How Can I Kill the Squirrels in My Attic?

A squirrel infestation in your attic can be a dangerous situation.

A squirrel infestation in your attic can lead to big problems. Squirrels will chew up and tear apart insulation in your attic. They will also chew up electrical wiring, which can lead to house fires. In more drastic situations, squirrels can chew on gas lines and even cause explosions in your house. Though it is recommended to try and catch the squirrels and release them elsewhere, in some situations you may need to actually kill them if you have no means to safely trap them.

Things You'll Need

• Pellet rifle
• Pellets
• Safety goggles
• Body trap
• Rat poison
• Live trap (optional)

Instructions

1. Find the opening where the squirrels are entering your attic. Make sure it is safe to shoot in the direction where the squirrels are entering. Put on a pair of safety goggles. Load and pump up your pellet rifle. Wait for the squirrel to enter the attic. Try to shoot the squirrels as soon as they enter the attic, before they can escape.

2. Place a body trap around the opening that the squirrels are using. Put the trap in place at night, while the squirrels are asleep in your attic. Check the trap in morning. The trap will catch and kill the squirrel as it tries to exit the hole in the attic. Make sure that body traps are legal in your area before you use them.

3. Poison the squirrels. This is not a highly recommended method for killing the squirrels and should be used only if you simply have no other alternatives. Place a container of rat poison (or bait) in the area where the squirrels are entering the attic. Check the attic area frequently to make sure no squirrels have died inside your house. Place the poison inside a live trap if you have one; this will ensure that the squirrel cannot escape after it eats the poison.

References

• Squirrel Attic: Removal
• AAAnimal Control: Killing Squirrels