Squirrels are cute. There is no doubt about that. However, too much of a good thing can be bad. You see, squirrels are small and furry and friendly, up until the point when they get in your attic. They make this part of your home theirs; breeding, eating and living. You may hear them moving around your attic. You may begin to hear more than one at a time. They may start to chew through electrical wiring, then they’re not so cute anymore. The trick with squirrels is that they’re considered wildlife more than pests. As with raccoons and bats and the like, they’re much bigger and harder to get rid of than say rats or spiders. It’s also a lot harder – mentally and literally – to get rid of them or kill them. See a roach? Stomp it. Spider? Kill it. Squirrel family and baby squirrels hiding in your attic? Tough one.
Seal Up Your Home from Future Squirrels
The best way to ensure that you never get stuck in a situation where squirrels are living and breeding in your home is to make sure that they can’t get in. Check around your home – are there trees close to your roof? Check for any holes on the outside that may be an opening for squirrels or other creatures. Even if you have an infestation or group of animals in your attic, the first step is to find out how they got in and seal it up. Prevent more from coming in – that’s step one. After you do this, then you can deal with the ones currently in your home. It’s vital to note that you should always leave at least one entryway open so that the squirrels can leave if they want to. We will explain why next.
Make Them Hate Their New Home
Squirrels are living in your home for the same reason you are; it’s safe, warm, quiet, etc. It’s a home, but they aren’t committed to it. If it’s too loud or too bright, they will more than likely leave. This factor is why it’s important to leave an entry/exit to your home. If squirrels don’t enjoy their new home, they will find another one. However, you need to give them a way to exit. Also, you don’t want to seal up everything because squirrels breed in attics and, if the mother gets trapped outside while her babies are still inside, you’re going to have to remove them by hand. That is an entire another process that we would highly recommend having to avoid.
What if You Do All of This and They Don’t Leave?
You don’t want to host a family of squirrels in your attic, especially if they start getting into the wiring of your home. If the squirrels aren’t leaving, or if they seem to keep coming back, your option is to trap them. As with most traps, you have the choice of traps that capture or traps that kill. The more humane way is to get traps that kill, as capture traps require you to check them often. If a squirrel gets trapped and you don’t check often enough to notice, it will die of starvation. Either way, you’re going to have a dead squirrel or a live squirrel on your hands, and the latter requires you to release it while the former may also be more trouble than it’s worth.
So, What’s Our Advice?
Call us. Squirrels are tricky animals. More so than not, if one gets into your home, it’s going to either chew up your electrical wiring or breed. Both of these situations can be difficult to deal with in a way that’s safe and cost-effective. The solution is to call us. We have all the tools needed to safely get the squirrels out of your home and keep them out for good. DIY methods only work for so long and commonly provides a short-term solution to a long-term problem.
If you think you may have squirrels in the attic or any other type of rodent, wildlife, or pest, contact us today, and we’ll help you take back your home!
