How do you get rid of squirrels in your home?

Question

As I chronicled in my recent blog post on squirrel eradication, our family has had the recurring problem of furry vermin taking up residence in our attic and chewing on our wires! I've received some tips from my readers on how to send the 'limb rats' packing for good, including using mothballs or oil of peppermint. I've tried the mothball method but would not recommend it (read why here: http://bit.ly/15aWp56). However, I have yet to try the oil of peppermint. I was wondering if anyone else struggles with squirrels wreaking havoc in their homes and what methods have worked to get rid of them. Sound off ...

Mike Lee · Answer

http://www.critter-repellent.com/squirrel/squirrel-repellent.php?utm_expid=13141440-23&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.critter-repellent.com%2F Used it years ago, like 2001 when I first moved in we had issues. Not anymore..

Living Rich on Less - Susan · Answer

Thanks, Mike. I'll check that out.

White Oak Studio Designs · Answer

Squirrels do SERIOUS damage in attics (chew wires/start fires/have babies there etc.). I'd call a 'critter control' company and have them remove the squirrels and seal up the hole or the way they are getting into your home. You really want this done right and ASAP!

Bob H · Answer

I find a .22 works wonders...god, I love living in the country!

Leslie D · Answer

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/how-to-keep-squirrels-out-of-your-attic May be some info here that will help!

Sue O'Mullan · Answer

agree with Donnaaligaierlamberti@gmail.com extremely dangerous in ur home...they will eat your wiring!!! if they get into ur living quarters they will eat every window sill to get out and most homeowners policies will not cover this damage... Call a critter control co. and cut back any trees near your roofline; if any babies inside... they will chew right thru the wood alongside any holes that were sealed; squirrels will also chew right thru ur wood trim fascia and soffit; set up on-way trap in order to remove squirrels from property (you need to take squirrels so far away once caught-across a water base or they will come right back) ; get chimney caps installed; if u r local I can have my husband take a look for free and tell u if any damage (O'Mullan Contracting in Bucks & Montgomery Counties, PA); Raccoons are just as bad, if not worse

Pajunka · Answer

I hear cayenne pepper sprinkled around the areas where they get in about works nicely too.

KMS Woodworks · Answer

I did some work on my brother's place a couple years ago. He heard noises in the ceiling. We were able to find out where the little buggers were getting in and installed hardware cloth over the opening and then used spray foam to seal it up.

He had some faulty lighting in his bath ceiling. After removing a number of panels of drywall we found multiple locations where the wires had been chewed down to bare wire. We also found a nest with baby squirrels in it. It was a long process but we finally got wiring fixed, holes patched etc.

It has been about 2 years now and every thing is holding up well.

@Bob H I would have loved to go the .22 route (or 5.56mm or even the .45) but he is a city dweller.

Cher D · Answer

i had a squirrel in my attic..i had to find the source where they were getting in.. used rabbit wire .. they got in where a fan/vent tore the screen....also i had the repair man spray coyote urine ..there...and also watching the path going up on my roof.. so again spraying the urine on the fence...stinks but works

Susan Hewitt · Answer

Squirrels have chewed through the corner of my house. I would hear them and go outside with a bb gun to chase them away. They kept coming back so I looked online for a cheap solution! I took Red hot sauce, water and a little dish detergent and combined it in a spray bottle. I sprayed around the area they were chewing and even on the tree that they keep jumping from to get there. I seems to have worked. I have to keep applying after heavy rain.  Note: wear goggles so it doesn't spray back into your eyes.

Jewel W · Answer

I put the cat in the attic

Sharon Hopper · Answer

After trying everything I could find on the internet and contacting the wildlife division of my pest control company, I had my cedar sided house wrapped in wire to keep these pesky animals from chewing through the siding and the sheet rock and entering my home. These animals had chewed through my HVAC duct work and some wiring and their urine had soaked my ceiling. I found urine stains on my decorative pillows and bedspreads so I had do something drastic. The wildlife expert stated that squirrels born in my attic would return to bear young through out their lifetime which can be two to seven years. Drastic measures but It has worked for years now. Most people don't see the wire when they look at my house. I do but will live with it!

Marie S · Answer

ferret poo. A friend had squrriels in his attic. He asked us what he should use, I told him ferret poop and I will be glad to bring him some. The following week when I saw him, no squirrels.

Candice Harris · Answer

Mothballs work really well, but you only need a couple not an entire box.   I put six mothballs and it solved my problem.  As a bonus they also keep mice and rats away, as well as snakes.

Mary · Answer

Mothballs work great but you need to find out HOW ARE THEY GETTING IN???? Once you can rectify that problem, you can put a few moth balls or just a few of those moth ball hangers throughout the attic. No matter what - you have got to figure out how they are getting in. My sister had flying bats in her attac and had to get an exterminator. This happened several times until she was able to get someone to figure out just how they were getting in.

Loralee Bowman · Answer

Moth balls did nothing for us. They just moved them out of their hole.

Nancy C · Answer

I trap at least 4 of these critters in my attic each year...rather than paying such high prices for a 'professional' company to come in (because I couldn't afford it), I bought a trap, put a slab of peanut butter with one shelled peanut in the pb on the lever that sets off the trap...I typically use some peanuts towards the opening which brings them closer and closer! It works every time...and I've found over the many, many years I've been doing this that they always seem to be in pairs...you want to do this in the early spring/fall before they find a place to give birth to little ones. You typically trap the 2nd faster (or at least that's what happens to me). I usually take the trap out to another wooded area (with gloves on) and let it out! Good luck!

PatriciaV · Answer

Tried for years but could not get rid of them so we got a trap and and I kept checking out the window, when there was one in the cage, took it to the city park and caught 3 to 4 a day. I haven't seen one this year.. I think that a cage is the only to get rid of them!!!

Jackie Prim · Answer

You must get a Pro. to cover all entrance to your attic.They will not stay away unless you cover the holes. Good Luck!

Marilyn Julsrud Little · Answer

D-con in the big blocks................

Rachelle D · Answer

We had a chipmunk infestation and could not figure out how they were getting in. A pest exterminator suggested a Black and Decker electronic rodent repeller unit that plugs into an outlet and sends a pulse through the ground wire in the house. I was concerned that it would bother my dog and cats, but we tried it anyway. Worked like a charm and didn't bother our pets. I heard scurrying the minute we plugged it in and the little devils were in the backyard squealing their heads off and they haven't been back in the 2 years since we got it. :-) Very relieved.

Z · Answer

I didn't realize that the Oil of Peppermint worked on squirrels, but boy does it work for mice. We've not had any inside at all since we started using the cotton drops of oil on the cotton balls around basement. We even put them in our vehicles during the colder months because the little critters were getting inside them too. My hubby thought I was nuts when I told him I found some of their bodily 'discharge' in my car. Our son even picked some up because he didn't believe me. Ofcourse I got a big laugh out of that one. 
 Good Luck!

Col197658 · Answer

Mix peanutbutter and tylenol I had them in my attic and it took care of them.   No more.  grind up 3 tylenol tablets mix with a tablespoon of peanutbutter put it on a piece of paper put it in the attic.  Gone for sure.  Try it.

Living Rich on Less - Susan · Answer

I'm definitely planning on trying the oil of peppermint thing, Becky. It seems like a great, non-toxic solution.

Z · Answer

That's why I like it Susan. While we were under construction we used a trap and release method, but the winter after we moved in a whole clan had moved in the basement. Or more likely just the two we got out via the trap got back inside and were quite prolific. 8^} Though I'm not one to kill we did so then, but since I lean heavily towards being a naturalist my dear hubby searched the internet for a way to keep them out without harming them. The reason it works, at least with mice, is because they are allergic to it. Hopefully that will be the case with squirrels too. 
 Do make sure you get 100% PURE Peppermint Oil. We got ours at a health food store. They'll most likely know exactly what you are looking for.

Joanne Pollard Corcoran · Answer

Mole Max gets rid of all the critters, it is Castor Oil and they don't like it.

Patty A · Answer

had numerous families birthing squirrels up there over several years of me trying everything to get rid of them. The only way is to trap them and move them more than 7 miles away. I paid a professional 650.00 dollars to check the traps every day and remove. The mother actually charged him and me to protect her babies. Very tenacious . Afterwards, you need to seal any opening, however small, with wire. Been 3 years squirrel free...they had been imprinted to continue getting in so nothing worked but removing entire family.

Nita Johnson · Answer

I see posts here that the major part of the solution is to find the source of entry first. WRONG! If you do find it first - cover it with saran wrap or something they can get through. You will be able to determine if they are still coming in or out by checking the wrap until you can make sure they are eradicated. 
 
Figure out what method you will use to get rid of them. There are several good options posted here. Be prepared to try more than one method. I personally, have had success with the sonar plug-ins strategically placed. Sometimes this required running extension cords up to the attic to get them in the right locations to do the trick.
 
If you plug up their entry, first; they have no way to get out - regardless of what outside pest it is. If they are trapped inside they will continue to do damage where they are until they die. Then you have them getting between walls and other bad spots. You can't get to them to get rid of the dead smelly carcasses without some MAJOR sheetrock and structural repair. After eradication, you will need to get wiring inspected to make sure there are no future fire hazzards. I would recommend this is where you get the professional expenditure. 
 
If they don't die from being trapped inside; they can continue to populate for a long time. They can find water and food inside an attic easily from hvac water pans, etc.. Flush them out first......THEN fix the hole. Also, stuff the found entry with SOS pads before sealing it off from the outside.. They won't chew through that again if they decide to re-open the entry by chewing through where they know. Have a secondary backup elimination method for any that were reluctant to relocate after the hole is fixed.
 
I don't know if the glue traps would work on squirrels. They come in assorted sizes and the larger ones would be worth a try. They are a good method to keep smaller pests from getting somewhere and dying in obscure places as a backup method. It is gruesome to check those traps, but a lot easier than crawling around everywhere up there trying to find where they died. Good luck.

Sia@South 47th · Answer

I can emphasize with you after living on 10 acres in the country and having these little 'darlings' take up in our attic. I am all for natural, human remedies ( my nearest neighbour even suggested that HE come over to 'trap them' so he could eat them!), however with squirrels, and rats all gloves are OFF. Call in a PRO. They will survey and find any and all entry problems and FIX them. It isn't cheap, but for me? It was worth it. The best of luck to you in whatever decision you choose.

Sia@South 47th · Answer

@Z You can also plant Peppermint around any 'vents' you have around the foundation, OR if on a raised foundation, then around the raised part. I did this for over a decade when I was in the Country and the mice didn't enter (though the places the peppermint was planted). Squirrels Raccoon's, Rats, Bats, Snakes, Black Widows, Brown Recluse....Peppermint won't keep them away. LOL!!!!

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