Squirrels might be adorable when scampering about the yard, but they quickly lose their charm when living within a home’s walls or attic. Squirrels in homes are energetic and nimble creatures that excel at creating costly damage.

Like most nuisance pests, they’ve become accustomed to living among people because as urban and suburban areas grow, their habitats shrink. So when they need a warm, secure place to nest for the winter and raise their young, homes become their choice of residence. Attics, walls, and your roof are the most common places for squirrels to enter homes.

Signs of a Squirrel Problem

While we’re aware of all the squirrels around us when outside, we’re not always aware that they’ve come into our home. Because squirrels inflict costly damage and carry parasites and diseases, we need to be just as aware of these rodents as we are of mice and rats.

Although they are all rodents, signs of squirrel trouble are different than those of rats and mice:

• Noises in the attic or the walls, during the day or at dusk and dawn. Scratching, scurrying, and squeaking are all noises associated with squirrels. This is the most important sign because you will probably hear squirrels before you see another type of visual evidence.
• Squirrel droppings in and around the house. Squirrel droppings may be hard to recognize. They look similar to bat droppings. This is something a trained nuisance wildlife specialist would be able to confirm for you. Animal droppings are a sign of a possible infestation and should be investigated, as the feces of rodents and bats carry disease.
• Chewing damage on the outside of your home on the roofline, soffits, or shingles. The front teeth of squirrels continue to grow throughout their lives. They are sharp and are kept at a manageable length by the squirrel’s constant gnawing. They can chew through roofing materials and even metal.
• A foul smell coming from the attic, chimney, or crawlspace. If a squirrel has made a nest in your home, the smell of the accumulation of urine and feces will penetrate your living area.

Squirrels noises and sounds are the most common sign of a squirrel infestation.

When and Where Do Squirrels Make Noise?

Squirrels are busiest in the early morning and evening. They usually sleep all night but become active when the sun rises. If they live in your home, they go outdoors to search for food and nesting materials, which they then bring inside.

You may hear them scurrying around the home, leaving and reentering, possibly dragging twigs, leaves, or other items to store nearby. Expect squirrel sounds in your attic, roof, ceiling, and walls.

What Vocal Noises Do Squirrels Make?

Squirrels can make a wide range of vocalizations. Depending on their activity, you may hear a squirrel producing a high-pitched chirp when they get excited. They also bark when they feel threatened and whistle when they feel happy. To communicate with other squirrels, they make chattering noises.

Eastern gray squirrels are specifically known for their chattering. Red squirrels also chatter but have a high-pitched sound. Fox squirrels are different in that their vocalizations are lower pitched.

What Movement Noises Do Squirrels Make?

Squirrels chew and gnaw on electrical wires, wood beams, drywall, siding, shingles, and plastic. If you hear noises in your attic, walls, or ceiling, it could be due to a squirrel. Movement noises to listen for include the patter of feet, running, scurrying, shuffling, scratching, and tapping.

All the noises will be amplified if multiple squirrels live in your home. One squirrel running across the floor will be a light sound, but five squirrels running may sound more like galloping.

When Are Squirrels a Problem in the Triad?

Squirrels can be a nuisance at any point, but they are most likely to be a problem during their breeding season.

A female squirrel can have two litters each year, usually in the late winter and midsummer. They have a short gestation period of about two months. Each litter usually contains between two and four pups. A litter can contain up to eight pups, but smaller litters are more common.

Each tiny pup is born completely hairless, weighing in at just 0.5 to 0.65 ounces. The mother squirrel weans the pups at the two-month mark, and seven months later, at the nine-month mark in the squirrel life cycle, her babies become mature adults.

Squirrels in the Winter

Squirrels do not hibernate. When it gets cold outdoors, squirrels search for a warm living space. They create nests in trees, and others find a way into your attic, crawlspace, chimney, ceilings, or walls.

Typical Places Squirrels Are a Problem

As you’ve probably already gleaned, squirrels are a problem both inside and outside of your home. The most common places to find squirrel problems inside are in the attic and chimney. Outdoor areas that may see damage include the roof and the yard, such as in your garden, trees, and lawn.

How To Get Rid of Squirrels From Your Attic

If you suspect squirrels in your attic, the best defense is to call a Critter Control wildlife specialist. Getting rid of squirrels on your own can be tricky and dangerous. Squirrels are smart, aggressive, and can transmit disease.

Trapping

Trapping is often challenging because squirrels are not only fast but can get into very small spaces to hide. Juvenile squirrels can be captured and relocated along with the parent squirrel.

One-way Doors

One-way doors are one of the best ways to eradicate squirrels. These allow squirrels to leave but not to reenter. Once their entry points are repaired and all the weaknesses in the roof sealed, the one-way door is employed.

Exclusions

Exclusion methods are used to keep squirrels and other nuisance wildlife from entering your home. Some measures to take in this effort include removing trees and branches close to your roof that provide easy access. Sealing all vulnerabilities in your roof, soffits, vents, and chimney are also important.

Remediation and Clean-Up

Whether in your attic, chimney, crawlspace, or warehouse, Critter Control repairs all spaces to their original condition upon eradication. Insulation is replaced, wires are repaired, and the entire space is cleaned and sanitized.

How to Get Rid of Squirrels from Your Roof

Live Traps

Squirrels are territorial, so if you have too many squirrels running around your roof, it’s only a matter of time before they get inside. Live trapping and relocation are solutions. Critter Control specialists are fully trained in local and state laws concerning relocating squirrels.

Squirrels in Gutters

Found in every part of the country, squirrels are skilled climbers that jump from tree to tree and scurry onto roofs or up drainage pipes with ease. Squirrels take every opportunity to collect and eat foods they enjoy, regardless of location. Unclean gutters are an excellent place for squirrels to find nuts, leaves, and twigs from nearby trees. Squirrels are more likely to nest in gutters in the fall and winter. If you encounter one, it is crucial to contact a professional to remove it safely. Critter Control experts use humane methods to get rid of squirrels in gutters.

What Does a Squirrel Nest in Your Gutter Look Like?

When these pests nest in gutters, they cause many issues for homeowners. If a squirrel is in your gutters, there will be signs, such as:

• Scratching and scampering sounds
• Squirrel droppings
• Nesting materials
• Tree nuts and shells
• Obvious damage to the gutter and surrounding area

Why Is There a Squirrel in Your Gutter?

Squirrels get into your drainage systems for many reasons. Leaves and twigs in gutters make great nesting material, and enclosed ducts keep these animals out of the reach of predators. It is also possible that there is a squirrel stuck in your gutter. The pests sometimes squeeze into downspouts and are unable to escape.

How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Gutters

Keeping squirrels out of your gutters can prevent further damage to your home. There are techniques you can follow to resolve current squirrel problems and prevent future squirrel invasions, like the following:

Install Gutter Protections

Gutter guards are one of the best ways to prevent squirrels from accessing downspouts and gutters. Typical options include:

• Foam inserts
• Wire or mesh screens
• PVC cover or cap
• Drip edge
• Roof and tree barriers

A professional should install gutter protection to avoid accidents and injuries. Even skilled do-it-yourself homeowners find hiring an expert is the right way for such an important project.

Exclusion Methods

Exclusion methods prevent squirrels from trying to reach your gutters in the first place. They make your home unattractive to squirrels and may include the following:

• Cleaning your gutters regularly
• Squirrel-proofing your bird feeders
• Removing food sources
• Trimming back tree branches

If you don’t enjoy cleaning gutters or regularly keeping up with exclusion methods, professionals can do it for you. You can then have confidence that they are implemented correctly based on your home’s unique needs.

Why Are Squirrels in Walls?

Other than food and water, squirrels need nesting places for survival. They spend much of their time there during the winter months. Although they do not go dormant, their activity lessens when it’s cold out. If you have squirrels in your walls, they have found the perfect place to build a nest.

It is dark, snug, and warm between your walls and secure from humans and predators. In addition to sleeping, squirrels build nests to give birth to pups, typically only once or twice a year. If you do not get rid of squirrels before they give birth, you will have a family of squirrels, which means noises get louder and smells get stronger.

Is The Squirrel Stuck?

Squirrels in walls cause different problems if they get stuck and can’t get out. Some squirrels travel so far down into a wall cavity that you won’t be able to get them out, either. If a squirrel gets stuck in a wall, it will actively try to find a way out. You may hear noises like scratching, clawing, and chewing as it tries to put a hole in the materials surrounding it. You may hear the squirrel screaming or calling for other squirrels, especially if it has babies.

Squirrels stuck in walls and can’t get out eventually die, leaving behind an odor of rotting flesh that can linger and travel throughout your home.

Removing squirrels in walls is not recommended for homeowners since it puts you at risk for disease. Handling feces, urine, or a dead squirrel is not appealing, unsanitary, and dangerous. Contact a wildlife control professional with the proper safety equipment to remove, release, or dispose of a squirrel in your wall cavity.

Squirrels in Attics

Your attic is more than the perfect storage place—in a squirrel’s eyes, it’s a premium listing on the real estate market. The insulation, warmth, and safety from predators make these spots a coveted place for squirrels to breed and nest. Unfortunately, having squirrels in your attic isn’t ideal. They can chew through wires, creating fire hazards and damaging the structural integrity of your home. 

How Do Squirrels Get Into an Attic?

As squirrels spend their days running up and down trees and jumping from branch to branch, they have a bird’s-eye view of home roofs and their weaknesses. Because squirrels do not hibernate in winter, the warmth they feel coming from gaps makes an ideal winter den. Squirrels will use their teeth to gnaw through damaged or unscreened vents or tiny gaps to enter the attic. And they most often use the branches of trees near the home or wires to get to the roof. While ideal for squirrels, their presence damages homes and poses health risks for the families within.

Squirrels only need a gap of 1.5 inches to gain entry. The most common places where squirrels find entry into your attic include:

• Soffits – These are the finishing material, mostly made of wood or fiber cement, that covers the underside of a roof overhang. In addition to helping to make the roofline look aesthetically nice, soffits help keep moisture away from the rafters, reducing the chance of mold. Soffits that are not flush with the siding create a gap for squirrels to enter.
• Fascia Boards – These are thin longboards that run along the lower outer edge of a roof, covering the entire roofline. They help keep water out.
• Ridge Vents – Ridge vents are air exhaust vents installed on the peak of a roof that provides continuous exhaust ventilation at the highest part of the attic. Squirrels are attracted to the warm air that comes out of these vents.
• Gable Vents – On a gabled roof, these vents are located at the peak where the two sides meet. They usually have louvers, allowing air to flow into the attic, which works to cool it down in warm weather.
• Roof Returns – This is the part of the roof that doubles back to the wall of the house. It is between the end of the roof and a home’s walls.
• Chimneys – Chimneys conduct smoke and combustion gasses up from a fireplace, stove, or furnace and can run through the attic of a house.
• Siding Corners – This is the trim used to keep your siding in place where the corners meet.
• Gutters – Gutters capture rainwater and melting snow and channel it away from the house. Clogged gutters that prevent precipitation from running will cause deterioration along the roof edge through which a squirrel can enter.
• Plumbing Mats – This is rubber matting covering cylindrical vents on the roof that connect the plumbing system used to exhaust gasses.

Problems Squirrels in Attic Cause

Once a squirrel enters your attic, it will start building a nest with items it finds nearby, such as insulation, drywall, and sentimental items. They also bring food and nesting items from the outdoors. There are two significant hazards to consider when squirrels get in the attic. If they build nests in the HVAC ducts, they create a fire hazard. When they chew on electrical wire, you have another fire hazard. Outdoors, they may build nests in gutters, which will lead to water damage.

Signs a Squirrel Is in Your Attic

You will likely hear a squirrel or family of squirrels in your attic. They are active physically and verbally.

Squirrel Noises in the Attic

Depending on how many there are, you may hear multiple squirrel sounds in the attic, including the following:

• Scratching on drywall, insulation, ducts, vents, and wood beams
• Crumpling of paper or other materials being stored in the attic
• Acorns and other nuts roll across the floor
• Dragging of nesting materials
• Digging in one spot, like insulation or drywall

Squirrel Droppings. It will leave feces and urine in the area in which it was active. Squirrel feces can grow mold spores that humans should not ingest. Feces and urine will also emit foul odors that may linger through your ventilation system into your living areas.

Squirrel Damages. Squirrels cause indoor and outdoor damage to your property. Building nests and gnawing on bark. Some squirrels strip bark from trees to get to sap or to eat the bark.

Other damages include chewed holes that lead into your home, gnawed electrical wires, and shredded insulation and drywall. Squirrels will chew PVC pipes, ducts, walls, flooring, and framing around doors and windows.

Squirrels build nests in attics to give birth to their young, usually once or twice a year. Newborns grow and will not wander too far to build their nests, often within the same attic. Then multiple squirrels leave more feces and urine and more damage.

A few more signs of squirrel activity include water damage in your attic, typically due to squirrels chewing through your roof or pipes. Squirrels leave tracks, making them easy to identify but difficult to capture or remove.

How to Remove Squirrels from Your Attic

As a homeowner, trying to remove a squirrel in your attic by yourself may be tempting. How hard could it be, right? Many start by trying to set live catch traps, which can be expensive and offer no guarantees. Trapping becomes tricky when baby squirrels are involved. They only consume their mother’s milk for the first twelve weeks of life. When removing them, the entire family must remain together. In addition, you must know the laws and regulations in your area and state regarding licenses, permits, seasons, testing for diseases, and relocation.

Trapping squirrels without proper knowledge of traps and baits can lead to accidents and injuries for you or the squirrel. Most homeowners find that taking steps to prevent squirrel activity is more effective. You want to take away food sources like bird feeders and gardens. Keep a manicured yard, making it difficult for squirrels to find food and nesting materials.

Rather than trying to remove a squirrel from the attic yourself, hire a professional with safe and humane traps and the knowledge to use them effectively. They know how to use traps so you and the squirrel remain unharmed. Traps are not always necessary, and in such cases, professionals use one-way doors to remove squirrels from your attic.

Squirrel exterminators can complete the job in less time than most homeowners and implement exclusion methods to prevent future squirrel problems. Exclusions include the following:

• Permanently seal all cracks and holes squirrels use to enter your home.
• Install tree and roof barriers.
• Trimming tree branches near your roof.
• Removing trees too close to your home.

Your safety is a priority, and although it is very rare to be bitten by a squirrel, it can happen if they feel you are a threat. Feeling trapped in a corner in your attic, protecting their young, or fearing losing the food they’ve gathered are reasons squirrels may bite.

Remember, squirrels can chew through many types of complex materials. If bitten, expect a serious wound that will immediately need medical attention. Further, squirrels can carry Lyme disease, salmonellosis, ringworm, tularemia, leptospirosis, and rabies.

Qualified professionals are who to call for squirrels in the attic. They have the licenses, extensive training, and experience dealing with wildlife.