Squirrels in attic

Do you ever hear something in the attic, but you don't know what it is? Chances are they are squirrels. Squirrels are always looking for a warm place or shelter in winter. Squirrels can damage your attic by chewing electrical wires or leave feces behind. To prevent the squirrels from taking over your attic completely, it is important to act quick. 

Squirrels nest in the loft: the dangers

Scratching noises at night is a sign there could be a squirrels nest in your loft or attic. Squirrels don't make vocal noises at night, so if you hear vocal noises there might be a raccoon family. You might not even notice if there is a nest in your loft, because squirrels can be hard to detect. A squirrels nests in the loft might sound cute, but it is more dangerous than you might think. What are exactly those dangers? 

• Squirrels might chew through electrical wiring. Squirrels need to keep their teeth sharp and tend to do this with the wiring in your attic. In extreme cases, this could cause a fire. Those little squirrels aren't that cute at all. 
• Squirrels don't come in through the front door. They have to chew their way in, and this can cause holes in your attic. Those holes make your home more vulnerable to water leaks. 
• Your health is in danger when you have squirrels in your attic. The house will start to smell from the feces and urine. It will leave stains everywhere and could harm you and your family's health. 

Tip: If you want to prevent squirrels from getting in your attic, try to replace wooden parts of the attic with other materials such as caulk or steel. 

How to get rid of squirrels? Step-by-step plan

When removing squirrels, chances are there that you will damage your home. We made a step-by-step plan to prevent you from damaging your home.

Necessities:

• Mothballs, fox urine
• Caulk, steel and wire mesh
• Trapping cages

1. Set trapping cages in your attic, place them close to their entering points!
2. After catching the squirrels in the trapping cages, you will have to release the squirrels far away from your house. If you release them one block away, they will easily find their way back to your place. 
3. After removing the squirrels, it is time to close up the openings the squirrels made. This can be done with caulk, steel and wire mesh. You must use these materials because squirrels can work their way through the wood. 
4. Buy some mothballs or fox urine and place them in the affected area. This will make the squirrels think there are predators in the attic and will prevent them from coming in again. 

When do squirrels breed and how long do squirrels live?

Squirrels are cute animals of course, but you already know that they can be dangerous too. Squirrels in the attic can live up to 18 years. That is why you have to deter squirrels in the attic. Otherwise, the damage done to your attic can be very bad. Squirrels breed before mid-summer and spring. Squirrels do not hibernate, so if they are in your attic you will hear them all year long. Squirrels in winter will try to find shelter and food in houses. They will spend less time outside and more inside. 

Hopefully, with this step-by-step plan and extra tips and tricks, you will succeed in removing the squirrels from your attic. If you have tips to share, please let us know. If you did not succeed, it is best to call an exterminator before the problem gets even bigger.