Even though most squirrels are harmless, cute animals, they can cause issues in your home from time to time. A mother squirrel, for example, could use your attic as a place to have her babies. Other squirrels simply go to your yard to look for food.
Whether you’re dealing with Fox squirrels or Gray squirrels, there are a few things you can do to keep the damage to a minimum. At Pro Trap, we specialize in squirrel removal, which includes preventing future squirrel damage to your residence by ensuring all proper repairs are made.
If you want to ensure your home is free from squirrels, keep reading this page!
How Can You Get Rid of Squirrels without Harming Them?
Regardless of what method you use, you must ensure not to harm the animal and remove them in a humane way. Using poison or any other measure to remove squirrels from your home will only cause more issues. At Pro Trap we are partnered with the Windsor Humane Society, and always remove animals in the safest way possible for all parties.
All the tips mentioned here will work as an excellent squirrel repellent, with out major harm to any creature. The best part is that you will keep the environment safe for both the animals and your family.
Five Tricks to Make Your Home Squirrel-Proof
Squirrels are known for adapting quickly. Even if you manage to repel squirrels from your home, that doesn’t mean they’ll stop coming back.
You can use any of these tricks interchangeably to ensure you avoid squirrels from entering or disturbing your home safely. Evaluate each option, and choose carefully.
1) Inspect the Property
Even though it seems obvious, you should check your home first.
If you have squirrels in your attic, for example, you’ll notice if you start hearing quick steps in your ceiling. Squirrels tend to be more active in the morning, so stay alert. Usually, this is when we really recommend calling in a professional wildlife removal service, as it can be dangerous trying to trap a squirrel in an attic. Not to mention if its a Mom trying to protect its babies, or worse if it is a rabid squirrel. You may see or hear things in your attic or even see claw marks in your ceiling drywall.
Yes it can happen, When it comes to wild animals, including squirrels, the best choice is to avoid interacting with them altogether since animals can carry rabies for months before they show symptoms. On the other hand, if you have squirrels in your yard, you’ll notice if your plants have bites on them, there’s ripe fruit in your vines, or your flower pots have craters in the soil.
Once you confirm you have squirrels, you now have to inspect your property for any potential entry points. Basically, an entry hole is a place that squirrels can use to get into your home. Even if your home doesn’t have any of these holes, keep in mind that squirrels can chew or claw their way in.
Make sure to also check your trees. If they’re high enough, the squirrel could use them as a launch pad to get to your roof top, then inside your home.
Inspecting your home from time to time ensures you got all main entry points taken care of, making squirrels less likely to get in.
2) Set Live Traps
You can set squirrel traps only after you’ve sealed shut all potential entry/exit holes. The trap needs to be sturdy with some type of bait, like sunflower seeds or peanuts. Once you bait the squirrel and capture it, release it about 16-24 kilometres away from your home. Ideally in a wooded area in Southwestern Ontario.
Releasing the squirrel too close to your home will only make it more likely to go back.
Make sure to block and properly repair the entry hole, disinfect the attic, and check your home for any signs of damage after you’re done. Again, this is all something that Pro Trap does for you when you use our squirrel removal services across Windsor, Chatham or Sarina.
3) Remove/Move Bird Feeders
Squirrels love bird feeders. They have a great sense of smell, which makes them more likely to find bird food fast.
If you have feeders around, consider removing them, or keep them empty for a while. You can also install the feeder on a metal pole and attach a metal cone (squirrel baffle). This prevents squirrels from climbing up.
Watch out for any bird seed or food that falls from the feeder, as that could also attract squirrels.
4) Consider Using Chili Sprays or Exclusion Devices
Natural ingredients can often help deter squirrels. Things like cayenne pepper, apple cider vinegar, and some essential oils work well. You can take some of these ingredients (or mix them) and spray them on all the areas the animal is getting to.
If your squirrel problem is inside your home, you can consider an exclusion device or one-way door. Here, you’ll block all entry holes except for the main one. Install the exclusion device there, and the squirrel will find its way outside after a while.
This method may not work with female squirrels. Even if you get it out, her babies may still be inside your home. Moreover, keep in mind that this only helps you deal with the squirrel you already have inside the home currently. It won’t protect against new squirrels.
5) Clean Your Spaces
Cleaning your attic and yard is one of the best ways to keep squirrels away.
There are many options you have here, including:
- Trimming every tree branch
- Cleaning out the attic
- Sealing large holes with metal flashing instead of wood or foam spray
- Removing any traces of food from your yard or attic
These methods don’t guarantee that squirrels will stop entering your home, but they will make them less likely to do get into places they shouldn’t be.
Is It Hard to Remove Squirrels from Your Home?
Dealing with a squirrel control problem can become overwhelming, but doing it can be easier than you think. Usually if a squirrel is in or around your yard, you can take matters into your own hands. Each effective method mentioned here will help you with your squirrel problem. Most of them don’t take more than a few minutes to set up.
Unfortunately, if you’re dealing with a severe squirrel problem, these DIY methods are not going to be enough. You should contact a professional trapper who can safely get squirrels away from your home and prevent them from getting in again.
How Pro Trap can Help with Squirrel Control
Our team at Pro Trap specializes in squirrel and wildlife removal. It doesn’t matter how big or small your particular problem is, we can handle it. We have a great team of specialized technicians to deal with Animal Removal, Animal Trapping, Wildlife Removal and Squirrel Control!
Even though fighting insects and wild animals doesn’t have to be hard, doing it so frequently can be exhausting. Leave the hard work to us, and call our team today to book an estimate.
