How to Get Rid of Squirrels

They dart across the street, scurry up trees, and claw their way through small openings in homes and buildings. Squirrels are among the most widespread rodents in North America, one of the family that includes chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs.

They have a benign, almost cute appearance with their bushy tails, short arms and legs, and pointed ears. But they can wreak havoc within the walls, crawl spaces, and attics of homes in search of shelter. As they move about, they can even harbor infected fleas and ticks that may transfer diseases.

Inside your home, the signs and sounds of squirrel intrusion will be obvious:

• Noise (the sound of movement) in your attic or inside walls
• Sounds during daytime would indicate a gray or fox squirrel; nighttime disturbances would be more likely from a flying squirrel.
• Holes in insulation measuring a few inches in diameter
• Droppings in the attic
• Holes in siding or under soffits

Fall is the most active time of year for tree squirrels — the time during which you’ll see the most activity from them on your property. They sense of the coming of winter, so nesting and hoarding of food kicks into high gear.

Winter quiets squirrel activity as food becomes scarce, and they spend less time searching for food and more time sharing a den to conserve warmth. They also prepare for the colder months by hoarding food and eating more to bulk up and save body heat.

Depending on the region, squirrels may enter into the first of their two breeding seasons during winter (December through February). The second season occurs in late spring (March) or early summer (July). Females will typically produce two litters each year, with two to four young in each litter (flying squirrels may have litters of up to seven young).

Because they forage for fungi, seeds, nuts and fruits, they can damage your garden by pulling up roots and continuously knocking over or emptying out your bird feeders. If they get into your attic, basement or crawl spaces, they’ll also cause a lot of damage by trying to forage through insulation and chewing through wires.

Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to prevent squirrels from affecting your property, and additional treatment steps available if they have already become a problem for you.

Preventing squirrels from making a home on your property or inside your house is an easier strategy than removing them. Following some easy steps will keep your home free of squirrels and other pests:

• Invest in gutter guards and covers for downspouts so that squirrels won’t have access to your house from the rooftop.
• Trim tree branches that hang over your roof line. Squirrels often travel by tree branches and any that touch your house provide the perfect bridge.
• Don’t let any material or debris pile up against the side of your house. Once you’ve raked or trimmed trees and bushes, dispose of them or move them away from the building until you can.
• Inspect your house and walls for cracks, crevices and openings that are large enough for squirrels. If you do find any, seal them up with caulk or expandable foam. For larger openings, you may need to complete repairs or cover them with screen or new siding in order to remove entry points.

If you have a squirrel problem, chances are that your yard is a source for easy-to-reach snacks. While their diet usually consists of seeds, nuts, insects, bird eggs and fruits, they’re also attracted to pungent smells and much of the waste that you throw in your trash.

• Inspect your outdoor trash cans and make sure they’re properly sealed. If they’re cracked or can easily pop open, a squirrel will easily find its way inside. Periodically wash out your cans in order to remove residue and odors.
• Double-bag especially odorous waste like meat and fruit before throwing it into your trash can.
• If you have fruiting plants and trees or those that produce nuts and seeds, take extra care to rake up any that have fallen to the ground. Don’t give fruit a chance to ripen and rot.
• Don’t leave pet food out. Try to take it away once your pets have finished eating, or seal it up while it’s not in use.
• Keep bird feeders in hard-to-reach places. Squirrels are expert climbers, so they can easily get into most spaces, but placing the feeders away from your house can discourage them from coming nearby. There are also squirrel-proof bird feeders that prevent them from getting into the feed with a special shape or barrier.
• Don’t forget to clean inside as well. Make sure that there is no debris or old food residue in your attic or basement.

Whether squirrels have been able to find food on your property or not, they’ll also be looking for water. Take the necessary measures to eliminate as much water as possible within your yard, or you’ll be creating a type of oasis for squirrels and many other types of pests.

• A properly sealed trash can will keep out water as well as odors.
• After it rains, check your yard and see where water is pooling. If you have small holes or dips in the ground, these are usually easy to fill in to prevent small puddles.
• Take note of any décor or items you have in your yard that might collect water. These should be moved or altered so that they don’t hold any standing water. Many planters and pots hold more water than necessary, and those can be fixed by drilling holes into the bottom for drainage.

If you do have plants and trees that serve as food sources for squirrels, your solution isn’t as simple. You can do your best to rake up as much as possible, but squirrels will always be able to climb trees and get to the food they’re seeking out. To prevent this, there are a variety of repellents you can use instead.

If you’re dealing with a squirrel infestation inside your attic, basement, or crawl spaces, one of the easiest ways to get rid of them is to use baiting and trapping methods.

Most squirrel traps allow you to catch and release the squirrels, but there are also spring traps that will kill them. These work similar to the traditional traps used for rats, in which a spring is triggered and a mechanism snaps down onto the squirrel. These can be risky to set up and are more dangerous than live traps because you can get your own fingers caught in them. They’ll also require clean up and removal of the dead squirrel, which isn’t as easy as taking a live one away to release.

Live traps include cages and traps with one-way exclusion doors. With both of these, the squirrels are left inside so that you can remove them later. If you’re taking the trap outside to let the squirrel free, you’ll want to make sure you’re using repellents and have taken the proper steps to block off entryways to your house so that they don’t find their way back in.

Furthermore, you should take precautionary steps toward protecting yourself when letting the critters loose. Squirrels won’t bite, but their nails can be long and scratch you as you’re letting them out of the trap. Prepare yourself with long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of sturdy gloves. Unless you have prior knowledge of where you can release squirrels, contact a local wildlife expert to find appropriate places where they can be released. Depending on where you release them, you could be putting the squirrels in danger or subjecting someone else to an infestation. If you aren’t sure, it’s always better to ask.

Even if you’re using a live trap, you should still remember to check it frequently for squirrels, as they can harm themselves through trying to get out or even die if they’re accidentally left out in harsh weather.

For both live and kill traps, they’ll need to be washed properly before reusing them. Squirrels carry diseases with which you’ll then come into contact if you handle the trap without properly disinfecting it. Also make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with squirrels or any other wild animals.

We’ve put together a list of some of the best squirrel traps so you can take out the guess work when choosing a great product.

If bait and traps aren’t working and you need another solution, you can try using squirrel poisons to take care of the problem. These will help get rid of squirrels for good, but it requires the extra labor of finding the squirrels after they die and can even be very dangerous. If the squirrel carcasses begin to decay inside your home, they’ll bring a whole other host of new problems.

If you’re dealing with any poisons, bait or traps, always be sure to read the instructions completely before using them to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. We’ve also developed a list of additional squirrel poisons you can use.

Particularly if you’ve already tried several preventative and treatment methods, it’s time to seek professional help when nothing seems to be working. They’ll develop effective strategies toward eradicating squirrels on a daily basis.

Pest management professionals use an integrated plan that removes the squirrels in a humane way and uses the proper treatment methods to repel them. If you’re considering using traps, this expert will know the best way to handle the animal when taking them out, and they’ll know exactly where to release them so they don’t come back or cause anyone else harm. He or she may give you some tips for your house and yard, and it will be important to follow those and work as a team to get rid of the squirrel problem for good.