Squirrels are common wildlife, and people are used to seeing them around neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, the animals can become quite intrusive as the weather turns, requiring squirrel removal in Coquitlam.

From spring to fall, squirrels seek shelter to raise their young and keep them warm in the winter. While they might not look like it, squirrels are excellent mothers and will do everything possible to protect their young, including attack threats.

To prevent squirrel infestations, you need to secure your property and eliminate any temptations. A wildlife control service can help you prepare your property and to avoid nesting.

3 Tools To Help Prevent Squirrel Attic Infestations

You can prevent infestations by eliminating wildlife essentials from your property. Squirrels are foragers and will eat seeds, berries, insects, and trash. They also love tall grass because it offers cover from predators.

To keep squirrels away from your property, maintain your lawn and keep trash in secure cans with lids. Also, keep bird feeders away from your house if you must keep them.

If routine prevention methods do not keep squirrels away, and a mother squirrel builds a nest in your attic or walls, you can still get her and her litter out. You can use the three tools of humane harassment, which use nonviolent methods to scare or annoy the squirrel, encouraging her to move her babies elsewhere.

1. Lights

Learning how to get rid of squirrels in a garden is not the same as getting them out of an attic. That said, motion-activated lights are common tools in wildlife prevention. While lights might not work in your garden because squirrels are active during the day, the animal does not like lights in its den.

If you install a light in the attic or near a den entrance, the squirrel may feel uncomfortable in the space and seek out an alternative shelter. When selecting a light, find one that does not get hot, and be sure to keep cords tucked away. Squirrels chew on everything, and if they chew through the wires, they may spark an electrical fire.

2. Sounds

Squirrels prefer a quiet, dark place for their nests. Lights eliminate the dark preference, and a radio can eliminate the quiet. That said, don’t turn a radio to a music station because that likely means nothing to a squirrel. Tuning to a talk radio channel is more threatening because squirrels fear human voices.

The beauty of using a radio is that you don’t have to blast the station. Playing the channel at speaking volume is enough to put the squirrel on edge, possibly encouraging her to move her babies and nest somewhere else.

3. Smells

You can also try to mimic the smell of squirrel predators to make a mother feel unsafe. According to some, soaking rags in ammonia or apple cider vinegar can give off a similar scent to predator urine. You can place the rags in a plastic bag, poking holes in the sides, and hang it near a den entrance.

In theory, the squirrel smells the rags and believes a predator is nearby. The fear encourages her to take her babies elsewhere. While a sound approach, any evidence the method works is anecdotal. The better solution is to save squirrel deterrents for gardens and hire a professional for squirrel removal.

DIY Versus Professional Removal Methods

DIY removal methods are often ineffective and costly. It is better for the animals and your family to hire a professional service. Contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control and schedule an estimate and property assessment. The company uses safe and proven strategies to remove wildlife and protect your home.