How to get rid of squirrels/chipmunks in attic?
 

I hear squirrels or chipmunks in my attic/crawlspace at night when I am trying to sleep. It totally creeps me out, and I have no idea how to get rid of them. I do not have access to this attic area from inside my house. I can only imagine the damage these little critters are doing to my house.

Any suggestions? Thank you.

It sounds like you don't feel confident opening up the attic yourself so I won't make any suggestions starting with that premise.

You're probably going to need an exterminator who will have the tools to access the space. They will make sure all the critters are out, set traps and locate entry points that will need to be blocked. They may be willing to do that work for you but most likely you will have to get some one else to do that if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself.

They're are various sonic devices and repellant chemicals on the market but they all require some proximity to the area you want to protect. A walk through the pesticide section at HomeDepot will give you an idea of what's availabel if you want to try doing it yourself.

Good luck!

If you are hearing this noise at night I can guarantee you they are flying squirrels. They are very destructive, get someone there asap as they love to chew wood.

Thank you for your responses. Flying squirrels.........how gross!
I will call someone today to help get rid of them.

Not necessarily
 

We had squirrels in the attic of our 1790 home and they were not of the flying variety.
Aside from a specialist if you are in an area that allows you to do it your other options are a 22 rifle which we used, Decon or a pet friendly trap. The rodents have to come out for food & water so we just waited them out and picked them off one at a time then boarded up the entry point. Which is the real issue you have, because if you eliminate the rodent you still have to find and fix the entry point.
I’d get a trap first and try that as it is inexpensive and providing you can get it to where the squirrels are you stand a pretty good chance of catching them.
Squirrels are a real pain, they serve no other purpose then to feed larger animals and can do a lot of damage if left unchecked. We try and eliminate any red or grey squirrel that comes into rifle range.
Good luck with yours.

We use traps
 

We have had both red squirrels and mice in our attic. The squirrels bring in acorns and the mice try to eat them. Acorns are too big for the mice to grasp and what happens is that the mice roll the acorns, which sounds like a rattle on our T&G ceilings. I have never seen this but that's my theory, supported by the fact that mice are nocturnal and red squirrels are diurnal. The rolling noise is not very loud but it is persistent and as annoying as a chinese water torture when we are trying to sleep.

We use a small Hav-A-Heart trap and usually catch one or two squirrels each autumn and relocate them to a friendly neighboring town. A regular old fashioned mouse trap takes care of the mice.

In both cases we find peanut butter to be the best bait. I smear it on top of and under the treadle to insure that the squirrels move the treadle enough to trigger the trip mechanism.

I have tried to eliminate entry points for several years without success. When I find and patch one they must open another.

Good luck

Couple of suggestions...
 

For 45+ years I have used a .22 single-shot (you typically won't get a 2nd shot) rifle with .22 short or bird-shot (if you can find them) cartridges. I usually get between 25-50 reds a year. For the last 5 years, our population of reds is near none and the greys are increasing and they don't seem to be as destructive as the reds, so I let them be. And, although this won't help you catch them, you can also Google a recipe or two for squirrel.

If you have access, a couple of bug-bombs will make that area undesirable to them.

I believe that's against NH law. To prevent the spread of rabies you are only supposed to relocate them within the same town.

It has been suggested to me that you relocate squirrells and chipmunks across at least one body of water or they are likely to find their way home. I can't vouch for that but it sounds reasonable.

Cristen do you have any access to the attic space at all?

What is suggest if you do is going to Aubuchon's up a the Neck Rd and getting a ultrasonic noise maker, the are marketed for mice but they work for squirrels too. Along with that you will need an extension cord to go from the nearest outlet to where ever you have access to the attic space. Run the cord and put the noise maker in the attic....

Now if you can't get in the attic period, see if you have a vent on the side of your house, you can put the noise maker outside the vent and aim it into the attic... it will not be as effective, but it should make the little buggers uncomfortable and unwelcome enough to start vacating the property.

Now no matter what you do you want to do it soon, these things are nesting at this point.... which means they are making themselves comfortable, the more uncomfortable you make them and the sooner you do it, the more likely you will not have company all winter long.

I hear they are getting smarter now, so you don't get a second shot.

Thanks for your suggestion. Unfortunately, there is no access to the attic from inside my house. I have one of those ultrasonic plug-in things in my garage. I believe they work, as we have not had any issues with mice....thank god!

I contacted an exterminator today, but have not heard back from them yet. I will follow up tomorrow. Like you said....don't want these critters making themselves comfortable for the winter.

Thanks again!

Attic pests
 

Hi Cristen,
We did the ultrasonic - traps, bait etc - didn't work! Call an exterminator, they will find where they are coming in at night (we had flying squirrels) and they will block it so they fly out during the early am and can't get in at night, then wait a week or two for no "NOISE" and then they block off the entrance for good! Best of luck!:)

Life of squirrel
 

If you hear them at night its probably red or flying squirrels.I had scatching noises at night though and found that to be mice which I caught several last year.Here is a link to a company in Mass.They use this one-way trap to eliminate the critters.
http://www.baystatewildlife.com/squirrel.htm

Maybe, There Is Access—Also, Maybe Not...
 

1) Inside-access to an attic may be difficult to locate: use a broomstick (gently) to lift each closet's "ceiling". You may find one loose panel that can be moved upwards :eek2: but then may need to remove everything in that closet to climb into the attic. :rolleye2:

2) I was skeptical of those ultrasonic plug-in devices—and wouldn't have bought one in the first place; however, I bought a house recently that had one installed, and there seems to be "something to it" that works! :look:

3) Chipmunks are seldom a "house problem".

4) The squirrels' access must eventually be found and closed off—for good; otherwise, a second family of critters will settle there. :(

5) A neighbor had a "professional exterminator" remove a noisy critter from his attic. The following night, the neighbor heard tiny "mewing" sounds from the same area. The exterminator had to make a return-trip to remove a half-dozen babies! :eek2:

I am looking for a professional to come to my house, figure out the entry point and remove these flying squirrels. I contacted one company this week and they quoted me between $1,000 and $2,000 to get rid of them. Is that seriously the going rate for squirrel removal?? If it is.....that really sucks!

I just had Value Pest from Alton come and block some holes where mice were getting in and also check for places for bats. I didn't hear if he found any bat spots though. He found some holes (in a basement screen and an old dog door into the garage and a couple of others. I was very impressed with him as others have been too. He is a very nice guy. He told me how to look for spots where they are getting in and he gives you the option of filling the holes or he will do it. He did it for me. He will also remove them but I didn't need to have him do that.

His name is Dean and his number is 875-3558. He only charged me $380. It couldn't hurt to try him. I don't know how far out of Alton he goes.

Thank you for your comment. I actually called them earlier this week, but was told they only do insects and mice.

Oh, I didn't know that. I know he does bats. I wonder why ---are squirrels harder to do? Interesting. He is coming again Wed. to check, I hope I can remember to ask him.

My Experience With Flying Squirrels
 

Several years ago we were given the task of cleaning out and selling the home of elderly relatives who had entered a nursing home. They had been hearing what they thought were mice in the attic for some time. Our investigation revealed there was a colony of flying squirrels occupying the space and they sure raised a ruckus at night. During the ensuing weeks we trapped and released a total of 29 into the woods a few miles from their home. The prospective buyers were made aware of the problem we had had, but the squirrels never returned and they had no problems after purchasing the house. We never did find out how they had gotten in, but I know they can crawl into a tiny space of only about a half inch in size. Cute as can be but you don’t want them as tenants. The fact that the new owners had no further problems may be attributed to their having a cat. Cats can certainly be good deterrents to rodent infestation. Another reason for owning cats.

I had the same problem a few years back and yes they were flying ones - as one came buzzing down from the hole in roof area right by my ear. We called Paul Debow and he came and fixed. What he does is find where they are getting in then he puts an exit only contraption over the area so when they leave they won't return and it worked. His e mail address is pdebow2@hotmail .com

I second the recommendation of Dean at Value Pest - great guy, does wonderful work. Have been using him for 12 years.

my family of squirrels
 

Well my family of squirrels is no more.
I think the reason for the disappearance is a Fisher Cat that I saw a week ago walking my stone wall where the squirrels live.
I waited for some of them to return but none came. If I see the Fisher again I will have to set a trap. I also have not seen my visiting cats.

Squirrel Problem
 

Cristen -
I wonder if you were able to find someone to get rid of the squirrels in your attic? Every fall I have had mice coming in for the winter and have set traps to eliminate them. In late summer I bought two of the Riddex noise makers and plugged one in on the ground floor and the other upstairs. I don’t have ready access to the attic either. I have been hearing the patter of little mice feet for the past couple weeks, so the noise makers haven’t worked for me. I am back to the old tried and true method of setting traps. Last night I heard what seemed to be a much larger animal (probably a squirrel). I doubt it was the usual mice, unless they have formed an army of a hundred strong.

Things are quiet this morning, so hopefully whatever it was has left the premises, but if it returns I would like to have an idea of whom to call. I would appreciate knowing if you were able to find an exterminator to resolve the problem for you and, if so, the name of that person or company.

Thanks

1. Find where they're coming in and block it, cover the hole.
2. Make sure tree branches aren't hanging near the house giving squirrels a path to your house right above your head.
3. We had a squire in the roof problem last summer, and I noticed when I was in the area of their access hole, they would make all kinds of racket. They were using a saging branch to get to the roof where the hole was. They made their way in through the ridge vent. We replaced our roof for ageing reasons, and I pulled up sections of plywood to find four nests in the rafters made of grasses and WET mosses. I put a hose from the shop vac into every nook and cranny to remove any debrie that was in there...BUT I was told the squirrels were in there since the previous summer, as we had just bought the house and the seller told us they just started getting in, yea right.
4. I was told scented drier sheets will help keep them out, but have no proof of that. Appearently they don't like the smell. This would be an interior attempt by placing them around the cellar or garage, crawl space, attic, ect..
5. As previously mentioned, the sonic noise makers. I use them and still hear an occasional scratch by a mouse but nothing drastic.
Look around the side of the foundation after a lite snow and see if you can find mouse tracks in the snow and follow them, they might lead you to a small crack that they sneak through.
Hope this can help someone, or jog some other ideas,
Peter C.

Still Sleuthing Rodents
 

Thanks pcmc for your ideas on how to get rid of those varmints. I am still hearing mice during the night but haven’t heard the louder swishing sounds, which I thought may have been squirrels. I am now wondering if those sounds may have been caused by something falling into an unused chimney (an owl or night creature perhaps)? It could have sounded as though it was coming from the partitions when it may have been in the chimney. I haven't heard them again since last week.

I am still setting traps for the mice, but they have eluded my efforts so far. Your idea of finding how they are getting in by looking for their tracks in the snow is an excellent one. I will do that as soon as we have snow. A friend suggested that if I find the hole where they are entering, to stuff it with steel wool and that should stop them.

Dean at Value Pest told me that you can check the top of a hole to see if it is black where they rub their back on it and it gets dirty. If so that is where they are getting in. He also said he likes to check before the snow comes. I think he said they don't get in then.

Are you telling us that it took a baseball player to come by and remove the squirrels? Well, I guess that's what they do when the season ends. ;)

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/i...0/P8Sumg9K.jpg

I just got rid of some chipmunks by a pretty simple method I found on the net. I 1/2 filled a pale with water near where they were staked out in my basement then poured a bag of sunflower seeds on top. The seeds float and cover the water. When they step in to chow down they drown. No more chipmunk problem.

Hi Chickie - Tom Boucher from Alpha Omega has been to my house a few times. He believes I have mice in my attic. He's set some traps inside and outside the house. I think I am hearing them less at night.

Hopefully they will be gone in both of our houses soon!

Best, Cristen

They can live 8-12 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.....
remember they are rodents and should be treated as such!

Sturm Ruger of New Hampshire, the country's largest gun maker, makes a semi-automatic 22 caliber pistol that holds about ten bullets which is excellent for gunning down red/gray squirrels and chipmunks around the yard of your house, plus the bullets are very inexpensive and very powerful as compared to an air gun pellet. Grey squirrels are one tough animal; to get an immediate kill without having the wounded squirrel run off you need to hit the squirrel right between its' eyes which is not so easy to do.

Anyone know what the legal ramifications are for doing this. Is it legal to fire off a bullet at a squirrel from your yard or from an open window because it makes a big sound just like a handgun firing a bullet and getting in trouble with the police for this could be a lot more trouble than it's worth.

Gray Squirrels
 

I would say that if your shooting Gray Squirrels YOU ARE POACHING! I would think some heavy fines could be placed upon you.


http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/OGT/index.htm


Small game is......
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunt...small_game.htm

FLL You have got to be kidding!

I wouldn't bet on that statement...

My old man had one of those. Fun to shoot. Bit of a challenge to hit a squirrel with one, especially if it moves around. Get a .22LR rifle at a flea market for about $50-75 if you want to go Rambo on those fuzzy little buttocks.

You'd want to check the reg.s to find out if you can kill vermin without a license. Even though the rules on shooting/hunting close to occupied buildings may not apply when you are on your own land you might still get hassled if the rounds travel off/through your target and off your property. And, this only applies to outside exterimation.

The OP wants to get rid of -inside- pests. A .22LR will makes holes in his roof even if he does hit the squirell first.