house is free of new activity.
• Think about continuing repellents (smell-based or commercial) during susceptible seasons.

In case of the seriousness of the problem, how to get rid of squirrels in the attic may necessitate an expert solution, that is, pest control. The specialists do not only get rid of the pests but also make sure they completely gone and entry points are block.

Conclusion

Attic squirrels are not only undesirable visitors to your home, but they can pose a danger to its security, comfort and property value. To figure out how to get rid of squirrels in attic, a combination of eviction, exclusion, cleanup, and prevention should occur. A combination of some loud smells, sounds, physical obstructions and some persistence will bring your tranquillity back.

In case you feel frustrate and you require fast yet professional assistance, remember SayNoPest. We offer professional advice and reliable affiliate leads on how to remove squirrels in the attic, making your home secure, peaceful and comfortable for the family.