Have you heard scurrying noises in your house, or little pitter patters above your head as you sleep? Have you seen packs of squirrels frolicking on your beautiful rooftop, playing in your trees, and running around your property? If you have, you may have squirrels in your attic. Don’t worry, here are some tips to help you get rid of them.

Know Your Enemy: Squirrel Capabilities

If you’ve heard squirrels scurrying around then you can bet they are already in your attic. Squirrels are dexterous and intelligent. They can rip out slate and terra cotta. Their incredible jaws have massive biting power, enabling them to chew through anything from soft aluminum to the best shingles. Wood is no obstacle for them, they chew through it with ease, and even bricks won’t stop a determined pack. They can work together and chip away at supports, and push or claw through obstacles with ease.

Inspect the House, Find the Breach

If squirrels are in your attic, then your house has a breach and you need to find it.

Take a walk around your house and inspect possible openings. While squirrels are formidable entryists, their actions are usually not subtle. However, depending on the size of the invading squirrels, it could be as small as a few inches of ripped board or a slightly moved brick.

If you’re unlucky they’ll have chewed through the roof, so get up there and check for anomalies. Chances are there will be several breaches – make sure you find them all before taking action, or the squirrels will return.

Seal All Breaches but One

After you’ve located all the entry points, begin to seal them. You will have to use a steel wire mesh to stop them, or they will simply chew through it. Wood boards will not suffice. Make sure you leave one entry hole open so they can get in and out for now. You don’t want to trap them all in there and have to deal with dead squirrels in the attic!

Once you’ve closed all the secondary breaches, you need to deal with the squirrels themselves.

Consider purchasing or making a DIY repeater trap to place near the one entry hole you didn’t seal.

Better still, use a one-way squirrel exclusion door. The squirrels will go out to look for food, but they won’t be able to get back in! The nice thing about this option is that you won’t need to worry about figuring out where to release the squirrels.

Wait and Observe for a Few Days

Now that you’ve closed all the entry points, wait a few days and see what happens – you need to give them time to make their exit. Do you still hear night time scurrying? Does the house feel quieter and relaxed? Once you are confident that your unwanted furry tenants have been evicted, remove the squirrel trap or door and cover it with steel wire mesh like with the others. This will ensure they won’t be able to return.

Watch Out for More

Once the squirrels have been successfully evicted from your attic, prevent more squirrels from moving in by being vigilant for new holes, and keeping on top of regular maintenance. Remember, squirrels will work together day and night to gain entry into a comfortable attic, so be sure watch for the warning signs. With a little vigilance and proactive measures, your attic will be squirrel-free indefinitely!

Enjoy a Squirrel-Free Attic

With these helpful tips you should be able to remove the squirrels successfully. However, if these methods don’t work, or you simply don’t have have time to do it yourself, be sure to call a professional.