How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Attics

When squirrels are living in your attic, they make a royal mess. They destroy your insulation and use it for nesting, they urinate and defecate in your walls and they chew through electrical wires. When removing squirrels from the attic, you should be aware that it's most likely a female squirrel with young. Proceeding with caution as well as in a humane way can make the experience less traumatic.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Peanut butter
• Squirrel cage traps
• Knee pads
• Face mask
• Gloves

1. Make loud noise in your attic to encourage the squirrels to leave peacefully. This should be done immediately upon noticing them so you have a better chance of making the squirrels realize that the attic isn't the perfect nesting area.

2. Arm yourself with knee pads, gloves and a face mask so you can crawl through your attic and determine where the squirrels are nesting, as well as to assess the damage. Proceed with caution, because mother squirrels are protective over their young.

3. Bait a couple of squirrel cage traps with peanut butter and check on it every day to see if you have captured anything. If you find that the captured squirrel has nipples, you most likely have baby squirrels somewhere in your attic too.

4. Remove the baby squirrels by hand (make sure to wear gloves). If the babies are less than 8 weeks old (still nursing and not running around independently), they will probably be residing in a nest created out of your attic's insulation.

5. Capture the mother squirrel and its babies at the same time, then release them back into the wild (preferably in a safe spot off of the ground). Otherwise, release the mother and take the babies to a wildlife rehabilitation specialist after you locate them.

Tips & Warnings

• When dealing with mother squirrels, you risk getting attacked, so calling a humane exterminator can be a safer option. After the squirrels have been removed, seal all holes in your attic and trim trees so they don't lay on the roof.
• Mother squirrels can become aggressive enough to attack pets and people, so remember to keep your distance.

Resources

• Havahart Squirrel Cage Trap