Although squirrels can appear cute and friendly, they’re the biggest culprits for causing great damage to our homes if left untreated! It’s important to learn how to get squirrels out of a house as they can leave holes, nest, and cause havoc in your walls while possibly carrying diseases with them, such as fleas, ticks or sometimes rabies.
A variety of techniques on how to get squirrels out of your house along with other areas of your property, all in a safe humane way.
- Plant Things They Do Not Like
- Spray Squirrel Repellent
- Install Fencing
- Get a Dog
Throughout this article, you’ll learn and by the end of this article you’ll feel like an expert in squirrel removal and prevention!
List of the Basics You’ll Need for Getting a Squirrel Out of Your House:
1. Keep all pets within a safe proximity from the danger zone (aka the squirrel!). You should retain your pet in one specific room to avoid them contracting any possible diseases the squirrel may carry.
2. Shut all doors and windows within your home, except for one external door (the front or back door). This allows the squirrel one safe exit out of your house. Try this method for a couple of hours and check back later to see if the squirrel has disappeared.
3. Possibly consider setting up a humane trap. There are different squirrel traps you can purchase these days however two of my favorite are 1 & 2 door live traps. You can choose from 1-door traditional traps or 2-door traps which basically allows the squirrel to enter from either side which in return means a higher capture rate!
If absolutely necessary, think about trying to catch the squirrel yourself.
To catch a squirrel yourself, you can use the idea such as placing an upside down bucket overtop of the squirrel to capture it and then placing something heavy in weight on top of the bucket to hold it down (like a heavy rock, brick or a 15kg dumbbell).
You can also attempt to capture the squirrel by holding up a large blanket, carefully placing it over the squirrel, quickly rolling the blanket up and carefully letting it free. I wouldn’t necessarily attempt this alternative myself however some people have confirmed success by using this method.
It’s important to keep in mind that whatever “do it yourself” alternative you may decide to use, remember to take extreme caution. Purchasing items such as heavy duty gloves, protective clothing and maybe a mask or safety goggles could save you from being bitten and possibly infected if the squirrel is indeed carrying a disease. Safety is key here folks!
How to Get Squirrels Out of the Attic?
So you’re hearing the constant noise of scuttling throughout your attic and have begun thinking to yourself “what am I going to do!”. Well don’t stress, there are a few things you can attempt in order to get squirrels out of the attic once and for all.
To get squirrels out of the attic, you should begin by having an escape route prepared and ready for them to exit through. Secondly, you’ll need to attempt to determine their entrance point by taking a thorough look around your attic and seeing if you can find any holes or openings where the squirrel could potentially enter from.
If you’re unable to find any holes or openings, try inspecting the outside of your house such as the roof or eaves. Once you’ve determined their entrance point, you can seal it off and begin encouraging the squirrel to leave. (It’s important to note, squirrels can chew through materials such as wool, plastic and even wood so ensure you’re using the appropriate materials such as steel or metal to seal off any holes).
Once sealed, use techniques such as making loud noises inside of the attic or banging directly on the roof aiming to trigger them enough to quickly make a run for it out through your escape route!
If neither techniques work, you can look at using a humane trap such as the two I have mentioned in the above bullet points. If you do decide to use a humane trap, you can use bait foods such as nuts or fruits to entice them towards the trap which will ultimately give you a higher chance to capture the squirrels.
If you’re still having trouble with the little culprits that are hanging out inside of your attic, you may want to think about hiring a professional that can assist you to safely remove any squirrels. It’s not an easy job and sometimes can be impossible to do without professional help, so take some time to think if this may be the best option for you.
How to Get Squirrels Out of the Garden?
I understand the frustration as a gardener to constantly see nibble bites all over your flowers and hard grown plants all due to little squirrels, that’s why it’s important to know how to get squirrels out of the garden. The process of getting squirrels out of your garden may seem like a daunting task, however, there are a few methods around that can make the process less stressful.
Plant Things They Do Not Like
To avoid these little culprits from damaging your garden any more than they already have, consider planting things they don’t like. Daffodils, Galanthus and Geraniums are all plants that will absolutely keep them away from your garden.
Spray Squirrel Repellent
Squirrel repellents work just like any repellent, you spray over a certain area and both the smell and taste of the substance will be enough to rid them from your garden. It may also be a good idea to spray any repellent around your garden structures such as wood or timber garden edgings to avoid squirrels from chewing in that area. You can purchase squirrel repellents at stores like Lowe’s, Amazon or your local garden store.
Install Fencing
Keep your garden squirrel free by installing mesh fencing in and around the exterior of your garden. You’ll want the fencing to be at least 1.5 feet which is deep enough to ensure they are fully boxed out. Ask your local garden store for their recommendations for mesh fencing as you want to make sure the holes of the mesh aren’t big enough for the squirrels to squeeze through.
Get a Dog
Not always the most convenient decision for some.. however, purchasing a pet may be a step in the right direction not only for yourself but for your garden too! Certain breeds of dogs aren’t exactly squirrels biggest fans, so it’ll be pretty easy for them to chase away any unwanted pests.
Extra Tips:
- Soaking your bulbs in repellent can work like magic to rid your garden from squirrels.
- If you’re a “do it yourself” character, look into making your own homemade squirrel repellent using ingredients you have around the house such as hot sauce or dish soap. This will save you a couple of bucks!
How to Get Squirrels Out of the Garage?
The last thing you need are squirrels living inside of your garage causing havoc, chewing their way through the walls and potentially creating unnecessary damage (which can be costly). Continue reading to find out how to get squirrels out of your garage.
If you haven’t already done so, find out how many squirrels are living in your garage and determine their entrance point. Once the entrance point has been established, seal the hole/s to avoid future pests making their way inside. (Covering or blocking a hole shouldn’t be a long-term solution as squirrels can practically chew their way through almost any material, so carefully consider what materials you use to seal any hole/s for permanent result).
Make sure to keep your garage door open, along with all previous holes sealed so the squirrels can find their way out on their own. To speed up this process, you may want to play loud noises (such as high frequencies) or spray repellent in certain parts of your garage to trigger the squirrels to leave.
If the squirrels don’t seem to be leaving on their own, it may be beneficial to consider using traps inside and outside of your garage. Place traps around the exterior of your garage door and near the sealed holes inside of your garage. You can also entice the squirrels by using bait such as peanut butter or fruits.
If you do trap any squirrels, you should remember to release them into the wild away from your property and the property of others. If you can not complete this task, it may be wise to contact a wildlife removal company.
Be mindful if there are young squirrels inside of your garage, as mother squirrels will do just about anything to defend her young. Removing young squirrels can cause the mother to act extremely aggressive and find new ways to come back to your garage, so take caution.
It’s also inhumane to set traps or remove a squirrel if it hasn’t matured yet. If in doubt, consider hiring a professional for the job of extraction where they can safely remove any young squirrels in a humane manner and reconnect them with their mother.
How to Get Squirrels Out of Your Yard?
It’s a no brainer that squirrels can cause destruction to your yard with their persistent digging of holes and half-bitten fruits scattered across your lawn. Thankfully, just like the process of removing squirrels from your garden, you can use similar methods to find out how to get squirrels out of yard.
Rodent bait may be the best solution for your yard, however, if you have young children or pets you will want to make certain to keep them away from that area as rodent bait is highly poisonous.
If you’re not keen on using rodent bait, consider setting up traps within your yard. As previously mentioned in this article, there are different types of traps for squirrels so you’ll want to consider what one suits you best.
If neither rodent bait or traps are of interest, you can try using squirrel repellent around the hot spots of your yard. Areas such as around tree trunks or inside of their holes are perfect places to spray the repellent. The smell and taste from the repellent will be enough to keep the squirrels from coming back.
Don’t forget to spray any repellent frequently to prolong the efficiency. If you’re not interested in the maintenance of squirrel repellent, you can consider purchasing an electronic device which sends out high pitched noises inaudible to human ears.
(Squirrels thrive during the day, so it shouldn’t be hard to catch them in your yard. Contemplate what method would suit you best and approach them with guard. It is also helpful to remember that even dead squirrels are likely to carry bacteria just as much as live ones so take caution when handling or transporting squirrels).
How to Get Squirrels Out of the Chimney?
Squirrels are expert climbers and chimneys are like trees to them. Squirrels can find their way to the opening of your chimney and begin nesting in there which in the long-term can become a major issue. That is why it’s a good tool to learn how to get squirrels out of the chimney.
The easiest option to get squirrels out of your chimney is by helping them escape naturally.
To begin, source materials such as rope, towels, netting or anything that can serve as a rope to lower into your chimney. The intention of the rope is for any squirrels currently living inside of your chimney to climb their way up and out. Allow the rope to hang for a few hours and check on it later. This option is good as it means no poison, no traps and no stress.
A second alternative is to spray odor deterrents inside of your chimney.
Squirrels despise bad smells so the odor will serve strong enough to get them out of your chimney once and for all. In addition to using an odor deterrent, try using a squirrel trap by setting one up on the inside of your fireplace. Once you open the damper, the squirrel will make its way to the trap for you to safely rid into wildlife.
Just note that as tempting as this may sound, avoid sticking your hands down the chimney to grab a hold of the squirrel. Not only is this dangerous and increases the chance of you being directly bitten but it will also cause unnecessary aggression and stress towards the squirrel.
Also, avoid starting a fire to get the squirrel out. Chances are they’ll die from entering the fireplace instead of actually climbing out, especially once you open the damper. Remember your intention is to get the squirrel out of the chimney, not to kill the squirrel!
What are Squirrels Attracted to?
Although squirrels have a keen eye on a variety of things, a squirrels main attraction is food. Regardless if your intention was to attract squirrels into your life or not, their main goal is sourcing food and lots of it which means they’ll go to the deepest ends of the earth to find it!
A squirrels desired appetite consists of nuts (almost every nut), fruits (berries, apricots, apples) and vegetables (corn, broccoli etc). Squirrels are also attracted to eating plants, trees, fungi and flowers.
If you begin to notice squirrels hanging out in your garden, yard or home.. Try to determine where they’re coming from and what seems to be attracting them. If you are having this problem, the best thing to do is to remove any incentives that will attract a squirrel from reoccurring to your property. If you’re harvesting any of the above attractions, you know what to do!
What Do Squirrels Hate?
If I had to find any similarities between humans and squirrels, the only answer would be that we both share a common hatred for bad odor! Squirrels hate bad odor, and they’ll make sure to stay far away from any stink!
I’ve listed below different odors squirrels hate:
- Animal urine
- Mint or Garlic
- Hot or spicy scents such as bell peppers, chili peppers or cinnamon
- Stinky clothes/Dirty socks
- Predator repellents
- Coffee grounds
- Blood Meal
- Chicken feces
- Mothballs
- Caster oils
If you’re struggling with the persistence of squirrels, try using some of these bad odors around your squirrel hotspot areas and watch them disappear.
What are Squirrels Afraid of?
Do you want to know what squirrels are afraid of? Well it’s quite simple really, squirrels are afraid of anything scary.
Some people seek to find out what squirrels are afraid of in hopes to scare them away from eating their plants or digging holes in their backyards. If this resonates with you, try the classic attempt of using pretend scarecrows, snakes or owls. Squirrels are fearful of all three animals.
In addition to pretend animals and scarecrows, you can also purchase frightening devices or motion activated sprinklers which also work wonders to scare off squirrels.
If you have pets, then you’re also in luck. Squirrels fear our household pets such as dogs or cats, so keep them around the garden or backyard to work their magic! And lastly, squirrels fear repellents. You can purchase electronic repellents to scare of squirrels along with any other unwanted pests that may attempt to roam your property.
How Much Does Squirrel Removal Cost?
If you have a squirrel problem and you’re looking at how much squirrel removal will cost you, the short answer is it can vary.
As an estimate, some professionals will charge a fee priced $100 upwards just to inspect your property. Usually this up-front fee will serve as a deposit towards your total cost of removal. The total removal cost of squirrels can be anywhere from $400 upwards. This can price run extremely higher depending on the location of the squirrels, the severity of the job and how many squirrels there are in total.
It’s helpful to remember to seek quotes from different professionals/companies before making your final decision.
What is the Best Way to Repel Squirrels?
There are many methods (both do it yourself and professional) to learn how to repel squirrels. In my opinion, the best way to repel squirrels are by eliminating anything that attracts them.
If your main hotspot is the external of your house (garage, yard, garden) then try using a variety of bad odors. Place these odors in areas where they dig, around your trees or areas where you don’t want them hanging out.
Ensure you don’t have any overhanging trees or branches that are touching your roof or structure by simply cutting these down. You can also protect your house by using mesh, foam or wire specific for squirrel prevention purchased from your local garden store.
If your main hotspot is the internal of your house (attic, roof, chimney) then try soaking cotton balls in ammonia and place them in the target areas. You can also play high frequency noises of 15000Hz or higher which will scare and repel them.
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