How to Get Rid of Squirrels

Squirrel Removal and Entry Prevention

There are many species in the Squirrel family. Apart from squirrels, other members include prairie dogs, marmots, chipmunks, and ground squirrels. There are 8 North American tree-squirrel species, and the most common squirrel in Ontario is the grey squirrel. These are commonly seen throughout the City of Burlington and the Town of Oakville and when they get in your attic, the squirrels require removal. Keep in mind that the name “grey squirrel” is misleading though, since it can also be coloured dark brown or black.

The Squirrel – A Common Nuisance Animal

Squirrels are scatter-hoarders. They hide food in a huge number of small stashes (often several thousand of them each season). Using their excellent spatial memory, this rodent has the remarkable ability to locate more than 90% of the stashes later on. Naturally, many of these caches are located inside buildings and private property. Due to their easy adaptation to humans, squirrels also often use houses as nesting areas. This means that, like many Canadians have already found out, squirrels can become a serious nuisance for you as well, and one that can prove quite hard to get rid of. Below you can find details on the most common approaches to squirrel control.

Can You Trap Squirrels?

If you did trap squirrels, Ontario regulations prohibit them being moved more than a kilometre away. Given this, relocating them does not make much sense as they will remain in the immediate environment. It’s for this reason that trapping doesn’t make sense and is not recommended.

In fact, the best way to co-exist with squirrels in the environment BUT not have them in your home is to focus first on removing them if, for example, they’ve already penetrated your home (and commonly take up residence in your attic). Once that is accomplished, prevention is key. This way, squirrels can find a home in their natural environment while you make sure that it just is not yours! When we say “get rid of squirrels”, we mean humanely removing them from your home and keeping them out.

Squirrel Entry Prevention

You can’t absolutely prevent squirrels from getting inside your home, but you can still do a lot to seriously restrict their chances of entrance:

Remove all bird-feeders around the house as they are certain to attract squirrels;
Trim branches that are close to the house;
Clean the eves-trough of your house at least once a year, as leaves clogging them can provide a drinking water source for squirrels, and may cause fascia wood to rot making it easier for the rodents to gnaw their way into your attic.

Squirrel Exclusion

If squirrels have already infested your attic, your best bet is to exclude them using one-way excluding devices. You first need to inspect the house thoroughly and block every possible opening except for the most heavily used one, and then you install the one-way-door device on the primary hole. When the squirrel uses the hole to get out of the house in search for food and water, it is excluded and has no way left for entering again. This is certainly the most effective (and humane) way to remove squirrels that have made their way into your house.

Consult Squirrel Control Experts

Even though the approaches described might seem straightforward enough, things can always get complicated. No matter which removal method seems best suited for your case, it is always recommended to consult professionals before attempting it. Practice makes perfect as they say, and hiring a pro with lots of experience will save you a lot of worries, time, and even money.

Time to get rid of squirrels from your attic or other areas on your property and need a professional? Contact Halton Wildlife today for a free quote!