Squirrels are often thought of as the peskiest of animals due to their tenacity and their destructive gnawing and chewing on woodwork in the home. Squirrels can cause significant damage when they make their nest in a home. They're excellent chewers and are notorious for chewing their way into buildings at a fast pace, as they love being inside buildings. Once they get inside, they start to make a mess with their constant gnawing on fittings and structures. And if they are in the attic, you should read my get squirrels out of the attic info.
The chewing on wires can result in an electrical or fire hazard. They can bring in nesting material and leave their droppings (feces and urine) all over the area that could lead to leptosirosis or salmonella. They can carry parasites such as fleas and ticks on their bodies and are therefore carriers for the ailments that these parasites carry. The best procedures to eliminate squirrels in a home or building are by trapping and exclusion.
Exclusion: Squirrels like to climb fruit trees and bird feeders; they can also jump out of these trees onto the roof of your home, and subsequently obtain entrance to the attic. To avoid this, you need to cut down or trim all trees near your home. You can even stop squirrels from climbing a nearby tree by fastening a 2-feet metallic sheet round its back about 7 feet above the ground.
Next, you want to locate all holes which lead from the outside into the attic and seal them properly. Put wire mesh over the chimney and vents and make sure that there are no holes from the attic to the other areas of the home. Read my 10-step manual for Ways to Eliminate Squirrels.
Spray a repellent over sealed openings and cover as much distance as possible. Buy a strong steel chimney cap, and put it on tight to cover the top of your chimney.
Trapping: In trapping squirrels, you'd take a tiny squirrel-size cage baited with squirrel favorites which range from peanuts to walnuts, peanut butter, crackers, bread crusts, etc.and make sure the bait is far enough inside the trap to draw the squirrel's entire body in before the trigger is set off. Place the trap on a flat surface within the attic. Make sure to check the trap frequently for early detection of a catch so the animal doesn't suffer for long.
When you have successfully trapped the squirrels on your roof area you can take them a few miles away from your neighborhood and release them, preferably in a wooded area. Always wear gloves while handling squirrels because they may bite when agitated.
Note: when a squirrel is in your attic, it’s very likely that it is a mother and she has her young still hidden away in the attic. Female squirrels are known to find warm spaces to keep their kits. In cases like this, you must find the babies as well to keep them from starving to death. One way to recognize a mother squirrel would be to look at its nipples.
After removing the squirrel(s), it's essential that you make the repairs and animal-proof your house or more squirrels will come in to replace the evicted ones.
There's absolutely no proven repellent, substance or deterrent for squirrels since most remedies don't work.
A continuous light might scare the squirrels away.
Ultrasonic device: They produce a disturbing sound that just tiny animals can hear. As an alternative, you can put a radio near their hide-out; the sound would confuse them and make them leave.
Squirrel spray: You can buy this spray and use it in their hideout. Most sprays have a predator's urine like a fox and might scare the squirrel into leaving your attic. Ammonia has a strong odor that's usually irritating to animals also.
