Squirrels with their bright eyes and chattering personalities may seem cute when they’re outside your home nibbling on acorns and chestnuts, but once they’ve found a way inside, they’ll lose their charm. Rodents in the subfamily Sciurini include more than 30 species of arboreal squirrels. These rodents may be accepted or even adored in the wild, but they are more destructive than rats and mice if they find their way into your home.
When squirrels build their nests in your attic, walls, or rafters, they can do extensive damage by chewing through insulation, wood, electrical cables, and plumbing lines.
It’s excellent news that you shouldn’t be too worried about being attacked by a squirrel. There are six things to think about before resorting to violence, as suggested by the Humane Society of the United States.
6 Ways to Get Rid of Squirrels in Your House
Wait for It to Find Its Way Out
A squirrel’s first impulse if it finds itself in a human-occupied area, such as a room after falling down a chimney, is to leave as soon as possible. It has no interest in settling down in a residence that is constantly bustling with people. Make sure the squirrel can easily locate the exit as a first line of defense.
The squirrel is either hiding or dashing through a room, so please do not leave any pets in there. Don’t forget to take away any snacks the squirrel could find tempting. Turn off the interior doors, but throw open the exterior ones.
When you’re ready, leave the room and the squirrel will escape on its own. Only the windows above the grass and trees should be opened if the squirrel is on the upper floor. Never throw open a window onto a concrete floor or other hard surface. Usually, the squirrel will leave the area after a short period of time.
Remove Squirrels From the Attic
Squirrels frequently make a home in attics and other vacant upper-level rooms because to the lack of competition for food and shelter, as well as the presence of holes in the roof or missing fascia boards. Squirrels, though, aren’t likely to stick around if the area suddenly becomes busy and populated.
Using loud noises to scare away squirrels from the attic may be necessary. Make a lot of noise all day and night by rapping on the walls or ceiling, talking out loud, banging pots and pans, or leaving the radio, TV, or other source of continuous music or sound on.
If making a lot of noise doesn’t help, lighting up the area and leaving it on all day and night might. As an additional measure, you can place rags soaked with cider vinegar all over the attic. Squirrels are discouraged by the pungent odor of vinegar and will likely abandon the area.
Squirrels can also be discouraged from venturing into your attic by playing constant noise, turning on the lights, or releasing a particular scent.
Remove Baby Squirrels From the Attic
If a family of squirrels has taken up residence in your attic, it’s likely because they’ve found a nest of young and are reluctant to abandon them.
Wait until the infants are old enough to travel without you. This may occur on its own after a few weeks, when the infant is mature enough to accompany the mother during her daily activities. Hiring a professional that can securely relocate the family is the greatest option if you don’t have time to wait.
Even if you’ve blocked off all possible entrances, the squirrels may be trying to re-enter since they have young within. The situation requires the assistance of an expert.
Catch the Squirrel With a Blanket
Put on some thick gloves and shield the squirrel with a blanket if you manage to corner it and it stops moving. The blanket will need to be dropped on the squirrel and rolled up swiftly as you creep up on it. You could hurt the animal if you roll it too tightly or try to force it.
Wrap the squirrel in a blanket, take it outside, shut the door, and drop it on the ground so it can scamper away.
Remove a Squirrel in the Chimney
The chimney flues of older wood-burning fireplaces can be a common entry point for squirrels looking for a cozy spot to raise a family. Sometimes, if the fireplace hasn’t been used for a while, they’ll even build a nest in the void above the damper.
In order to get the squirrel to leave the chimney and return to the roof, it is necessary to make some loud noises near the fireplace. Dropping a long, strong rope (at least 3/4 inches thick) down the chimney is another option. Because of this, the squirrel will have a means of egress. Squirrels, on the other hand, will typically respond to commotion and attention by escaping the chimney on their own.
What Causes Squirrels in the House?
When squirrels invade your home, they are after the same things as mice and rats: a comfortable place to nest, a source of food, and easy access to water. Squirrels will attempt to take up residence in your home if they can easily get entry.
How to Prevent Squirrels in the House
Once you’ve removed the squirrel, inspect your home for any access points and seal them off. Check for nests in the attic, holes in the outside walls, and signs of entry all the way around the chimney. To prevent squirrels from gaining access to your roof or eaves, cut back any branches from nearby trees.
In order to keep squirrels and other wild animals out, you should block off any openings. Since animals can’t gnaw through metal flashing, it can be used as a sealant to prevent them from getting back inside. Put covers on the chimneys. Always close the door leading outside when you leave a room.
Don’t make it simple for squirrels to find food, such as by leaving out trash cans. Protect your bird feeders from squirrels by securing them. Put cat food and bird seed in metal containers for storage in the garage.
Do everything you can to make your property unattractive to these rodents, as a large squirrel population near your home increases the likelihood that some of them will find their way inside, either through a hole in the foundation or a garage door.
