Squirrels In Your Attic? A Brief Guide

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Hearing funny noises in your attic? You could very well have a squirrel problem. Squirrels are known to invade homes and make nests in attics and crawl spaces. The situation must be dealt with quickly and efficiently, because squirrels can transmit diseases and also cause structural damage to your house. Here's is a brief guide to resolving this issue.

Signs

One of the main signs that you have squirrels in your house is noise coming from the attic as the animals move about. Because they are larger than other rodents that typically find their way into attics, such as mice and rats, the noise is generally louder than that of smaller animals. Also, you will usually hear the noise during the day, as squirrels sleep at night.

Another sign is the stench of urine coming from your attic, which will become noticeable if the squirrels are present for an extended time. An interesting method to determine if squirrels have gotten into the attic is to place cardboard on the attic floor, and then cover it with flour. If squirrels are present, you will see just their distinctive rabbit-like tracks on the cardboard.

Ridding

You have a few do-it-yourself options for getting rid of the squirrels. One is to flood your attic with bright lights. Another is to play loud music that will irritate the squirrels and induce them to leave. A third option is to spread a fox urine product throughout the attic, as the smell of a predator may drive the squirrels away.

If these methods are unsuccessful, you could also try setting live traps and depositing any squirrels that you catch five to ten miles away.

Prevention

Squirrels can enter your house through very small openings so make sure to close off any openings or vents. If you have a chimney, use a chimney guard. Also, make sure any vents, such as those up on your soffits, have mesh guards. Repair any holes in your siding or roof.

An important point to keep in mind is that you must give any squirrels already in your house a way to leave. Always leave at least one opening uncovered so that any squirrels in the attic have a way out. If you do not see or hear any signs of squirrels or at least two weeks you can assume the squirrels are gone and cover the last opening.

The problem of squirrels in your attic can be tricky because the do-it-yourself methods do not always work and many homeowners will not want to set traps and handle live animals. The safest and surest way to resolve this issue is to contact a pest control company in your city and engage their services. For more information, reach out to companies like Carroll Exterminating Company. 

14 January 2019