Easy Steps to Remove Squirrels from Your Attic

Do you hear scuffling around your attic? Have squirrels taken up residence in there? Having squirrels infiltrate your attic is actually a common problem. Luckily, it is not too difficult to remove them.

You can use a variety of squirrel or animal repellents to convince them to move out. While some people use their own combination of hot sauce, you can also purchase repellents at Home Depot, Lowes, or other home and garden stores. One example is Critter Ridder, an animal repellent whose ingredients are similar to pepper spray. (This type of animal repellent can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is not toxic and won't kill the animals, but will just drive them away with the unpleasant burning taste of the hot pepper.)

You spray the repellent into the areas infested by squirrels, and the hot taste when they nibble the wood will keep them from coming back. There are also repellents in solid, pellet form that you can sprinkle around the edges of your attic. Both kinds last for a while, about a month, after which you would have to reapply them. Squirrel repellents aren't the cheapest, but the cost is much less than the potential damage a squirrel could do in your attic.

After you drive the squirrels out with repellent, it is best to immediately patch up the holes through which they entered. This will keep them from coming back again. Sometimes, it is obvious where the hole is, and you can patch it up yourself. If you are having difficulty locating the hole, you might want to recruit a professional roofer to assess the situation and help patch the hole. Also, remove squirrel feces, nests, or other squirrel traces. Clean the area thoroughly.

Traps are another way to get the squirrels out, although this is not quite as easy as just spraying some repellent. However, if the repellent doesn't work for some reason, you may have to resort to trapping the animals in a live trap and physically removing them. Place some food, such as peanut butter in one end of the trap. Check the trap at least twice a day to see if the squirrel has entered the trap. Once you have the squirrel, you can get rid of it with your method of choice. If you choose to release the squirrel to a natural location, know that this is not allowed everywhere, so make sure you comply with any local regulations.