Squirrels in the Attic

It seems just about all households, sooner or later, have squirrels in the attic problems. These intrusions are usually through holes in fascia boards or other imperfections and "leaks" that allow these critters access. Once inside, their nests and families are soon to follow. Gestation periods vary from 40 to 45 days, so they can and do multiply very quickly. Unfortunately, they are very good at hiding their nest in remote nooks and crannies, under insulation, and so forth. So, these nest can be very difficult to locate.

Invariably, when we realize squirrels have set up house in our house, the question arises of what can, or should, we do to fix this problem? Should we try to resolve this dilemma ourselves or should we hire a professional to do it for us? Either way, there are pros and cons. If you decide to hire someone, here's a word of advice: get references, check with the BBB and check them out any / every way you can. There are many inexperienced amateurs out there, passing themselves off as "experts."

If you decide to tackle the problem yourself, high quality humane squirrel traps are available online at affordable prices. And, once you are sure you have removed all the squirrels, make certain all attic accesses have been sealed up. At this point, you have choices.

First, you can keep the trap and become the neighborhood go-to "varmints-in-the-attic" person. Second, you can not become the famous trapper and just keep the trap in case it ever happens again. Third choice is a simple matter of reselling your trap on eBay. Finding reasonably priced humane squirrel traps online is fairly simple.

There are two do-it-yourself ways to rid your attic of squirrels. First, by using a humane live trap or squirrel trap, and second, by using a similar device called an excluder. Excluders are also non-lethal live traps that create an exit only one-way door that excludes the squirrel from re-entering your home. Again, because almost without exception, squirrels start families as soon as they find refugee inside, when you trap adult females in your excluder check them for enlarged breasts. If she is nursing young, you should release her immediately and allow her access back to her babies. So, your patience will be tested in full nests situations, and you will be able to tell how fast the babies are growing by the increase in noise level above your ceiling. When you can tell they are grown enough to exit your attic, then set up your excluder again and start "excluding" them one or two at a time. Squirrels average about four babies per litter and usually have a winter and a summer litter each year.

After trapping inside your attic, or outside with a properly positioned excluder that completely covers the access hole, the question usually arises, "what do we do with the captured squirrels?" Many municipalities have rules, or laws, against releasing them in parks. But, in most cities these ordinances are usually not enforced. So, while the author is not encouraging violation of the law, it is not difficult to find these critters new neighborhoods to live in, even if it has to be outside the city limits.

Repairing the entry / exit holes after you are sure the intruders are out for good, is usually not too difficult. Solutions as simple as nailing a small piece to sheet metal over the hole (s) and then painting the metal to match the trim, work very well. If you do not have a handy family member or neighbor who can do the job for you, a carpenter should not charge you too much to do the seal-up job. For more information, click http://www.PETA.com. This will take you to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.