How do you get squirrels out of your attic????

Question

I have a bad case of squirrels in my attic and there trying to get in my house... they dig holes in my ceiling and there going crazy up there all day and night...my husband set traps and take them out to the wild but more come back the next day and it's starting to smell up there ...what else can I do to stop them from trying to come in my house??? the noise is driving me crazy...

Answer 1

Tiger Woods Fan has the right idea, you have to figure out how they are getting in and out of your attic, since even if you were to get rid of the squirrels something else would simply move in. Right now if they are in the attic there is a good chance they have young, in which case it would not be the best idea to remove the parents and plug the hole. You should contact a local wildlife removal agency because finding the young can be quite some work and they need to be reunited with their parents asap after removal. As well relocating a squirrel several miles away or to the park is not the solution. You are then placing the animal in an unfamiliar territory, risk spreading disease from one population to the next, put them in competition with the local squirrels, etc. All and all relocated squirrels have very, very low survival rates and at that point its more humane to simply euthanize rather than send them off to a prolonged death. To give you an idea of what to expect of a good wildlife removal service check out http://www.aaawildlife.com/index_main_arena_1024x768.htm
Probably the leading humane wildlife removal agency in North-America.

Answer 2

You need to find out where the squirrels are getting into the attic. Cover the openings with metal screen (for ventilation) or close them however you think best. If any squirrels are still in the attic when you've finished, trap them and release them AT LEAST 3 MILES from your home. You may be able to borrow a live trap from the Humane Society or the animal shelter; or buy one from the hardware store or nursery. I don't recommend poison, as the poisoned squirrels will be eaten by local dogs, cats, and wildlife, and result in unwanted deaths. And poisoning them won't prevent more squirrels from moving in.
Remove stored food, nesting material, and poop as these tend to attract more pests. Then neutralize the urine odor with diluted vinegar. (They sell products to neutralize urine, but vinegar is cheaper and works just fine, as the vinegar smell won't bother you in the attic.) The urine smell also attracts more squirrels.
From your description, you will have to watch the attic for some time, in case you missed a squirrel entrance or they found a new way to get in. It sounds like they were pretty well established, and will want to get back in.
You can actually hire a pest control company to do all this work for you, if you want to spend the money and avoid this messy chore.

Answer 3

First if all, do not listen to the previous poster there are quite a few "non-violent" ways to handle this situation. First, call a roofing company to see if you have any holes in your roof where these squirrels are coming in. Second, get a metal cage to lure the squirrels into. Third, take the squirrels to a near-by forest or a park and let them go. This should stop the squirrels from coming back. Almost forgot to mention, for the scent you should either call someone who will clean out the attic of urine and poop or do it your-self. Hope this helps with the noise and scent in your home, and just imagine those little squirrels running around playing amongst the trees of the near-by forest or park. (-.-) little squirrel face 8-[).

Answer 4

If you have a cat, put him and his litter box/food up there for a couple of days.Cats are extremely efficient hunters and I can assure you, the cat will not let you down.

Presto, squirrel problem solved!

If not, you could use rat traps baited with peanut butter.

Good luck

PS

To: Tiger Wood's Fan, and the others who flamed my right and effective answer,

Get off your high horse about the non violent BS. They are a rodent for crying out loud. Cats are their natural predators.

Next thing you know, you'll want to be an activist and try feeding lions cat food to save those poor defenceless gazelles and zebras.

Answer 5

A cat will either kill them or drive them away. Make sure the cat is up there for more than one day, so the squirrels know not to come back. If you can't buy a cat, borrow one from a friend.

Answer 6

Get a pellet gun and shoot them. That will stop them from coming back. If you can't bring yourself to do that put little cups of car anti-freeze up there for them to drink. If you can't find the bodies be prepared for an even stronger stench.

Answer 7

Live trap them and send them back to the forest. Don't kill them please!