How to Get Rid of Squirrels?

The first step to getting rid of the squirrels in your attic is to determine how they are coming and going. Once you know how they have got it in, you can begin the removal and repair process. During the birthing season, this begins with a complete search of your attic for babies. It is important to remember that baby squirrels do not exit the den site until eight weeks of age. That means the only way they can be removed is by hand. Locating baby squirrels can be tricky. To protect them from predators, their mother will have been sure to tuck the babies away in a hard reach place. This will require wading through itchy fibreglass in the dark to locate their exact position.If you have squirrels in your home there are steps you can take to speed up the process. One of the most important things you can do is to identify the entry point of the squirrels. Since squirrel entry points are almost always on the roof, looking for any damage on your siding or eavestroughs may help you indicate the path squirrels are using to access your home. While your first idea when you see a squirrel leave may be to close their entry point behind them, this may create a more hazardous and damaging situation. You may also be tempted to chase the squirrel out of the attic yourself, but this will likely result in you coming in contact with hazardous materials or a dangerous, defensive squirrel. To learn more about how to get rid of squirrels on your property or about how Skedaddle can help, keep reading.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

• Attics are extremely dusty, so you should always wear a dust mask before entering any attic.
• Heat stress. Attics temperatures during spring and summer can soar to over 45 degrees Celsius. Make sure to hydrate well and take frequent breaks.
• Watch your step. Make sure your weight is always on a floor joist. Stepping off of the joists could cause you to fall through the ceiling.
• Most attics have no lights, so you will need a flashlight to guide you.

The search should begin in the areas where the most activity has been heard as they are where the babies are most likely to be stashed. Mother squirrels can be extremely aggressive, especially when it comes to their babies. They may charge or attack if they feel threatened.

SAFETY RISKS OF REMOVING SQUIRRELS FROM YOUR HOME:

Due to the hazardous materials in squirrel feces, going into an infested attic is not always the safest choice. Unless you have the proper protective equipment you are at risk for becoming infected with a variety of diseases and bacteria. Listed below are some of the most important reasons why you should hire professionals to remove the squirrels from your attic.

• Risk becoming infected with ringworm, salmonellosis, rabies, leptospirosis, lyme disease or tularemia from an infected squirrel.
• Could become infected with salmonella from contaminated droppings.
• Risk the spread of bacteria throughout your home.
• Risk being attacked by a defensive squirrel.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG IF I REMOVE THEM MYSELF?

• Risk further damaging insulation and structural integrity of the attic.
• You may separate a mother squirrel from her babies, which will result in deceased squirrels in your attic.
• You may leave bacteria behind that emanate odors that will attract wildlife in the future.
• During the clean up process you may redistribute insulation unevenly, resulting in costly loss of heat.
• Risk leaving chewed wires exposed.

HOW WE HELP YOU REMOVE SQUIRRELS

Skedaddle wildlife technicians are trained to scare mother squirrels out from the attic as we collect the babies. If the mother retreats to another part of the attic or refuses to vacate, we will use her babies to lure her from the attic. Mother squirrels have a strong maternal instinct and by placing the litter in a heated baby box on the outside we can be sure to attract the mother out of the attic.

To prevent the mother from turning around and re-entering the attic a one-way door is installed over the exit point. Skedaddle’s squirrel one-way doors are specifically designed to allow the adults to exit their den sites while locking them out in the process. The mother squirrel will then begin to relocate her babies one by one to a pre-established alternate den site. For security, squirrels maintain as many as five to ten alternate den sites at any given time. It won’t be long before they are all settled in again elsewhere in the neighbourhood. We then deodorize the attic and the entry point so that the other squirrels in the area won’t recognize it as a place to live.

As part of any removal process it is important to secure any other potential points of entry. It is impossible to get rid of all the squirrels in your neighbourhood, but you can protect your home from invasion. Skedaddle technicians are trained to identify and squirrel proof all potential access points on your home. Click here to learn more about how Skedaddle can humanely protect your home from squirrel invaders.