Squirrel removal: out through a one-way door, then seal the roofline

Squirrels in attic: the signs

Tree squirrels keep daylight hours, so the giveaway is running, scratching and rolling sounds overhead in the early morning and again in the late afternoon. Outside, look for a chewed hole with rough edges at a roof vent, a soffit corner or the fascia board, and for squirrels traveling along tree limbs and power lines to the roof. Inside the attic, nests of insulation and leaves, chewed wood and droppings confirm it.

Squirrel control starts at the roofline

Trimming tree limbs back from the roof removes the easy route in, but squirrels jump well, so it slows them down rather than stopping them. The real fix is closing every opening, including the ones they have not used yet.

Squirrel exclusion, step by step

1. Inspection of the whole roofline, well beyond the obvious hole.
2. One-way door over the main entry, so squirrels can leave and not return.
3. Sealing the secondary gaps with galvanized steel mesh, hardware cloth or sheet metal, fastened so it cannot be pried loose.
4. Checking for young before the last opening is closed; a squirrel separated from her young will chew back in.
5. Final seal and repairs once the attic is quiet, followed by insulation cleanup where it has been soiled or packed into nests.

In Connecticut, residents with squirrel problems are directed to licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators, and some states restrict where a trapped animal may be released. The wildlife removal guide covers how that licensing works.

Flying squirrel removal

Flying squirrels are the exception to the daytime rule. They are small, active at night, live in groups and can squeeze through smaller gaps than gray squirrels. The method is the same, one-way devices and careful sealing, but the inspection has to be tighter, and the noise at night is often mistaken for rats or mice.

Until the technician arrives

Resist the urge to block the hole yourself. A squirrel shut inside will chew a new way out, often through a spot that is harder and more expensive to repair, and a squirrel shut out while her young are inside will tear back in. Leave the entry as it is, keep the attic hatch closed, and write down when you hear activity; that log helps the technician decide where to put the one-way door.

• Photograph the hole from the ground so you can show the technician exactly where it is.
• Move stored items away from the attic hatch so the technician can get in.
• Skip poison and repellents: a poisoned squirrel can die inside a wall, and the smell lingers for weeks.

Squirrels come back to the same houses year after year, because the weak spots that let one in will let the next one in. That is the case for sealing every opening on the roofline, including the ones not in use yet.

Squirrel removal cost

Where relocation appears in a quote, check that your state allows it. The biggest variable is usually the repair list: a single chewed vent is quick, while a roofline with several weak points takes a day of ladder work. For how wildlife jobs are priced overall, see the pest control cost guide.