It is very common for squirrels to enter buildings, primarily in attics. Squirrels in the attic cause problems. Active in the mornings, you will hear scurrying above your ceiling or chirping of juveniles. Squirrels cause more than just a nuisance when they get into your attic. Squirrels cause damage by contiminating attic insulation, gnawing, and creating holes in the exterior of your house.
Wildlife Management Services has the professional solutions necessary to get squirrels out of attics and keep them from re-entering the attic of your home.
Why Do Squirrels Go in Attics?
As squirrels have litters of babies twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall) they are constantly looking for sheltered areas to build their nests. Squirrels gain access into the attic by chewing holes from the outside, typically above gutters, or at construction gaps where dormers meet the roofline. They may also gain entr by chewing corners of trim or any other weak area that allows them access into the attic space.
What Are the Signs of Squirrels in the Attic?
Sounds. There’s a good chance you’ll hear a squirrel before you see any visual evidence, especially during winter months, where you’re less likely to notice exterior damage. The sounds squirrels make are often described as scurrying, scampering noises in the attic. You might also hear chewing or gnawing sounds. Squirrels like building their nests in attics, so sounds will often emanate from there. Squirrel sounds are often mistaken for rat sounds, but there’s one key difference: squirrels are diurnal, so you’ll hear them during the day, whereas rats are nocturnal, and will make more sound at night.
Nests in Your Attic. Squirrels are well known for nesting in attics, as they provide a safe hideaway for squirrels to raise their young. The inside of an attic is also full of things for them to nibble and sharpen their ever-growing teeth on, like wood and insulation. When a squirrel chews the insulation on electrical wiring, the possibility of a house fire arises. Squirrels enter attics through crevices, gaps, and cracks in soffits, fascia boards, and eaves, or open vents or broken shingles in the roof. Once squirrels reach the attic, they have free reign of the house.
Squirrel Droppings Inside Your Home. Squirrel droppings are often confused for rat droppings, and vice versa. While rat and squirrel droppings do look similar—dark brown to black in color with blunted ends, around 3/8 of an inch long—they are found in different places around the home. Squirrel droppings are often found in attics or around tree trunks, while rat droppings are more common along baseboards, in cupboards, and behind large appliances like washing machines. Gnawd Roofing Materials. Another popular nesting site for squirrels is in the roof. Typically, they build these nests with roofing insulation. Take some time to carefully analyze your home’s exterior. Squirrels commonly damage roofs by:
- Gnawing holes in soffits. This can allow other small pests to invade your home.
- Gnawing through shingles. This can lead to water damage.
- Gnawing through joists and siding. This can weaken your home’s structure.
What Damage Can Squirrels Cause in Attics?
Squirrels will commonly cause damage to attic insulation, or will chew wires in the attic. More significant, however, is the amount of damage they can do to the outside of the attic, on the exterior of the home. As more litters of squirrels are born in or near the home, these squirrels will grow up, leave the nest and search for new areas within the attic to build their own nests. If squirrel populations are not controlled, they will continue to chew holes around the outside of the attic, sometimes in every corner of the house! The longer the squirrels live in an attic, the more entry points they are going to create.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attics
The best and safest way to remove squirrels from your attic is by calling the experts at Wildlife Management Services. Never approach nuisance squirrels without professional help. Squirrel repellents do not provide a long term squirrel control solution. Mothballs are dangerous. Bright lights will initially scare the squirrels away, but eventually they will grow used to them.
One-Way Doors
This is the safest method of squirrel removal. First, we locate all the entry points and then install the one-way door. After installing the one-way door properly, we seal all other entry points in the attic so the squirrels will have only one way to leave—through the door. After the squirrels leave, we remove the door and seal the entry, if authorized.
Note: One-way doors can separate mother squirrels and their young. This can result in a rather inhumane situation: mother squirrels doing serious damage to your house while trying to get back in to retrieve their babies, and these babies starving. Therefore, if squirrel babies are part of the equation, we recommend contacting a professional wildlife removal service.
Live Traps
If a one-way door is not successful, there are babies present, or it is not suitable for the situation, we set live traps with bait.
The best solution for removing squirrels out of attics is to trap them and relocate them to areas away from the home. Wildlife Management Services uses state-of-the-art trapping systems to catch all squirrels that may have access to attics. We identify all entry points, monitor them on a regular basis and, if authorized, seal holes after we are certain all squirrels in the attics have been trapped.
How Does Wildlife Management Services Repair Squirrel Damage in Attics?
Wildlife Management Services is dedicated to providing customers with professional, permanent home repairs. Any repairs completed will prevent squirrels from entering the home in the future. Our customers generally do not have to contact a carpenter to assist in the repair.
Wildlife Management Services also offers insulation removal and installation for damage caused by squirrels in attics depending on your home. Contact Wildlife Management Services to see if insulation repair is available.
Wildlife Management of Minneapolis Service Area
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maple Grove, Champlin, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Apple Valley, Eagan, St. Louis Park, Stillwater, Woodbury, Mound, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, White Bear Lake, Plymouth, Wayzata, Burnsville, and Their Surrounding Areas
This franchise is independently licensed and operated by Wildlife Management Services, Inc