What is the best method of squirrel pest control?
Squirrels always seek a place to build their nest, firstly
remove or fulfill those places. You can also build a trap to catch them ou.
They like some nuts, peanut butter and things that they are attracted to feed
on. And build a trap inside.
Squirrels look really cute when they scurry out of your view
in tree or ground burrows or dance through trees and foliage. However, they can
be a nuisance in or out of your house. There is a lot that you can do to control
squirrel pest without being too much pro or technical.
• Trash cans are a favorite place for squirrels to forage
for food. Placing trash cans with tight sealing lids is a good squirrel pest
control method.
• Squirrels are experts at gliding across supply lines and
tree branches and dropping on rooftops to make their way into the attic. The
best method to ward off theses rodents from getting access to the attic is to
trim tree branches near your house, if any.
• You can keep sunflower seeds in the feeder. Birds love
these seeds, but squirrels don’t.
Squirrel Control Recommendations
Removal of any diet source: bird seed for example, because
they attract the squirrels is the first order of business.
Using gutter guards and covering downspouts will reduce the
number of squirrels that are entering through the rooftop and facia boards.
There are no poison baits on the market that squirrels will
eat and die, except Ditrac Ground Squirrel Bait that is only made to control
the California Ground Squirrel (found in western states). Typical rodent
control bait for mice and rat control will not work against other squirrels.
Are you tired of the menace created by squirrels in your
home? While squirrels are cute creatures, they might be sometimes disturbing
given the mess they tend to create all around in your home. These frequent
visitors bring twigs, leaves, and branches of all sorts from all around and
leave the exterior of your home quite unorganized and dirty
Tips to Keep Your Home Rodent and Squirrel Free This Fall
Out with the old, in with the new- Are there broken or old
and warped attic, dryer or gable vents on the exterior of your home? Now is the
time to replace them. Rodents and squirrels have no trouble tearing through
vents to enter your attic or home.
Don’t hang bird feeders- Bird feeders are prone to both
squirrel and mouse feeding. Squirrels are exceptionally good climbers, so
breaking into bird feeders is a treat for squirrels. Even if squirrels don’t
touch your bird feeders, birds will. Birds fling seeds around, leaving piles on
the ground while they feed. Mice and rats flock to this easy food source,
attracting them to your property. Next stop? Inside your house.
Seal it up- Take a walk around the exterior of your home.
Look for cracks and crevices that can be sealed with foam or stuffed with steel
wool. Mice are not able to chew through steel wool, so getting it right the
first time is important. Mice have collapsible bodies and can fit through tiny
holes and gaps as small as ¼ inch. Once they enter your home, mice nest in wall
voids, insulation, attics, under refrigerators, under stoves, and under
dishwashers. It’s better to take a proactive approach as soon as you find these
vulnerabilities.
Stop using essential oils- They do not work for pest
control. If it was this easy, pest control companies would be out of business.
If mice or squirrels are getting into your home, the entry point needs to be
sealed. Think about it this way. If a bird keeps flying through a broken window
in your house, would you spray essential oils onto the broken opening or would
you fix the window?
Keep it clean- Sweep up crumbs inside your home on a regular
basis. Make sure that you pay close attention to the hard to reach spaces that
are easily ignored such as under stoves and under dishwashers. In garages, move
bird seed and grass seeds into heavily secured Tupperware or containers.
Choosing a Squirrel Removal Company
Sometimes the best and easiest way to remove a squirrel or
exclude it from your property is to hire a company to do it for you. Wildlife
removal companies are not well monitored or licensed, so it is up to you to ask
questions about a company’s practices before hiring them
A good wildlife removal company should
Provide a customized plan of action and a firm price
estimate before you are required to commit
Focus on long-term solutions, such as fixing potential entry
points (as opposed to simply removing squirrels)
Guarantee their work (for at least one year)
Know about squirrel behaviour, such as when babies are born
and where squirrels are likely to gain entry to a building.
Use only humane live traps (cage traps) or one-way doors to
remove animals (rather than leg-hold traps or other harmful capture devices)
Physically check the space for babies, no matter the time of
year
Release any live-trapped animals on-site. Never hire a company that moves squirrels to
a new location: this is illegal and harmful to the animals. Instead, they
should remove squirrels from the nest space and seal the hole to prevent
return.
Another Look at the “Humane” Alternative
Thousands of squirrels call our city home. Sometimes we
don’t think about our wild neighbours until there is a problem: a squabble over
who gets the garden vegetables, or an uninvited tenant taking up residence in
the roof. While squirrels are only trying to meet their basic food and shelter
needs, these conflicts can be extremely frustrating for homeowners.
So why not trap the squirrels and move them somewhere else?
Contrary to popular belief, live-trapping a squirrel and
relocating it is not a good way to solve any problem you might be having with
the animal. While trapping may seem like a humane option, it often ends in a
death sentence for the squirrel and leaves your property vulnerable to ongoing
wildlife conflicts
There’s no place like home
Many people think that a squirrel can survive anywhere. It
may even appear that moving a squirrel from an urban backyard to a ravine,
park, or forest will help it, since these spaces seem more “natural.” But the
truth is, squirrels have specific home ranges where they are adapted to living
How to Get Rid of Squirrels?
Whether you want to learn how to get rid of squirrels
because they are in your attic, scaring the birds away from birdbaths and
feeders, or just want to ensure your children aren’t at risk when they play in
the yard, squirrel control can be achieved in a number of different ways. Below
are some simple tips on getting rid of squirrels based on the leading research
in squirrel removal and control.
How to get rid of squirrels outside
Most of the squirrels you see outside your home are not
going to present a problem. It’s when they invade your living space that the
real nuisance starts. But as the Connecticut Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection notes,
‟Another major complaint about squirrels is the disruption
they may cause at bird feeders. Feeders should be placed in an area where
squirrels cannot gain access to them, far away from shrubs and overhanging tree
branches. Mounting the feeder on a metal pole at least six feet high and
attaching a metal, cone-shaped baffle to the pole will help prevent squirrels
from reaching it. Hanging feeders are not recommended, since squirrels will
climb down the hanger wire or will shake the wire until the food falls to the
ground.”
How to get rid of ground squirrels in your home
If you need help getting rid of squirrels in your home, a
pest management professional is going to be your safest bet as well. The
Environmental Protection Agency summarizes the options for squirrel control
‟Be warned, if someone recommends using mothballs, forget
it; it’s illegal. The EPA allows moth balls for moths and caterpillars only.
This is because moth balls are toxic to humans and pets. You can try trapping
them [squirrels], locking them out, or quickly sealing up holes if you know
they are out to get lunch and water.”
Tips To Keep Squirrels Away From Your House
If you have a squirrel problem at your house, you’re just a
phone call away from help from professional pest control specialists, who will
be necessary if you have discovered a squirrel inside your home. Many people
insist on trying to get rid of squirrels that have invaded their home without
the help of trained exterminators, and this is just not wise because of the
danger involved with these animals.
If you have a squirrel problem, our first suggestion is to
avoid squirrel repellents you see in home goods stores because they simply
don’t work. While these products may serve as a temporary deterrent for the
squirrels around your yard, they will not get rid of them for good. Squirrels
are extremely determined little pests, and once they choose your home as their
new hangout, they are very hard to get rid of, but there are steps you can take
keep them out of your yard, garden and home for the time being.
First, remove any food and water provided for your pets from
the decks, porches, and yard surrounding your home. With colder temperatures
upon us, it’s time to keep your animals indoors as much as possibly anyway.
Those bowls of food and water are invitations to the squirrels in your area to
hang out near your home, so the sooner you remove the bowls of food, the sooner
your squirrels will be forced to look elsewhere for their next meal.
Next, take a thorough walk around the exterior of your home
and check for any holes or spaces that these critters can enter your home
through, and patch them up immediately. Make sure you close holes and spaces
with durable materials that will last such as metal, glass or aluminum.
Squirrels can gnaw their way through plastic, wood and similar lightweight
materials, so choose the toughest stuff on the market to protect the interior
of your home from these pests
If you have bird feeders in your yard, move them to the
farthest corners and as far away from any doors or windows to your home as
possible. Squirrels are big fans of bird feeders, so if the feeders are close
to your home, the squirrels will be close to your home, also.