How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Your Attic: A Complete Guide
Keep these cute-but-pesky pests away from your attic to prevent damage
Squirrels may seem like sweet, harmless animals, but you may quickly change your mind if they break into your attic. Learning how to get rid of squirrels in your attic and prevent them from returning is essential.
Squirrels often will sneak inside attics and rafters to find shelter to make nests and stay warm, and in the process, cause a lot of damage to your home. Learn to recognize the signs of squirrels in your home and kick out these unwanted guests.
Are Squirrels in the Attic a Big Deal?
Squirrels are often seen in your yard, but you may not realize they are also a common pest inside your home. While these small animals may seem like gentle creatures, they can cause serious damage to your home if left to roam and nest inside your attic. It’s important to address the situation quickly if you notice any squirrel damage signs that make you suspect squirrels have taken up residence in your attic.
What Attracts Squirrels to Your Attic?
Squirrels are looking for a safe, warm, and dry area to nest. Female squirrels may also look to an attic for a safe space to give birth. When the weather is colder outside, squirrels become even more determined to break into your attic to find warmth.
Signs of Squirrels in Your Attic
Here’s how to tell if you have squirrels in your attic.
1. Nests in Your Attic
Squirrels enter attics through crevices, gaps, and cracks in soffits, fascia boards, and eaves, or open vents or broken shingles in the roof. The inside of an attic provides a smorgasbord for squirrels with plenty of materials like wood and insulation to nibble and sharpen their teeth on or build nests. If a squirrel chews the insulation on electrical wiring, it can cause a house fire.
If you see burrow holes in your insulation or nests in your attic, squirrels are likely nearby.
2. Noise in the Ceilings and Walls
Do you hear sounds of scurrying footsteps coming from the ceiling, walls, or attic? These sounds indicate that critters have broken into your home. Mice and rats make similar noises, but squirrels are often louder and typically make noise during the day, while mice and rats are nocturnal.
3. Foul Odor in Your Home
If something smells bad and you can’t determine where it’s coming from, it could be a sign squirrels or other rodents are in your home. The odor you’re smelling could be the carcass of a squirrel stuck in the walls too weak to get out. Call a local squirrel removal service to inspect your home for signs of squirrels.
4. Urine Damage
If you see yellow spots in your ceilings, they might not just be water spots. Multiple squirrels in your attic can cause a lot of urine and fecal damage. If you suspect the spots are from urine, call a wildlife professional to find the critters hiding in your home.
5. Chewed Roofing Materials
Squirrels may chew and use roofing materials to make their nests. They get access to your roof through long tree branches. Common squirrel damage on the roof includes:
Chewing holes in your roof, allowing other small pests entry to your home
Eating through joists and siding, weakening your home’s structures
Biting through roof shingles, leading to water damage
6. Squirrel Droppings
If you see squirrel droppings or urine, don’t touch it. Squirrels can carry parasites from fleas and ticks that are toxic to humans and pets and can transmit multiple diseases in their fecal matter or urine. Squirrel droppings have rounded edges versus mice and rats, whose droppings have more pointed ends.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels in Your Attic
If you think you have squirrels in your attic, there are a few solutions you can try yourself to get rid of squirrels.
Seal Entry Points
Walk around your home and seal up any small openings outside your home and roof where squirrels could enter. Squirrels only need a hole that is 1½ inches wide to squeeze into your home, so don’t rule out any smaller holes.
Scatter Mothballs
Squirrels dislike the strong smell of mothballs, so scatter a few around your attic to keep pests away. Be careful to avoid placing mothballs in areas where children or pets could access them, as they can be hazardous to their health. If you’re concerned that your kids might get ahold of the mothballs, consider brands that make mothballs from natural ingredients. These options may still be unsafe for pets, but they will offer safer alternatives for children to be around.
Turn on the Lights
Install flashing lights in your attic or keep lights on often since bright lights will scare squirrels away. When squirrels crawl or chew their way into your attic, it’s not to spite you for chasing them away from your vegetable garden. They’re hoping to find a dark, warm place to build a nest, give birth, raise their young, and store their food. Bright lights are an easy way to make the space feel inhospitable to these creatures.
Swap attic lights for bright LED bulbs and leave the lights on as often as possible. Consider adding a strobe light, which flashes a bright light constantly through the attic. The combination of bright light and the movement of the light will scare off squirrels.
Trim Tree Branches
Squirrels climb trees to get onto your roof and into your attic. Trim back your tree branches to make it harder for squirrels to get in and out of the attic. Make sure to trim back tree branches at least 8 feet from your roof or side of your home.
Use Repelling Smells
Squirrels dislike spicy scents, so sprinkling ground cayenne pepper or hot sauce can be an effective deterrent. Peppermint and white vinegar are also effective natural repellents for squirrels.
Combine 1 or 2 ounces of hot sauce, 4 cups of water, and a few drops of dish soap into a spray bottle. Spray this mixture around the attic.
In a pot, boil water, then add one chopped jalapeno (seeds and all), two chopped onions, and 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes, then let it cool completely. Strain the liquid into a spray bottle.
Create a Noisy Environment
Squirrels will be frightened if your attic seems noisy. Install a noise repellent, like a radio or ultrasonic repeller, to drive out squirrels. Some homeowners have had success with ultrasonic repellers, which let off high-pitched noises that humans can’t hear, but squirrels can. This option is best if you don’t have pets; dogs can sometimes hear the repeller. It won’t hurt your dog, but it may cause distress.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
While you can try to get rid of squirrels in your attic yourself, they may be undeterred by your DIY solutions. If you’ve tried a few of our suggested removal tactics with no luck, the squirrels may be unwilling to leave their babies. Hire local squirrel removal services to safely and humanely remove your furry friends. Most homeowners spend between $200 and $650 for squirrel removal, depending on the number of squirrels, the accessibility of their location, and more.
Squirrels are territorial, and if they’ve made a home in your attic, they’ll be prepared to protect their nests and babies. Call a squirrel removal pro to handle the situation without putting yourself at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you may be hearing squirrels running around your attic at night, these animals are usually more active during the day. If you hear scratching sounds in your attic at night, it’s mostly likely a mouse, raccoon, or bat. Investigate your roof, attic, and other entrances to your home to find signs that indicate the presence of squirrels or other pests.
Don’t count on squirrels leaving on their own. Squirrels like the safety that a cozy attic provides and won’t be in a hurry to leave, especially if they’ve recently given birth to a litter. It’s best to address the situation with DIY removal tactics or hire a squirrel removal pro as soon as you suspect squirrels are living in your attic.
Squirrels hate anything that disturbs the peace in their nest. Loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells like cayenne pepper or mothballs will deter them from your attic. Spread these scents, add a strobe light, or use an ultrasonic repeller to keep squirrels from nesting in your attic.