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How to get squirrels out of the attic
To some people, there is nothing worse than hearing the scamper of tiny little feet up in your attic and realizing that you have new additions to your household that you didn’t want! The first conclusion that people seem to jump to when they hear that pitter patter of feet is that they have a rodent, such as a rat, but it could very well be a squirrel, amongst many other things, which can be somewhat difficult to get rid of if you are not knowledgeable in such a field.
Getting rid of the squirrels in your attic is important, not only because the noise can be very annoying, but also because they have a rather irritating habit of gnawing and nibbling everything in sight, which could cause potential problems later on. Your electrical wiring, your rafters, and even your prized possessions up there could become damaged if you do not get rid of the critters properly, and even worse than that, they have a boomerang effect of coming back once they have been eliminated, which is why you need to do so in the right way.
So... how to get squirrels out of the attic. The easiest way for most people to remove squirrels is with a trap, but this comes with its fair share of problems and concerns. You need to make sure that you have the right trap to catch and remove your squirrel in the most human way possible. You may also have a family-wide problem too – if you remove the mother, you will still have the baby squirrels to worry about. They will die alone and in a painful and horrible manner if you remove their mother from their little nest, and this in turn can cause many other problems, such as the smell or decomposing rodents which will attract many others.
A better method is to wait until the young squirrels are grown up (it only takes 2 months) then use a one-way exclusion door, which humanely lets all the squirrels out, but not back in. Learn more about the humane removal of squirrels in attics at the Defenders of Wildlife Sponsored squirrelattic.com - Squirrels in the Attic
Alongside getting rid of the squirrels with a one-way exclusion door, you can also consider using a strobe light. This light will hurt their sensitive little eyes and could work to get rid of the mother as well as the babies, especially if you are patient and buy a powerful enough one to work well.
Of course, once you have excluded or strobe-lighted your new family additions out of your home, you will need to figure out how they got into your home in the first place. If you do not get rid of the entrance and the exit they were using, you are likely to find that the problem comes back with a vengeance, and you will also need to remember that although you have gotten rid of this creature, you may have other ones to contend with further down the line.
One of the most favored ways to get rid of squirrels out of the attic is to use a professional. This may prove to be most expensive option you have, but in the long run, it might prove to be easier and cheaper. They will not only remove the creatures from your home in a humane and safe manner, but they can also advise you and help you to block any holes which could have been the squirrels entrance and exit point, as well as educating you on how to avoid further pest problems. Before you hire anyone, be sure they use humane and ethical wildlife removal practices!
Go back to the National Urban Wildlife Coalition home page.
Getting rid of the squirrels in your attic is important, not only because the noise can be very annoying, but also because they have a rather irritating habit of gnawing and nibbling everything in sight, which could cause potential problems later on. Your electrical wiring, your rafters, and even your prized possessions up there could become damaged if you do not get rid of the critters properly, and even worse than that, they have a boomerang effect of coming back once they have been eliminated, which is why you need to do so in the right way.
So... how to get squirrels out of the attic. The easiest way for most people to remove squirrels is with a trap, but this comes with its fair share of problems and concerns. You need to make sure that you have the right trap to catch and remove your squirrel in the most human way possible. You may also have a family-wide problem too – if you remove the mother, you will still have the baby squirrels to worry about. They will die alone and in a painful and horrible manner if you remove their mother from their little nest, and this in turn can cause many other problems, such as the smell or decomposing rodents which will attract many others.
A better method is to wait until the young squirrels are grown up (it only takes 2 months) then use a one-way exclusion door, which humanely lets all the squirrels out, but not back in. Learn more about the humane removal of squirrels in attics at the Defenders of Wildlife Sponsored squirrelattic.com - Squirrels in the Attic
Alongside getting rid of the squirrels with a one-way exclusion door, you can also consider using a strobe light. This light will hurt their sensitive little eyes and could work to get rid of the mother as well as the babies, especially if you are patient and buy a powerful enough one to work well.
Of course, once you have excluded or strobe-lighted your new family additions out of your home, you will need to figure out how they got into your home in the first place. If you do not get rid of the entrance and the exit they were using, you are likely to find that the problem comes back with a vengeance, and you will also need to remember that although you have gotten rid of this creature, you may have other ones to contend with further down the line.
One of the most favored ways to get rid of squirrels out of the attic is to use a professional. This may prove to be most expensive option you have, but in the long run, it might prove to be easier and cheaper. They will not only remove the creatures from your home in a humane and safe manner, but they can also advise you and help you to block any holes which could have been the squirrels entrance and exit point, as well as educating you on how to avoid further pest problems. Before you hire anyone, be sure they use humane and ethical wildlife removal practices!
Go back to the National Urban Wildlife Coalition home page.