Do You Have Squirrels in Your Attic?
It’s springtime in Texas, and that means squirrels, raccoons, possums, and other rodents are looking for new homes to make nests for their babies – maybe even in your home. Squirrels in your attic aren’t just annoying, they’re hazardous to your health and safety. Here’s what you need to know about animals in your home and how we can help you remove them safely.
Why Squirrels in Your Attic Are a Problem
Sharing your home with wildlife can be dangerous. While you’re not likely to come face to face with a squirrel taking up residence in your home, they can leave an impact nonetheless. They may chew on boards and even expose electrical wires, posing a fire risk. And their droppings can harbor pathogens such as salmonella that could make you sick. And if an animal falls into your walls and isn’t able to get back out, they could die there.
Do You Have a Squirrel in Your Attic?
If you have upstairs neighbors, you probably know about it. Most likely, you’ll hear squirrels running around in your attic during the day, or hear scratching noises as they make their nest. As you check your attic, look for droppings and footprints, trails on your insulation or air ducts, even acorns or nuts they’ve brought into your attic. You may also see holes around the exterior of your home. And if you see squirrels frequently running on your roof or gutters, it’s a good idea to check your attic just in case.
How Do Squirrels Get Inside?
Squirrels don’t need much to get into your home. They don’t make big holes, and all they need is about four or five inches to get in. Sometimes, the eaves below your roof are open and squirrels can easily squeeze right through them. Other possible entry points are roof ties or vents that don’t have any screening on them, even air conditioning lines. If you’re dealing with rats, holes can be as small as a half inch and the rodents can still get in.
How We Inspect for Squirrels
If you think you’ve got a squirrel or other pesky upstairs neighbor, we can do an inspection to diagnose the problem and give you an estimate. We will let you know if you’re dealing with a squirrel or another animal in your attic and set up a plan for evicting them.
We walk around your property and inspect for entry points. There’s usually a main entry point, but we also look for other potential entry points as well as spots that could become one in the future. We also inspect the attic to identify the entry point and look for damage from the squirrel that you’ll need to address.
How We Remove Squirrels and Other Critters From Your Home
When you think of removing squirrels, possums, or raccoons from your home, you might imagine setting a trap and releasing them into the woods after they’ve been removed from your home. While trapping is an option, it’s always our last resort.
Usually, we can get animals to move out of your home by sealing up all but one entry point and using a one-way door. As squirrels or other animals leave your home in the daytime to gather food, they’ll go out through the main entry point, but won’t be able to come back in. For raccoons, we use a racoon eviction fluid that makes them think another animal lives in the attic, so they’ll feel less safe setting up a nest there and move on.
We leave the one-way door for three to five days, and if you haven’t heard any activity, we will take the door off and completely seal up the last entry point. It’s always our goal to let the animal move out rather than having to remove it, but we can hand remove babies and use a live trap to remove adult animals as a last resort.
How We Seal Squirrel Entry Points
Once we’re sure the squirrel has moved out, we seal up the main entry point so they can’t get back in. We use sheet metal flashing, screens, and cement, depending on where we are sealing up the point and the construction of your home. We don’t use foam to fill the holes of potential entry points, as it’s not long lasting and animals can eat or scratch through the foam to gain access to your house again.
Call SOS-ASAP For Help With Squirrels in Your Attic
If you’re concerned you may have a squirrel or other unwanted attic animal in your home, give us a call at 713-397-4477 for an inspection and estimate.