Squirrels are common animals that can be found across the country. They’re known for their running patterns, bushy tails, and for enthusiastically hiding walnuts, hazelnuts, and several other types of nuts out in nature.
Some people, though, may not realize that these creatures can pose threats during the summer or winter when they’re searching for shelter or food.
Squirrels can cause property damage, not to mention they can also bite, similar to rats, mice, and other rodent species.
Whether you want to know how to get rid of squirrels because they’re scaring the birds away from your birdbaths, they’re in your attic, or you want to protect your children while at home or when playing in the yard, there are several different ways to achieve squirrel control.
Of course, the best way to tackle this is to check out websites of pest control service providers, like homepestcontrol.org, and work with one.
However, below are some tips in controlling squirrels that you can follow to protect your kids this summer, even without the help of professionals.
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1. Limit The Ability Of Squirrels To Invade Your Home
It’s very difficult to force pest squirrels (learn more) to relocate once they make their nest on your property.
What you can do is take steps to limit your home’s accessibility to squirrels to reduce or prevent any significant damage that may result from their invasion.
Here are some of the things that you can do to limit the ability of squirrels to invade your home.
- Close or repair all holes that squirrels can use to enter your house. If you have a chimney, use a chimney guard to cover it.
- Trim any tree limbs that are within 10 feet away from your home. It’s an important step to take because squirrels can actually leap across that distance.
- Limit access to your roof by covering nearby telephone or electrical wires with plastic tubing.
- If you have bird feeders, add a squirrel baffle to them or switch to squirrel-resistant ones.
2. Remove Any Diet Sources
The last thing you want is to invite squirrels down for a snack by allowing food debris or sources to accumulate in your front yard or backyard.
Avoid attracting these rodents by maintaining your yard’s cleanliness.
Here’s what you can do:
- Make sure that there’s no leftover food or drinks.
- Clean up fallen birdseed, fruits, acorns, nuts, and berries.
- Secure garbage bins and remove trash regularly.
- Replace your birdseed with safflower or any other type that squirrels dislike. You may also consider removing bird feeders completely.
3. Understand Destructive Squirrel Habits In Your Home
Selecting the best squirrel control method can be challenging if you don’t know the nature and location of squirrel damage in your home. Identify them together with the rodent’s travel paths.
Squirrel activity usually includes:
- digging small holes in the lawn for food collection and hoarding
- girdling trees
- stealing fruits and berries
- excavating bulbs and seeds
- nesting in your attic
- gnawing through food siding
- pilfering birdseed from feeders
4. Choose The Most Suitable Squirrel Control Method For Your Specific Situation
It’ll be easier to choose the squirrel control method that’s right for you once you’ve learned and understood the habits of the rodents that have invaded your home and their whereabouts.
Note that you’ll have to be persistent and thorough with your defense because, among nuisance critters, squirrels are some of, if not the most abundant.
Your chances of achieving long-term control and protection for your children will increase with more solutions being employed.
So, what control method can be employed? Below are some of your options.
- Mesh Fencing
One strategy of controlling squirrels is excluding them from your area. To do it, you have to install mesh fencing around vegetation, underneath porches, and, of course, in front of structural openings, like attic vent.
To make sure the squirrels can’t squeeze through your fence’s openings, you can use ¼” galvanized wire mesh.
- Live Trap
Using a live squirrel trap is considered by many experts to be the best way of completely removing the critter from a property.
It’s easy to use one, and you can manually relocate the squirrel once it's captured successfully.
Here are squirrel trapping tips to ponder:
- Once the squirrel is already inside the trap, always use gloves when handling it.
- Consider using the “pre-baiting” technique. Some trappers use it to gain the critter’s confidence. Pre-baiting means leaving the trap with the bait wired open to keep it from shutting. That way, the squirrel will be familiar with the object in their environment and get used to it.
- Place traps where you see or hear the activity.
- Squirrel Repellents
There are animal repellents available on the market that repel small animals, such as voles, groundhogs, chipmunks, and, of course, squirrels.
Repellents repel squirrels by taste and smell aversion. They come in a concentrated and ready-to-use formula and are made of natural ingredients.
You can also reinforce taste deterrents using electronic repellents, which frighten away approaching squirrels using sudden bursts of water.
Conclusion
Squirrels can bite, potentially harming anyone at your home, especially kids. They can also cause significant structural damage to your property.
That’s why it’s essential to control them, especially in the summer when they’re most active. Take preventative measures by limiting the critter’s access to your home and removing attractants.
You have to identify squirrel activity in your property and choose the best control method for your specific situation.