Your home is your safe place and a place where you can feel at ease. But if squirrels decide to move into your attic, your peaceful home can quickly turn into a fight. Squirrels are cute animals that live in the wild, but when they get into your attic, they can be a big problem. In this blog post, we’ll talk about the problems people have when trying to keep squirrels out of their attics and how to get rid of them for good.
Why do squirrels like attics so much?
Squirrels are smart and able to change their ways. Even though they are usually thought of as animals that live in trees, these furry mice can also live in cities. Here are some reasons why squirrels might want to live in your attic:
- Safe Place to Stay: Attics are safe places to stay away from ground-level predators like foxes and cats.
- Warmth: Insulated attics keep squirrels warm in the winter, which makes them a good place for them to live, especially when it’s time for them to have babies.
- Lots of Nesting Materials: Squirrels often build their nests out of insulation found in attics, which makes the attic a useful and comfortable place for them to raise their young.
- Proximity to Food Sources: Squirrels like attics in residential neighbourhoods because they are close to places where they can get food, like bird feeders and gardens.
The Problems with Squirrel Problems
Even though squirrels may seem innocent, having them in your attic can cause a number of problems:
- Damage to buildings: Squirrels are known to chew on things. They can chew on wooden beams, wires, and insulation, which could cause a lot of damage to the structure. Worn-out wiring can even cause fires.
- Making a lot of noise: Squirrels aren’t known for being quiet. Their constant running, scratching, and biting can make it hard to relax, especially during the day when they are most busy.
- Health risks: Squirrel poop and pee in your attic can spread diseases and bring in other pests like fleas and ticks, which can be bad for your family’s health.
- They have a fast rate of reproduction. If you don’t deal with a few squirrels in your attic right away, they can grow into a bigger group.
How Hard It Is to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Attic
Keeping squirrels out of your attic may sound like a simple job, but it has its own challenges:
- Multiple Entry Points: Squirrels are good jumpers and can get into your attic through broken vents, roof gaps, and chimneys that aren’t sealed.
- Doing the Same Thing Over and Over: Squirrels are driven animals. Even if you block off one of the ways in, they will still try to get back in.
- How to avoid breaking trapping laws: In many places, you may need a ticket or to follow certain rules about wildlife if you want to catch a squirrel. It’s important to know and follow the local rules.
- Safety concerns: Getting into an attic to deal with a squirrel problem can be hard on your body and could be risky.
Effective ways to keep squirrels out
It can be hard to keep squirrels out of your attic, but it’s not impossible. Here are some good ideas to think about:
- Find and seal entry points: Check your attic carefully to find all possible entry points. Steel mesh or hardware cloth can be used to block them off, since squirrels can chew through softer materials.
- One-Way Doors: Put one-way doors at places of entry to let squirrels leave but keep them from coming back.
- Trim any branches that hang over the roof. Squirrels often get into attics by jumping from tree branches that hang over the roof. Cut back these twigs to stop them from getting in.
- Lock up your attic windows and vents: Put screens or covers over your attic windows and vents to stop squirrels from getting in.
- Use Squirrel Repellents: Think about using repellents or deterrents to keep squirrels from coming near your home.
- Talk to a professional: If the problem is big or you don’t know what to do, call a pest control company that knows how to get rid of squirrels in a gentle way.
In conclusion, keeping squirrels out of your attic can be hard because they are persistent and can find ways to get in. You can keep them out of your home, though, if you know how they act and use good ways to keep them away and get rid of them. Your sanctuary should stay a place of peace and comfort, not a place where these stubborn attic intruders cause trouble.
Professional and effective squirrel removal in Cobourg. Our services are performed by fully trained and experienced wildlife control specialists that have a wide set of tools available to get the job done.