Solutions For Squirrels In Your Attic

Sometimes you find your house has been invaded.  Not by aliens. No by mice. Not by bugs. Nope...by SQUIRRELS!  And are they ever tough to evict! And while most of us object to the squirrels because of the noise they make running around in our attics, it's their chewing that causes more dangerous problems. They'll chew on lead piping around plumbing stacks, vents, wires, and of exposed wood. In some cases they've chewed through and burst PVC plumbing piping! Talk about a messy flood!  But by far the most dangerous thing they chew on is electrical wiring! Insurance companies estimate that a high percentage of fires of unknown origin are the result of exposed electrical wires, possibly from a squirrel having chewed his way through the wire's covering. For me that's a REALLY good incentive to be sure there are not squirrels in my attic--NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS!

Why do squirrels like your attic? I mean, hey, they live in TREES right?  True, but what they are really seeking is a safe place to nest, and your attic gives them that. It's safe, it's dry and it's a warm place to build their nest where they are safe from predators. Think about it, you like living inside, why shouldn't they?

There are a variety of methods that people swear by to get rid of the squirrel infestation, just be sure whatever process you use doesn't end up being the end of you too!

I've heard tales of Realtors going into homes and having their nasal passages assaulted by mothballs.  Mothballs in such quantity that it was enough to drive people out the door as soon as they stepped over the door sill. While mothballs repel all sorts of critters, huge quantities of them are noxious to humans as well. Use a professional to get rid of your squirrels... or at least do not use pounds and pounds of mothballs!



Other options? Have-A-Heart traps have been used to trap squirrels. The trick here is to trap the squirrels and then be sure you seal off your attic.  Squirrels are wily critters and if there's the smallest space where they can get into your attic 'they'll be back!'  Squirrels leave behind their scent in the form of ... uh... their excrement. Better known at our house as 'gifts.' (I knew there was a more polite word than the one I was thinking of!) Once a squirrels has 'gifted' your attic other squirrels will follow and want to get into your attic too. This can make getting rid of them without wholesale extermination by pros next to impossible.

Stay tuned for still more ways to rid your home of squirrels!