Squirrel Pest Control Prevention Tips
While squirrels are fun to watch climbing around in trees at the park, they are not so fun once they get into your home's attic. In fact, an attic squirrel infestation is a nuisance that can cause major damage to your home!
As with other rodents, squirrels chew to control the growth of their teeth. If squirrels get into an attic, they will chew the timber framing, electrical wiring, and nearly anything else they can find. Since chewed wiring can cause a house fire and chewed framing threatens the structural integrity of a home, preventing squirrel intrusion into the attic space is vital.
To prevent squirrels from getting into your home's attic, follow each of these pest control prevention tips:
Tip: Eliminate Outdoor Food and Water Attractants
While squirrels move into an attic for warmth and to make nests out of the elements, they are attracted to your yard in the first place by food or water.
When living in areas with squirrel problems, you should avoid:
- birdfeeders
- birdbaths
- exterior water features
In addition, you should not feed your pets outdoors because the squirrels are attracted to their food.
Tip: Remove Home Climbing Assistance
Squirrels need to get onto your home's roof in order to get inside the attic. So, preventing them from accessing the roof goes a long way towards keeping them out.
To do so, it's important to remember squirrels can jump many feet, and so you should:
- remove all tree branches overhanging your roof
- remove all bushes and vines growing up the side of your home
- remove all tree branches within a few feet of spanning telephone or cable lines
In addition, you should avoid stacking firewood near your home.
Tip: Fortify Attic Vents to Prevent Intrusion
Once you've eliminated outdoor food and water sources and climbing opportunities, then you should ensure all of your home's attic vents are properly sealed to prevent squirrel intrusion.
Attic vents serve an important purpose and should not be covered with wood or metal. Instead, cover them in chicken wire or hardware cloth. This allows the attic to vent while preventing squirrels and other pests from accessing the space.
Tip: Avoid Squirrel Pest Control Products Because They Don't Work
Finally, if you need help getting squirrels out of your attic, then call a pest control professional so they can trap them. There are plenty of baits, poisons, and audio deterrents on the market claiming to kill or repel squirrels but they just aren't effective.
