Squ?rr?l? l?v? t? l?v? ?n ?tt???! Th?? ?? one ?f th? m??t ??mm?n human-wildlife conflicts. Squ?rr?l? are usually ?rb?r??l, m??n?ng that they ?r?f?r to l?v? ?n tr???. In th? wild, squirrels w?ll bu?ld a n??t m?d? ?f l??v?? ?nd twigs high u? ?n a tr??. However, squ?rr?l? ?r? very ?d??t?bl? ?n?m?l?, and thr?v? ?n suburban and urb?n ?nv?r?nm?nt?. They are ????rtun??t??, ?nd m?n? h?v? f?und that th? attics of homes m?k? a great ?l??? to l?v?.
An attic is l?k? a big old hollow tr?? t? a squirrel, and ?t h?? a l?t ?f ?dv?nt?g?? – ?t’? dr?, warm, ?nd ??f? fr?m ?r?d?t?r?. Squ?rr?l? can ?l?mb ?lm??t anything, and th?? ?r? ????t??ul?r ?h?w?r?, ?? th?? h?v? no ?r?bl?m ?l?mb?ng to a vuln?r?bl? ?r?? ?f ??ur r??f, ?nd ?h?w?ng th??r w?? ?n.
M?st ????l? ?bj??t t? squ?rr?l? l?rg?l? b???u?? th?? d?n’t l?k? t? h??r ?ll of the noise ?nd runn?ng around up ?n th? attic. H?w?v?r, squ?rr?l? can ??u?? ??r??u? ?r?bl?m?. Squirrels, like ?ll rodents, ?h?w ?nd gn?w ?n ?rd?r to w??r down their teeth. Th?? ?ft?n ?h?w on your h?u??, ??th?r th? ?n??d? ?r outside. They like to ?h?w ?n ?ll ??rt? ?f ?urf????, such ?? the l??d piping ?r?und plumbing ?t??k?, vents, w?r??, and ?f ??ur?? wood.
Many g?mm??k? ?nd old w?v?’? tales are out th?r?, but th? ?nl? real w?? t? g?t squ?rr?l? ?ut ?f th? attic ?? t? ?h?????ll? remove th?m. You can use l?v? tr??? yourself or you can hire a professional wildlife removal expert to come remove them for you.
Tr?? ?nd r?m?v? the squ?rr?l?. Th? b??t way to ensure that you’ll permanently t?k? care of ??ur squ?rr?l ?r?bl?m is t? tr?? ?nd r?m?v? th? squ?rr?l?. Y?u ??n ??t squ?rr?l-??z?d cage tr??? ?n th? r??f n??r the ?ntr? h?l??, but th?r?’? a ?h?n?? that ??u’ll ??t?h a n?n-t?rg?t squ?rr?l. Th? b??t bet ?? t? m?unt a tr?? right against th? hole that th? squirrels ?r? g??ng ?n ?nd ?ut ?f. Squ?rr?l? are active primarily dur?ng th? morning and ?v?n?ng, but th?? go ?n ?nd out ?f th? house several times ???h day, as th?? exit to f?r?g? for f??d ?nd w?t?r, and th?? ??m?t?m?? return w?th food t? store. If you mount a trap r?ght ?n th??r h?l?, ??u’ll ??t?h th?m ?? they ??m? out.
One-way d??r?. An?th?r ?ff??t?v? ?nd humane w?? to g?t the squ?rr?l? ?ut ?? t? m?unt a ??????l ?n?-w?? d??r on the squ?rr?l’? h?l?. Th? ?n?-w?? exclusion d??r h?? a tension flap th?t allows th? squirrel t? ?x?t, but n?t re-enter. It’? ju?t l?k? the r????t?ng tr??, but w?th ?n ???n ?nd. A ?n?-w?? d??r ?? great at g?tt?ng th?m ?ut ?? long ?? they h?v? no ?th?r w??? of g?tt?ng b??k ?n.
Exclusion repairs. Squirrels ?r? ??r???t?nt. They ?l?? l??v? b?h?nd a ?tr?ng squirrel pheromone scent. If you’ve h?d sqssu?rr?l? ?n ??ur ?tt??, ?v?n if ??u g?t r?d of th?m, n?w squ?rr?l? w?ll smell th?t squirrel smell ?nd try to live in ??ur h?u?? ?n the futur?. In order t? permanently solve ?n? squirrel problem, you’ve got to m?k? sure that your h?u?? ?? 100% squ?rr?l-?r??f?d. This means making sure that ?ll r??f v?nt? h?v? a h??v? ?t??l screen intact, ?ll ?f th? ?lumb?ng ?t??k? ?r? ??r??n?d ?ff (??m?t?m?? the pipes ?r? ???n inside th? attic), ?ll ?f th? r?dg? ??? plugs ?r? ?nt??t, th? g?bl? vents ?r? ??r??n?d, th? soffits are intact, etc etc. All r????r? ?h?uld be ??rf?rm?d w?th ?t??l ?nd b?lt?, so th?t th? squ?rr?l? ??n’t ?h?w thr?ugh th? repairs.
Cleanup. As m?nt??n?d, wh?n squ?rr?l? live ?n ?n ?tt??, th?? ???? and ??? a l?t. Th?? can leave l?rg? ?m?unt? ?f dr????ng? ?nd ur?n? in an ?tt??. It’? n?t ju?t unsightly ?r b?d-?m?ll?ng – ?t could ??t?nt??ll? ???? a h??lth risk. M??t dr????ng? gr?w m?ld over t?m?, and m??t droppings ??nt??n ??lm?n?ll?. Squirrels m?? ur?n?t? ?r defecate ?n the ?t?m? ??u ?t?r? ?n th? attic, ?r th?? m?ght even ?h?w r?ght thr?ugh the dr?w?ll. The ur?n? and th? fur gr???? that th? squirrels leave b?h?nd is a ??t?nt lur? t? ?th?r animals, b?th predators ?nd ?th?r squ?rr?l?. S?m?t?m?? a raccoon w?ll br??k ?nt? ?n ?tt?? th?t h?? a squirrel ???nt. Or ?th?r squirrels w?ll ?nt?r, l??k?ng for a ?r?v?n place t? live, ?r a m?t?. It’? a g??d ?d?? t? ?l??n u?, remove, decontaminate and deodorize the ?tt??.
Elizabeth Gattois a lover of wildlife and promoter of wildlife conservation. She promotes humane nuisance wildlife removal so people know it is possible to respect nature as well as maintain safety in your home. Find her online atAnimals in your Attic. Read all of Elizabeth’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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