While squirrels might be fluffy and cute, the last thing you want is to have them in your attic. Do not be fooled by their adorable features; these creatures can cause absolute chaos in your home.
They have the ability to chew through so many various appliances as objects, as they have an extreme biting power. They are also small creatures, which means that gaining entry into your home is also relatively simple. All it takes is one small hole.
Luckily, there are various tips you can apply to get rid of these animals from your home. Over the years, people have adopted different tactics, some harsher than others. It is best to get rid of these creatures without doing any harm to them.
Keep reading if you have a squirrel problem that you need to deal with.
Signs of Squirrels
It is essential to look through your attic regularly for signs of these animals. A few common things to look out for include:
- Squirrel poop/ droppings.
- Strange smells from their feces or urine.
- A squirrel nest – Smaller nests, made out of soft materials indicate flying squirrels, whereas larger mounds represent gray squirrels.
- Any damage to your property or household items – Examine the exterior of your house to see if there are any holes. There are normally separate entry and exit points.
- Noise – It is difficult not to hear the scurrying, squeaking, chewing, and scratching of these animals in your attic.
Squirrel Poop
Squirrel droppings can be identified by their size, shape, and odor. The feces do differ depending on the type of squirrel you are dealing with. The color is often dark brown or black. They often appear in clumps or are spindle-shaped. This often depends on the type of diet they have and the levels of moisture in their food source.
High moisture food often causes soft or clumpy feces, while low moisture foods result in hard feces with pointed ends. If you are not able to identify the animals from their droppings or any other signs, you may want to call in a specialist to help you get the job done.
Why Would You Want to Get Rid of Squirrels?
Believe it or not, these creatures can cause a great deal of damage to your property. This is usually in the form of:
- Damaging the electrical wiring and insulation in your home – This also results in a potential fire hazard and repairs, which can be quite costly.
- Physical damage to your household goods – These animals often chew their way through anything they can find, which results in spending a large sum of money on replacing items.
- They are potentially threatening to you and your family’s life as they carry various diseases, such as rabies.
Structural Repairs
You may want to consider reinforcing your property so that these squirrels cannot gain entry that easily. Structural repairs are also crucial once you have gotten rid of any existing squirrel to prevent re-infestation. One may want to look into hiring a licensed contractor to reinforce your property and make it squirrel-proof. These professionals can also give you additional tips or options on how to deal with this situation.
Structural repairs can often be done in the form of using wire mesh and metal around your home.
Other Effective Methods to Get Rid of Squirrels
If you feel helpless or are running out of options, there are a few other methods you can attempt, including:
- Installing high-quality and powerful strobe lights in your attic – This has proven to be very effective in deterring these animals from your home.
- Live squirrel traps – These creatures are very difficult to catch, considering their size and speed. You may find that setting up traps with bait can help solve your problem.
- People have often resorted to using a pellet gun outside their property; however, one should try to avoid this or resort to it as the very last alternative.
- Call your local wildlife trapping experts – We highly recommended opting for this choice as everything is done safely and effectively. You can also get peace of mind knowing that a thorough job is being done and that no harm is being done to the animals. They belong in the wild, in their natural habitat, so do everything you can to ensure that this is where they end up.
Squirrel Traps
There are various wildlife specialists or pest control services that provide great ways of trapping squirrels. The easiest option would be to contact one of these companies to set up the squirrel traps for you. There are good and bad types of traps. Using bait also makes these more effective.
You can try various bait options to try and lure the squirrel in; however, one of the best options is peanut butter. Squirrels love their peanuts and peanut butter, so this is always a great way to get them to come out.
Choosing a squirrel trap can be slightly more complicated than expected because these creatures are very light and quick. Sometimes, the squirrels get the bait without even setting off the trap. Hence, traps with doors are often the best bet.
Traps also become slightly more complicated when baby squirrels are involved. These babies are often so tiny that they can find their way in and out of just about anything.
Setting up or finding the right squirrel trap can be quite a daunting task. If you are having no luck or simply have no idea what kind of trap to go for, it is best to call pest control services to help you deal with your squirrel problem.
The Final Verdict On Getting Rid of Squirrels
Do you have squirrels taking over your attic? There is nothing to hold against these creatures, but it is understandable that you do not want them invading your property any longer. Feel free to give these tips a try or contact a specialist if this is a task you simply cannot get the problem under control.
Let us come together to get these animals out of our homes and into their own homes. Gain knowledge on the subject matter so that you can deal with the situation appropriately.
If you’re looking for the right team to handle the issue for you, Synergy² is here to help. We provide trusted services throughout the area, so contact us for the best pest control services around.
Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 270 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here at Synergy² Jackson Pest Control!
