How to Extract a Squirrel From the Attic

You and the squirrel should be happier when it is outside again.

A squirrel trapped in your attic is likely to be terrified. Its frantic scurrying is also not very restful for you. Fortunately, removing a single squirrel from your home is fairly straightforward. Providing a means for the squirrel to leave of its own accord is often sufficient. Otherwise, you can live-trap the animal and place it back outside where it belongs. Squirrels that have decided to set up home in your cozy attic need a bit more attention.

Things You'll Need

• Rope or piece of wood
• Radio
• Live trap
• Peanut butter or fruit
• Building materials or metal sheeting
• Basic tools

Instructions

1. Determine how the squirrel got into the attic, for example, through a gap in the roof or wall or an open window.

2. Provide an escape route if you think the squirrel is now trapped. For example, hang a length of rope from an opening in the roof or make a ramp to a window with a piece of wood.

3. Place a small radio in the attic and turn it on. The noise should frighten the squirrel into leaving.

4. Bait a live trap for squirrels with peanut butter or fruit. Check the trap every hour or couple of hours.

5. Release the squirrel outside, not too close to your house.

6. Seal the entrance. Keep the window closed or seal a gap in the wall or roof with the appropriate building materials for your property.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are unsure about how or when to exclude nesting squirrels, contact a local animal charity or pest control company for advice and assistance.

• Check the squirrel didn't come in because it had a nest in the attic. Do not exclude squirrels if there are babies in the nest. Without their mother, the babies will starve to death and the mother will try desperately to get back in.

References

• “Good Housekeeping”; How to Remove Squirrels in Attics; Heloise
• Humane Society; Solving Problems With Squirrels; October 2009