SQUIRREL REMOVAL SERVICES
Squirrel Removal
Many people see squirrels throughout the day and do not really think much of it. Squirrels are fine animals to be around when they are in your yard or in the wild. However, when one gets into your house, garage, or any other building you have, they are not so fun to be around. Squirrels have ways of getting into seemingly impossible places and if there isn’t a place of easy access, they will make their own holes. Continue reading to find out all about the damage squirrels cause, how to prevent them from getting into your home, and how to remove them once they are in your house.
What problems do squirrels cause?
Squirrels are actually very destructive critters, and that is a fact that surprises many people. There are a destructive risk to your home, as well as a health risk to your family. Squirrels are known to carry many types of diseases, and several of these can be harmful to humans. Humans can get these diseases from coming into contact with squirrel feces, squirrel saliva, or direct contact with a squirrel. It is unlikely for a squirrel with rabies to attack someone, but there have been cases where they have gone after small children and pets. In addition to these health risks, there are also damage risks.
Squirrels cause many types of damage to people’s homes. They often chew their way into attics and set up nests. They will chew on electrical wires and this could potentially start a fire. Squirrels often make their way into chimneys and build nests, which can cause a fire as well. These little critters will chew through many types of material, including wood, causing structural damage. The final big problem is that if squirrels die inside your attic or walls, they will smell terrible. Regardless of which one of these problems makes you want to get rid of the squirrels, they are all important for you to be aware of.
How can I prevent squirrels?
An easy way to keep squirrels away from your home is by simply removing the easy food sources. They often will eat scraps thrown out by humans, as well as any type of pet food they can find. Many people love their trees and would never consider getting rid of them, but if you cut back on a couple of trees, your yard will be less appealing to squirrels. These are easy fixes that will cut down on the appeal of your property to squirrels. But what will you do if squirrels like your property either way?
One of the best ways to prevent squirrels from making their way into your home is to give your home a thorough inspection. Look for any kind of gap or hole, and if you find any, patch them with aluminum sheeting or sealant. Squirrels also can chew through wood, so always be on the lookout for points along your roofline where squirrels have been gnawing. As with most animals, prevention is the best way to get rid of squirrels.
The Exclusion Method for Flying Squirrels
A&D Construction Plus uses the exclusion method when we have to remove flying squirrels. Essentially, it allows flying squirrels the ability to leave your home by the use of one-way doors, so that they will not be able to come back in through this entry point or anywhere else. This is an excellent way of removing flying squirrels, as this method allows them to leave at their will, greatly reducing the amount of time spent waiting for them to be trapped in a cage.
Once animals of any kind have been removed from your home, attic, garage, chimney, or wherever else they were, it is vitally important to prevent them from getting back in. A&D Construction Plus will inspect your home to make sure that it is as squirrel-proof as it can get. We also offer consultation and quotes to fix any entry points we see where animals can get in
How do I remove squirrels?
Squirrels present a difficult removal problem because many times the squirrel that is in the attic or walls will be a female who has made a nest. In this nest will be baby squirrels that will need to be removed as well, otherwise, they will die slowly and smell terrible. If the squirrels are big enough to move on their own, they can be caught in cage traps, which is usually the most efficient way of doing it. There are repeater-style traps that will catch multiple squirrels at a time. Once caught, these squirrels can be released into the wilderness. It is not recommended for people to try to trap squirrels on their own, due to the baby issue and the fact that all of the repairs to the attic need to be looked at by a professional.
Why hire a wildlife removal company?
Hiring a wildlife removal company to get rid of your squirrel problem is a great move, as they will search your attic for any baby squirrels, as well as trap all of the older squirrels. You can be assured that they will be released safely and that the whole process will be humane. It is also an added benefit of hiring a professional service to do this because they will examine your home, install prevention items, and fix any damage caused. If you are a resident of Maine, give A&D Construction Plus a call, and we will take care of your squirrel problem effectively and efficiently.
How to Get Squirrels Out of a Wall
Imagine a sunny Saturday afternoon. You’re relaxed, catching up on one of your favorite TV shows. Then all of a sudden, you begin to hear noises coming from your wall. Your mind starts to race because you know you have a wildlife infestation problem – possibly a squirrel infestation.
And how on earth are you going to get rid of the nuisance wildlife when you can neither see nor access it? Don’t fret. In this post, we share our well-tested and proven methodology at A&D Construction Plus for getting rid of squirrels in a wall.
Of all the places in the house, why are there squirrels in the wall?
It’s simple. You see, walls provide an added layer of safety and warmth like no other. Think about it, the cavities within walls are usually small. This makes it virtually impossible for larger predators like raccoons to reach squirrels that nest in the wall.
Getting rid of squirrels in the wall.
The following steps show how what you need to do:
Step 1: Locate entry point for the squirrels
You must first find out how the squirrel is getting into the wall. That means you have to thoroughly search through your house. Keep an eye out for small holes as squirrels can squeeze themselves through them.
Step 2: Remove the squirrel
There are several ways in which you can remove the squirrels from your wall depending on the specific scenario. Here are the three most common options you have:
- Exclusion
If you’ve been able to find out the entryways for squirrels, then all you need to do is seal up all of them, except one. In that last hole, install an exclusion device that makes it impossible for squirrels to get back in once they leave. After all the squirrels have left, you can then remove the exclusion device and seal up the last hole.
- Trapping
This process is similar to exclusion in that you’re required to seal up all the entryways except one. But in that last hole, you then install a repeater trap. As squirrels try to get out, they get stuck in the trap. Once you’ve captured them all, you can then relocate or euthanize them.
- Direct removal
If you have a live or dead squirrel stuck in your wall, then you need to directly remove it. To do that, you first need to identify where it’s located. If it is still alive, follow the noise to identify the region in the wall where it is struggling to escape. If it is dead, follow the smell to where it is most concentrated on the wall.
Then cut off a small square section from the drywall. This gives you access to the cavity of the wall. You can then put on your thick hand gloves and bring out the squirrel. After cleaning the infected area, place back the cut section and seal it up.
Pro tip
It is not uncommon for squirrels to raise their babies in the wall. Hence, when trapping or excluding squirrels, you must ensure that babies aren’t abandoned in the wall. Extra caution must be taken during February or March as this is typically their birthing season.
Step 3: Repairs
Asides from sealing all potential entry holes into your wall, you also want to identify vulnerable points so you can fix them. Squirrels have very strong teeth, so the last thing you want is for them to chew their way in.
Preventing Future Infestation
Squirrels are highly destructive creatures. With their powerful teeth, they can wreak unimaginable damages. That’s why it’s important to put preventive measures in place. At A&D Construction Plus, here’s some of what we recommend for our clients:
- Cut off easy access to food and water.
- Seal up all entry points.
- Keep a clean yard.
- Trim off tree branches overhanging your roof.
If you need help, you can always trust A&D Construction Plus to effectively handle your squirrel infestation problem while putting preventive measures in place.
How to Remove Squirrels From the Attic?
So you’ve got squirrels living it up in your attic, eh? Well cheer up, it could be worse – you could also have bats! Seriously though, squirrels are a highly undesirable house guest. While they may look adorable, at first glance, squirrels are actually highly destructive, and can seriously tear up your attic, destroy electrical wires (thus increasing the risk of fire), and even endanger wooden structures. Not only that, but through their feces and urine, squirrels are also exposing you to a host of unpleasant diseases, so it’s best to get rid of them as soon as you can.
Why the attic?
A lot of wild animals tend to favor the attic since it’s a pretty far out area where they’re unlikely to be bothered….well, by you, actually. Since most homeowners use their attics for storage, it’s unlikely that any will venture there regularly, to disturb the squirrels. And with so many things stored in your attic, there are plenty of nooks and crannies for the squirrels to set up shop.
How can you get rid of them?
The best way to know you’ve got squirrels in the attic (as opposed to other wild animals) is hearing the distinctive scuttling, scurrying noise coming from up there, or noticing chew marks on the walls, furniture, or electrical wires.
So if you’ve discovered a squirrel living up in the attic, here’s what you ought to do:
- Go inspect and look for the nest.
The first thing you’ll want to do will be finding the nest, particularly if you’ve got an entire family of squirrels living in there. The nest is most likely made of cardboard, insulation or other materials easy to get in the attic.
If it’s summer (or rather, between May and October), there’s a good chance the squirrels will also have babies in their nest, which may mean you have to wait a while before you remove them. You see, since baby squirrels are incapable of surviving on their own, you’ll need to wait a few weeks for them to become independent. Otherwise, even attempting to carefully relocate the nest outside might frighten the mother squirrel and cause her to abandon the babies.
- Identify and seal the entry point.
Once you’ve discovered the squirrels per se, it’s time to figure out how they’re getting in and out of the attic. Look for cracks or holes in the wall or roof, because squirrels will need a way to easily access the outside, as they search for food and water.
Once discovered, make sure you seal the entry point with caulk, wire mesh, or expandable foam, to ensure other animals don’t crawl through in the meantime.
- Trap the squirrel.
Now it’s time to begin the removal process. Ideally, you will want to use a live trap, as this is basically a cage that allows you to trap and securely remove the squirrel(s) from your property, without harming her.
So bait the trap, and check on it regularly, to ensure the squirrel doesn’t suffer needlessly. Once trapped, relocate and liberate the squirrel in an area where it can’t bother you.
- Clean up.
Next, you will want to spend some time cleaning and disinfecting the area of the attic inhabited by the squirrel. Make sure you protect yourself with gloves, and even a surgical mask, so as not to breathe in toxic spores.
You will also want to figure out what attracted the squirrel to your home in the first place (usually a ready source of food and water), and remove that, so as to prevent future infestations.
How to Remove Squirrels From the Chimney
Although many might have squirrel problems throughout their attic, basement, and especially bird feeder, one major place you might find a squirrel and not know what to do about it, is in your chimney. Chimneys might be in most houses throughout the United States, but there’s no doubt that less than “most people” aren’t going to find a squirrel in theirs.
So, although squirrels might be easier to handle on their own, elsewhere, there are only a few things that you can do to remove squirrels from a chimney, without risking your health or safety. As such, here is how to remove squirrels from the chimney.
Make it Hard for the Squirrels to Escape
It might sound a little counterproductive to limit the spots that a squirrel can escape, especially when trying to get rid of them, but blocking off all but one space means that you’ll have a greater chance to drive out a squirrel in a way that’s favorable to you.
That means one of the first things you’ll want to do is to block off the base to your chimney, if the upper levels aren’t blocked off to the squirrels themselves. This’ll allow you to drive the squirrels out of the top of the chimney, while stopping them from escaping through the bottom into your home. Whether this means closing off a glass door, putting a cage around the fireplace, or otherwise, it doesn’t really matter.
What it does is that you leave an escape through the top of your chimney – most chimneys have chimney caps, which are able to be taken off and serve as the perfect spot to drop down a rope or method to get squirrels up and out. Whether they leave quickly is another question; rather, they’ll eventually either climb up the sides and out of the chimney or use the rope to climb out.
Once you’re sure that every squirrel has escaped, then you can remove the rope, place the cap back over your chimney top, and clean up or reopen the rest of your chimney.
Trapping
If you can’t get squirrels to climb up out of your chimney, then the next best option is to trap the squirrels for relocation. Although different areas have different regulations for where and how you trap and move squirrels, most allow you to place a cage trap and eventually move them someplace else.
Going this route, lock off every exit to your chimney other than the fireplace (if you have one). Afterward, you’ll have one of two options – either block off a narrow path outdoors, allowing the squirrels to climb out of the chimney and out of your home, or try another method and set up a cage trap to remove the squirrel.
If you go the trap method, place a trap with peanut butter or another bait at the base of the chimney, blocking off the rest of the exit. Although squirrels trapped won’t quickly move to the bait, giving them a bit of time will allow them to calm down and make their way to the trap, where they’ll be, well, trapped and ready for relocation.
Repeat that process until every squirrel is trapped, making sure to move the squirrels in a place that’s safe and legal. If you’re unsure at all of what to do during this process, then you might want to call local animal control or a wildlife company. They’ll gladly and knowledgeable take care of your wildlife problem, wrapping up the issue, cleaning everything up, and helping you to prevent anything like that from happening again.
