Squirrels are often classified as a pest species because they love to get into homes. It's a very common issue, I wrote an article on ways to get squirrels out of the attic with photos and step-by step instructions.
SQUIRREL BEHAVIOR: Squirrels are active during the day and at night. Squirrels eat mostly seeds and nuts. They live in many different habitats, both forests and neighborhoods. They establish homes, and frequently communicate via odor, chattering, and flickering of their fluffy tail.
NUISANCE CONCERNS: Squirrels like to live in attics. They also love to chew, and will chew on homes, wires, ducts and pipes once they are in an attic. People don’t like the sounds of squirrels running around over the ceiling or at the eaves, but it’s really the chewing that’s a problem. If squirrels chew on electrical wires in an attic, it may create a real potential fire hazard. Squirrels also bring in nesting material and leave feces and urine in the attic. Additionally, they commonly nest in a chimney, where they can sometimes get stuck and scratch, or occasionally even get in the fireplace and in the house.
SQUIRREL DISEASES: There’s no real critical diseases, even though they can carry parasites, and are vectors for the ailments that parasites, fleas, etc may transmit. They also leave a good deal of droppings, which pose the typical excrement health dangers, such as leptospirosis or salmonella. Click here for pictures of squirrel poop.
If it is just squirrels in the house, the best choice would be trapping and removal. When it's squirrels in the attic, then each of the open holes and areas they may enter should be sealed closed with a material that squirrels can't chew through, such as steel.
There's not any specific or effective squirrel repellent available. You can get some products on the market, such as mothball-based or urine-based repellents, but they're so great. Some people place noisy radios or strobe lights in the attic, but these also prove ineffective. There's not any easy and quick fix when it comes to squirrel control and removal. It's ideal to get an expert to trap and remove the animals correctly. Read my squirrel repellent evaluation of whether it works or not.
You can keep squirrels away, and out of your home, with many different techniques. For property reasons, do not leave things out that attract them, like readily accessible bird feeders, fruit trees, etc.. But more importantly, to keep them away from your property, you must find and seal all open holes which lead inside, to the attic. Read more about it on my the best way to keep away squirrels prevention methods page, or my other Squirrel Prevention Tips page that focuses on physical deterrents to keep them from house or garden.
Getting Rid Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel In Your House - If you learn that you have squirrels in your residence, you will definitely want them out as soon as possible. They can be harmful by spreading diseases through their droppings. They leave debris in your home and nasty smells. They also do a good amount of damage by chewing through electrical wires. It's not a simple task to eliminate them. They enjoy living in people's houses because that’s where the food and shelter is. It's also where they can give birth and raise their young in a rather protected way. The only truly effective means to get them out of your house is to trap them. Be careful not to be bitten and be fast to close doors to rooms that are in the house and leave as many exits from their nest as possible. Don’t panic and attempt to herd the squirrel out of your home. Based on the way the squirrel got into your house you might need to do a couple of repairs to stop them from entering. If they entered through an open window it might be as straightforward as closing it. If there's difficulty you should consult a wildlife expert.
Getting Rid Of The Eastern Gray Squirrel In Your Walls - When you hear squirrels in your walls, this is very annoying and also concerning. You may wonder if the squirrels will attempt and chew their way to your bedroom or the magnitude of the damage they might be doing. This won't be an easy job by any means. In reality, based on how resourceful you are in animal trapping, this might not be the job for you but for the experienced professional. Someone familiar with sheet rock could have the ability to devise a strategy to get the squirrels from the wall, while somebody lacking in home repair skills might require assistance. Should you want to get out the squirrels from the distance between yourself, you might need to cut a hole in your wall after you locate the specific place where the squirrel is living. Cut a square hole to the sheet rock but keep a trap placed against the opening until you remove the square you cut. This needs to be done carefully so the squirrel will not have the ability to escape between wall and trap to the home. When the squirrel is in the trap, take it away and let it go. Then repair your own wall.
How To eliminate An Eastern Gray Squirrel In Your Roof - Your first hint that you have an animal living in your roof might be the sound it makes as it moves in the rafters. If it's been there for some time, you might get a smell of feces and urine, especially in hot weather. There's absolutely not any question that you will need to get it removed from your residence. The only question is how to get rid of it. You might find all sorts of information from everyone you ask. Most information is well intended but useless. Powerful smelling deterrents like ammonia or items you might find in the garden of your local department store are also worth a try. To use something like this you might want to put the foul smelling material around everywhere but the exit/entrance hole. This will entice the squirrel to move away from the unpleasant scents to the outside. To stop their re-entrance inspect your roof for any places they could be entering your house and fill them in.
