If you’ve never had to deal with wildlife critters in your attic, it’s understandable why you may have no idea about how it works. Most people know that traps are usually placed to eliminate mice, but what about bigger rodents like squirrels? Are they also caught in traps? This is true to an extent, but the traps used are different and their purpose is different as well. Let our Maryland squirrel removal experts show you how this works.
This video is actually from our Georgia colleagues, but it illustrates well how squirrel exclusion works. As you can see, this squirrel family has been getting into the attic through a hole in the soffit. You can count a total of 4 squirrels inhabiting this attic, but there could be more. Imagine how much damage they did to all the wooden beams, insulation and wiring! To evict the squirrels, a mesh is installed over the entrance home. Keep in mind, this is not your chicken wire—squirrels can chew through that with no problems. The mesh is screwed in safely and forms a sort of a tunnel that narrows. Squirrels are not nocturnal, so they come out during the day to look for food. While they are hesitant at first, you can see them eventually exiting the mesh tunnel one by one. Because the exit is so narrow, they have to literally squeeze through. They hang around for a bit, exploring the odd structure, but soon they leave to go about their business. They can’t enter back through the same narrow hole, and before they try the hole is sealed shut. Mind you, this strategy will work only if there are no other holes squirrels might be using to get into the attic. While this loose soffit board is the obvious culprit, the entire perimeter of the roof needs to be inspected. Otherwise, the squirrels will always find their way back in and your efforts will be wasted.
How Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control Removes Squirrels
At our Maryland animal removal company we use the same approach, but execution is a bit different. Instead of letting the squirrels pass through the exit hole and leave, we actually trap them with one-way door traps and then relocate far away from your home. Below is the photo of the type of trap we use. We do this to ensure that squirrels don’t come back and chew a new hole in your roof.
Also, extra precautions need to be taken if squirrels are removed in late winter-early spring or in late summer-early fall. These are the times when squirrels are likely to give birth. Baby squirrels remain dependent on their mother for a long time. They are likely to stay in the nest for several weeks, so you won’t catch them in the trap when the mother exists. To improve everyone’s chances of survival, baby squirrels should be manually removed from the attic at the same time as the mother is captured, and then relocated to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. These are some of the reasons why you may want a professional to conduct squirrel removal from your Maryland attic. Although traps can be easy to purchase and install, it doesn’t mean you will do it the right way. Our goal at Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control is humane wildlife removal, and we’ll help you clean up your attic too! Give us a call or contact online with any questions.