Why Early Squirrel Control Is Important

Squirrels are cute, little, fuzzy animals that are totally harmless, right? Not exactly. Squirrels might look cute out in the wild, but you will obviously not find them so cute when they will invade your home or commercial building.

Once squirrels have successfully gained access to your property, they can cause many problems. Squirrels are in the same family as rodents such as rats and mice. Chewed electrical wires, ducting, HVAC components, and other building materials are just a few ways that squirrels can cause damage to your property.

If you suspect that your attic is squirrel-infested, it is important to have them removed as soon as possible. Squirrels can cause tons of issues, and these problems will get worse the longer they live on your property. Squirrel removal can be anything but easy, so the sooner you can get them out, the better off you will be.  

What Kind of Problems Can Squirrels Cause Living in Your House?

Once squirrels have gained access to an attic or living area, they can give homeowners a tough time. From causing structural damage to presenting health risks, squirrels can become an absolute nightmare if immediate squirrel removal steps are not taken.

We have provided squirrel removal services hundreds of times in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas, and we have found some common problems that squirrels can cause, wich are:

Damaged Building Materials

Squirrels are mostly nocturnal, which simply means they are most active at night. If you have seen or heard squirrels assaulting your house during the day, just imagine what they are like at night! They can enter your house through the smallest of holes or tiniest of cracks. Worse yet, if they find their usual entry point is closed off, they will try to make new ones by chewing through other areas of the home, such as roof vents, soffits, siding, and so much more!

Once squirrels are inside your house, they will continue to chew through wood, insulation, and other building materials. If homeowners fail to treat the squirrel infestation initially, they can cause structural damage to their property. Repairing all the structural damage will then cost them hundreds and thousands of dollars.

Chewed Electrical Wiring

Squirrels are big-time chewers, just like other rodents. They have sharp teeth that continue to grow with time, so they need to chew on something to keep them short and trimmed. Once squirrels have entered your property, it will take them no time to find electrical wiring and other utility lines in the walls.

Based in our experience as squirrel removal experts, chewed wiring is a common occurrence when squirrels are living in your home or commercial building. If squirrels stay longer, they will strip the protective covering from the electrical wires, leading to a serious fire hazard. They can also cause damage to the wiring of your many electrical appliances.

There are many cases in which squirrels were blamed for causing fires due to these kinds of electrical malfunctions. Therefore, in order to keep your house safe from similar electrical catastrophes, it is necessary to get rid of squirrels from your house as soon as possible. Without squirrel removal, your attic will continue to be a risk for you and your loved ones.

Gnawed Furniture and Wooden Doors

Due to their excessive chewing habit, squirrels will make small holes or tears in your expensive furniture pieces. Padded seats are not the only pieces at risk. Squirrels can chew through plastic or wood furniture pieces. For anyone that has invested in outdoor furniture, squirrel removal via trapping and relocation offers an attractive ROI when considering the cost of replacement!

Dug Up Gardens

Squirrels, like other rodents, like to live near human habitation, due to the bountiful food sources. Just like rats and mice living in your attic may target your kitchen pantry, the squirrels in your attic are likely to target your garden.

They will dig small holes in your lawn in order to bury their winter food supply and rely on their incredible sense of smell to relocate their buried food. In this process, they can cause serious damage to your lawn.

Serious Health Issues

Squirrels may appear to be cute and fuzzy, but still, they are wild animals. Like other rodents, squirrels can carry many parasites and diseases, including fleas and ticks. This is of particular concern if you have any furry pets.

Additionally, squirrels are often aggressive when they feel threatened. One bite or small scratch can expose you to their host of harmful infections and diseases. Squirrel droppings can also carry many parasites and infections, so wear your mask and gloves while disposing of them. Even if you no longer have squirrels in your attic, proper disposal of squirrel droppings is highly recommended.

Tips on How to Get Rid of Squirrels From Your House Naturally?

So, now that you are aware of all the ways in which squirrels can cause damage to you and your home or commercial building, you must be wondering what are the effective methods for squirrel removal. Although squirrel control professionals can provide the best advice which is tailored to your unique situation, some general tips on getting rid of squirrels from your house safely are:

Stop Them From Entering Your Property

In order to keep your house squirrel-free, you must squirrel proof your house so they can’t get inside in the first place. To stop them from entering your house, it is necessary to remove anything that will attract them and seal all the possible entry points.

Squirrels will be attracted to your property the most when food sources are left outside. So, to keep them away from your property, you need to keep your lawn or backyard clean. Collect all fallen fruits, nuts, acorns, and birdseed and dispose of them right away.

If you have garbage cans outside, it is necessary to secure the lids. Also, replacing your normal birdfeed with a birdfeeder such as the Squirrel Buster squirrel-proof bird feeder, which many of our customers have found to work very well.

Look for Signs of Squirrel Infestation

If you suspect that you have squirrels in your attic or any other part of your house might be squirrel-infested, you need to look for the sure signs that there are squirrels on your property, such as droppings, chewed wires, nests, scratching noise, and many others.

As squirrel removal experts, we recommend you inspect for holes in your attic, which they might be using as their entry point. If you don’t find any, inspect the exterior of your home and make sure sure to check your roof vents, soffits, and eaves.

Look for the Babies

Most of the time, squirrels will take shelter in your house to raise their little ones in a safe place. So, before trying to get rid of the squirrels, it is necessary to look for the babies first because if you manage to get rid of the mother squirrel before then, you are sentencing the babies to death. They will not be able to survive without their mother.

Once you have found the babies, you can call a squirrel control professional such as Critter Stop to relocate them somewhere safe.

Use Frightening Devices

If there are no squirrel babies in the nest, you can try to scare the adult squirrels out of your house by using some frightening devices such as motion-activated lights or motion-activated sprinklers.

Squirrels, just like other rodents, prefer quiet and dark places, so you can also make the environment unfavorable for them by turning on the lights and putting your favorite music on a speaker.

Try Trapping

If the scare tactic does not work, then you can try trapping them. For this, you can buy a humane animal trap with a trigger plate, such as this one. Then, place your bait on the trap, such as peanut butter or unsalted and shelled nuts to attract them.

When is it the Right Rime to Bring in the Squirrel Removal Professionals?

At Critter Stop, we are always happy to help our customers with their squirrel removal needs, no matter how big or small the project. Professional help is particularly important when baby squirrels are involved or the squirrel infestation is severe. Trained professionals will be able to safely relocate squirrels without harming them, which can be tricky when dealing with baby squirrels.

If you feel like you have tried everything without success, getting a professional involved before it is too late can save you both time and money while also minimizing health risks to your family. Squirrels can be quite aggressive, and they will rarely leave your attic without a fight.

Although they seem harmless, it can be dangerous to attempt squirrel removal all by yourself. Critter Stop has proven itself to be a reliable animal removal service provider, earning the best reviews in the metroplex.

Conclusion

Squirrels may appear to be cute, innocent woodland creatures, but they can become a big problem once they have entered your home or commercial building. They can chew electrical wires, damage your electrical appliances, gnaw on your furniture, and cause significant structural damage to your house. In addition to the physical damage, they can give panic attacks to homeowners as well!

Therefore, we recommend getting them removed as soon as possible so you minimize their damage. Among other reasons, early squirrel control can help save your wallet. If your house has had squirrels in your attic for many months, you may need to get your insulation replaced, which dramatically increases the scope of work for animal removal companies near you that may be helping you out.

Fortunately for those in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Critter Stop is a reliable and experienced wildlife removal service company that has helped hundreds of customers keep their homes and commercial buildings safe from wild animals. Call us at (214) 234-2616 if you want a squirrel-free home!