How to Get Squirrels Out of Your House

A squirrel is a long-tailed rodent that lives in the trees during the warm months. We have plenty of squirrels running around our yard, and we love to watch their antics as they climb up and hop from tree to tree.

Unfortunately, these high-energy rodents move out of their tree-top homes when the cold winds of winter start to blow. They search for a warm, secure home to spend the winter in. For some reason, squirrels love the attics of houses. And once a squirrel has moved in, it's usually there to stay. Unless you eradicate it from your house, that is.

Squirrels don't need to be invited through your front door. They are flexible creatures that can fit their bodies through any opening they can get their head through. To enter into your attic, all they need to do is to find a small opening in or around the roof of your house. One of the squirrels at our house came in through the basement and made its way up to the attic via the walls and floors. Squirrels can scamper up a wall as quickly as they can scurry up a tree!

If a squirrel decides to take up residence in your house, you can often hear it clawing, chewing, and running around in the walls, ceilings, and floors. We not only heard our boarder, but we found remnants of nuts in our attic too.

This type of creature is fun to watch when it's on the outside, but, once inside your house, it will chew most anything it can find. Chewing is the best way a squirrel can wear down its ever-growing teeth. Squirrels will chew on electrical wiring, plastic pipes, lathe wood- anything they find inside the walls and floors of your home. Therefore, as soon as you realize you have a squirrel trying to spend the winter with you, it's time to bid it adieu!

If you find a squirrel in a room of your house- which would be unusual since they like secluded places best- you should close all the windows and doors. Close all the curtains too. Unless they have a hidden escape route, you'll have them trapped. Then, you must decide what the best exit out of the room will be. An open window is usually the best choice. Open one window and simply leave the room, closing the door behind you. The squirrel should follow the light and find its way back outside where it belongs.

A squirrel in your attic can be gotten rid of by using a humane trap. A humane trap doesn't harm a squirrel. Instead, it simply traps the rodent so you can take it outside- far away from your home!- and set it free. If you don't want to buy a trap, you might be able to borrow one from your local game warden.

Either read the manufacturer's instructions or ask your game warden how to use the trap. Peanut butter is the best bait we have found to use. Once it's set up, you'll need to check the humane trap often so you can remove the squirrel from your house as soon as it's caught.

If you find that a rodent of this type has taken up residence in your chimney, simply seal off the front of the fireplace with a piece of wood to keep it out of the house. Then, tie together several old sheets and drop them down the top of the chimney. You can also cut old blankets into strips and tie them together. Tie the end of the sheets or blankets to the top of the chimney. In time, the squirrel will find their way back out by climbing up the material and back out.

Of course, the best way to keep these rodents out of your home in the first place is to inspect the outside every fall. Look for openings in the foundation or basement walls. Inspect the roof too for holes they can crawl into. If you do find an opening, seal it up immediately.