How To Get Rid Of Squirrels In Your Roof

What Are The Signs Of Having Squirrels

If youre reading this, you already suspect that you have attic squirrels but how can you be sure? The first and most obvious thing you will notice is the sound. While mice, rats, and other common rodents are active at night, squirrels and up and about during the day as well. They will create noise, seemingly, 24/7. These sounds may be from running, scratching, chewing, and even fighting if you have multiple families vying for the same territory.

Further, obvious signs of damage are your second clue. Larger holes than mice create, exposed or frayed wires and nesting materials are all common signs. Squirrels also have a distinct, hard not to notice smell that marks their territory and nesting areas.

What Damage Can Squirrels Do In The Attic

Squirrels get babies twice in a year. During spring and fall. At these times, they are constantly looking for shelter to build their nests. Squirrels can easily get into your attic by chewing holes from outside, typically above the gutters. They could also get into your attic by chewing trim corners or weak areas that will grant them access into your attic.

Often, squirrels will cause damage to your attic insulation or will chew through your cabling and electrical wires. More significantly, is the damage they can cause to the exterior of your attic. As they give birth to more litters, they will grow, leave their initial nest and build different nests within your attic.

In case their population is not controlled, they will continuously chew holes throughout your attic, and sometimes, through every corner of your house. This could potentially cause your house to collapse in case the structural beams have been chewed up and are not strong enough to hold it anymore. They could also cause a potential fire hazard when they chew through your electrical wiring. The longer squirrels stay in your attic, the more entry point they are likely to create.

What Can I Use To Keep Squirrels Off My Roof

In solving squirrel roof infestation, trimming branches and working magic on electric cables is not always enough.It is always good to take several measures so that when one fails, the other does not.

To further prevent squirrels from climbing up poles and trees, you may want to employ the use of funnel-like squirrel baffle guards, which have wide surface areas and are mounted around the tree trunk/pole. It is to deter squirrels from climbing up trees and poles to get access to the roof.

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Why Do Squirrels Want To Get Into The Attic

Squirrels are attracted to dry, friendly shelters where they can nest. They can store food and have their babies in a warm and safe environment.

When it’s cold out, they tend to be more aggressive about getting into a home’s attic. They’re very much like us wanting to get out of the cold into a warm and cozy place.

Solution 9 Relocate The Squirrels In Non

After catching the squirrels and their babies in the live traps, you are able to get rid of squirrels in the attic without killing them by relocating the whole squirrel family to a forest or a woodland at least 10 miles away from your houses.

These frightened squirrels won’t find their ways back to your house once they find out that is not a welcome place.

Also mind that you shall relocate the squirrels to the natural environment but not near the neighborhood. If you have no idea where to move the animals, contact local authorities and they will offer you a helping hand.

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What You Need To Know About Squirrels

Just like all other rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that do not stop growing, no matter what. The biggest reason squirrels keep munching, chewing, and gnawing is to keep these four teeth sharp and in check.Here are the 5 most common types of squirrels you can find in the US. Take notes of their behaviors and appearances, so you know what to look out for!

As they linger around the home, they will come upon delicate and dangerous things like electric wires and cables. But because they do not know any better, squirrels will destroy them. The greatest reason they are labeled as pests is that they will chew whatever comes across, even when whatever they are chewing is not edible.

Wouldnt Poisoning Squirrels Work Better

For the same reason you dont want just to lock the mother squirrel out of your attic, you dont want to put out poison either. First of all, whats poisonous to squirrels is also usually poisonous to people. It takes a lower dose to kill a squirrel than it takes to kill an adult, but rodenticides can be especially toxic to infants and children.

Also, even poisoned squirrels decay and generate a really bad smell. Squirrel poison kills squirrels, not the parasites and microbes their bodies harbor. You have just as much cleanup work to do if you poison the squirrel as if you take a more humane and effective approach.

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Use A Decoy Squirrel Feeder

You might be thinking, Wait a second. I thought tip #6 was to remove all food sources?. Well, think of that tip as part 1 of this tip.

The only way a decoy squirrel feeder is going to be effective is if you first eliminate feeding opportunities in your own home. You must make it as easy as possible for these critters to choose the decoy over your house.

The decoy squirrel feeder should have the most squirrel-enticing buffet of food ever. Fill it with everything they like to eat, and make sure theres enough for everyone.

Its best to choose a spot with hollow trees for tree squirrels and soft ground for ground squirrels. With the killer combination of a steady food source and good real estate, there should not be any reason for them to go back to your home.

There are a lot of innovative squirrel feeders in the market that might just help repair your relationship with these so-called pests.

You can buy one that is made for mounting corn cobs and laugh at how they nibble at the food. You can purchase one wherein the food is placed inside a cage and watch them figure out how to remove the nuts from the grills.

Where Can I Buy These Tools

You can find squirrel trapping tools in pest control shops. Theyre also for sale in local hardware stores.

Perhaps youd also like to look for specific brands. Depending on the price and quality youre after, you can browse through a variety of them online.

Many of these tools retail in online stores like Amazon. Amazon also offers the best squirrel catching tools available in the United States.

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Get Rid Of Squirrels In The Attic As Soon As Possible

Dealing with any kind of small critter in your house may seem overwhelming, but it doesnt have to be. As with anything, exercising caution and following expert advice will lead to great results, and your attic will be your own again before you know it. Watch for squirrels near your house, and take the recommended steps to protect your home from future infestations.

How To Get Squirrels Out Of Attics

The best way to get squirrels out of your attic is to hire a professional, humane wildlife removal company to perform the work, rather than taking the DIY route. Do-it-yourself solutions can be expensive and generally have a very poor success rate.

However, you could try to deter squirrels humanely by taking a few simple steps. Mother squirrels love your attic because its a quiet, dark, and safe place to raise a family. So, the easiest way to get squirrels out of your attic is by making it an unfriendly environment for them:

• Place a bright, fire-safe light at the entrance to the den, either inside or outside.
• Keep a radio thats tuned to a talk station switched on close to the den entrance a human voice is threatening to squirrels.
• Put some dirty kitty litter or rags soaked in ammonia in a plastic bag. Make a few holes in the bag so that the smell can escape. Hang the bag next to the den entrance. Both these substances smell like a predator and will deter the mother squirrel from nesting in the attic.

Be patient, and try all of the above for three days and nights. To test if the squirrel has gone, plug the den entrance with a ball of rolled-up newspaper. Wait another few days and nights. If the attic is silent and the paper is still firmly in place, the squirrels have most likely left.

Take steps to plug any holes so that the squirrels cant return in the future.

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Take Steps On Your Own

• Cut back tree branches that run close to your home can prevent their entry, keeping in mind that squirrels can jump up to 10 feet.
• Install 23-gauge hardware cloth wire mesh at locations such as drains, gutters, and under eaves. The wire is thin enough to cut and adjust with hand tools and think enough to prevent squirrels from biting or clawing through.
• Buy a 2-foot-wide metal collar for placement around power poles and isolated trees. This stops squirrels from ascending vertical surfaces.
• If you discover holes in your home or a structure, stuff newspaper into the openings. If the paper isnt removed for a few days, you can repair the site.

Get Rid Of Squirrels In 72 Hours Or Its Free

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How Do You Make Apple Cider Vinegar Spray For Squirrels

Consider soaking rags in apple cider vinegar and putting them in places around your home where the squirrels frequent. Alternatively, you can pour the vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on hard surfaces like plant pots to prevent the squirrels from digging and destroying your plants potting soil.

Install A Motion Activated Sprinkler

Squirrels are naturally jumpy creatures. Theyre small and only have their teeth and jaws to fight off danger. When theyre faced with something scary, they will much rather run away than stay and fight.

To scare away squirrels, you dont need much. You dont need to inflict pain or cause any harm. A sudden movement or a sudden sound is enough to make them run away. And a motion-activated sprinkler does this perfectly.

Most people are iffy with sprinklers because they can drive up your water bill fast. To avoid this, choose one that has a lot of customizable settings.

Proper motion-activated sprinkler allows you to choose if you want it on during the day, during the night, or 24/7. It also has a high tech sensor that is able to distinguish between the movement of animals and movement caused by the wind.

You can adjust the sensors angle depending on the height of the animal youre trying to get rid of. Just connect to your hose, drive into the ground using its spike.

Then adjust the settings according to your needs, and let it work its magic. If there was ever a safe, non-toxic, and all-natural squirrel repellent, its got to be a spray of water!

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More Gray Squirrel Features

• Generally have two litters a year, 2-4 young per litter. They usually breed in midwinter and late spring. Gestation is about 44 days.
• Diet consists of bird eggs, insects, berries, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and nestling birds. They like to hoard their food.
• Gray squirrels are active during the day, expecting to hear them during the daytime.
• Can inhabit the attic areas as well as crawl spaces. They like to enter the attic areas from your gutters and nearby trees and bushes. Installing gutter guards or downspouts with the screen may prevent them from climbing up to the roof through a downspout.

Try And Scare Them Out

If there are no baby squirrels in the nest when you look then you can attempt to scare the adult squirrels out of your attic. They dont like loud sounds so you can bang on the rafters or even go into your attic and talk as loud as you can.

You could also shine a bright light into your attic and keep it on or douse a few rags in apple cider vinegar and lay them around. They dont like the smell of it.

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Call A Pest Control Company

Getting squirrels out of your attic by yourself is possible, but can sometimes be difficult or risky. If you think theres a large population of squirrels in your home, or youre not comfortable encountering a squirrel, its time to call a pest control company. Make sure to research the company before scheduling a service.

How To Get Rid Of Them

• Never leave food out. Squirrels love food. Any type of food, really. Bird feeders, pet food bowls, compost these are all some ways that you could be attracting squirrels into your yard.
• Keep your yard clean. Remove any fallen fruit or seeds from your yard, especially if you have a garden and/or bird feeders. Also remove any nuts, acorns, or other things that may fall from the trees in your yard.
• Keep your trash cans tightly closed. Keep squirrels out of your trash by investing in cans with tight-fitting lids.
• Use scare tactics. Your pet may be enough to scare squirrels away, but if you dont have one or if you need a little extra protection, place some fake owls throughout your yard to keep them away.
• Treat your plants. This cant be used on anything youre planning to eat, but if you have some flowers or bulbs that squirrels are eating, use taste repellants. You can also sprinkle chili pepper or hot sauce near your plants to keep them away as well.
• Plant deterrents. There are specific plants that squirrels hate, so planting them throughout your yard, especially your garden, can help keep them away. Its important to know that this method, while it can help, may not be 100% effective. Plants that squirrels hate:
• Peppermint
• Lily of the Valley
• Geraniums

Sometimes, a squirrel problem can get a little nuts. Thats where we come in. If you need some professional help, weve got you covered. Just give us a call and well give you a free in-home inspection and quote!

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Do You See Entry Points

Chewing comes naturally to squirrels, as it does to all rodents. Their front teeth are constantly growing so they will gnaw and chew on hard objects to whittle their teeth down, and to sharpen them.

They can squeeze through a 1/2-inch gap to get into your house, or simply chew their way in through the insulation, drywall, and plywood to gain entry.

In addition to chewing a hole in the siding of your house, they’ll also chew on the exposed wires in the attic. Sometimes they’ll chew so far through it they’ll electrocute themselves. It usually blows a fuse in the breaker box when it happens.

These chewed wires can also cause electrical house fires, as noted by a company in Surrey, England. That’s in addition to neighborhood-wide blackouts caused by squirrels chewing on power lines and transformers. Even the New York Times wrote about that a few years ago.

Test An Ultrasound Squirrel Deterrent

Studies show that squirrels can hear sounds over a frequency range that is more than twice as wide as ours. Their range is skewed towards ultrasound, which refers to sounds that are at a higher frequency than what is audible to the human ear.

This important scientific discovery has spurred the development of ultrasonic squirrel repeller devices. If you are looking for something effective, non-toxic, and humane, this is the best squirrel repellent for you.

This sonic squirrel repellent device is popular because of its adjustable settings, durability, and solar powered charger.

You can choose from five frequency settings depending on the animal you want to get rid of. For squirrels, turn the knob to 3. As it emits sound, it also flashes bright LED lights that serve as another squirrel repeller.

Position the device in a spot that receives full-on sunlight to take advantage of its solar energy capabilities. Although during overcast days, you can charge it using its USB port.

The sensor scans the surroundings at a 110-degree angle, but this can be adjusted if you want a narrower range. It can detect movement from up to 30 feet away, so position it within that distance to their usual entry points to make the most of the squirrel repellent sound device.

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What Spray Keeps Squirrels Away

Aside from plants, some chemical repellents keep squirrels away from your roof and your garden.

Spraying your flower beds with capsaicin as a measure of keeping squirrels from eating your flowers and plants can help keep them at bay because if their food supply is cut off, then they will have no reason to stick around and will most probably move on to the next home.

When they try eating flower bulbs that have been sprayed, the taste of the chemical repellent will taste awful in their mouth.

The problem is that when it rains, the unpleasant smell tends to wash away, so make sure to reapply the repellent every time it rains to ensure that the smell lasts until there is no more squirrel intrusion on your home.