Ins and Outs of Squirrel Trapping
Ryan showed up at a gray squirrel job recently with a simple mission: get the squirrels living in the customer’s home out!
So why is it that his first step was to make sure the squirrel stayed INSIDE the house?
Although it seems counter intuitive, having the squirrel inside the home when a one-way door trap is employed makes the job very efficient.
In the case which Ryan describes in the following video, it took all of ten minutes to capture the squirrel because the squirrel was inside and wanted to get out.
Keeping it in just long enough to set up a trap over its exit, assured a successful removal.
Take a look.
Squirrel Removal Recommended
Some might ask here, “Knowing the squirrel was out, why couldn’t Ryan have just replaced the piece of soffit and kept the squirrel out? Did the squirrel have to be trapped and removed? Why not just let it or scare it out and make a repair?”
These are valid questions and you are able to find advice on the internet which states that getting them to exit and then making a repair is all that needs done.
We, respectfully, disagree.
Based upon our experiences and our goal to deliver long term solutions, we recommend removal of the offenders before the repairs are made.
That is because we’ve found that kicking squirrels out and attempting to keep them out is usually not effective.
What we’ve found many times is that squirrels who get shut out of a home just find another way in and cause more damage in the process.
In fact, thinking we can keep them out when they really, really want in doesn’t give them near enough credit.
We believe that REMOVAL prior to the sealing up process is very important. This takes the conditioned squirrels (often a generational problem) out of the mix. This gives the repair/exclusion of the entry point a much higher likelihood of preventing a reoccupation by squirrels.
Here is a video which exemplifies this point.
Remove Squirrels Then Repair
In order to assure a long term solution, we advocate removal and repair. Here are the steps.
Step 1 : Identify where the squirrels are getting into the home
Identifying where the squirrels are getting into the building is the all important first step. This is because the entry/exit spot or spots is where the traps will be going. Additionally, if more than one entry/exit, these areas need attention during the trapping process and afterwards-when you enter the repair phase.
Step 2 : Acquire two varieties of squirrel traps
- The first kind is a small, cage-style live trap. This type of trap has door at one end which closes when a squirrel goes inside to get bait.
This style of trap will capture any squirrels that were OUTSIDE of the home when the traps are set and are in the vicinity of the exit/entrance.
An example of this type of trap is to the right and we have modified it a little by wrapping duct tape around it.
See these traps from Tomahawk Live Trap or Safeguard.
2. The second kind of trap is a one-way door trap. Set in place by an exit, the wire door pivots to let squirrels go out when they push on it but not back in.
This style of trap is intended to catch squirrels that are INSIDE the home when the traps are set.
The top trap in the picture to the right is a one-way door. The bottom trap is long and has one way doors in it. Attaching the two together gives a lot of room to accommodate a lot of squirrels leaving.
See this page on the Safeguard web site for a better look at one-way door and “repeater” squirrel traps.
Step 3 : Set the traps
Setting the cage style of traps is fairly easy. Bait is added to the trap and the traps are placed on the roof by the entry.
Based on the slope of the roof, these traps may need to be attached to the roof.
There is more involved in getting the one-way door and extension into place. Since the trap works when the squirrels exit, they can’t have options when exiting. Therefore, funnels/narrowing must be created and the trap attached in place at the only places left to exit.
Temporarily blocking of the exits to force them into the trap is often accomplished with wire or other materials not easily chewed through.
You can see this concept illustrated in the two videos above.
It just takes some creativity to get the one-way door trap in place and effectively working.
Step 4 : Remove the squirrels from the traps
This is pretty self explanatory. The box traps get carried (lowered) off the roof and new ones set in place. The repeater trap has a back door that we can open once a second repeater (carrier) is attached to it. Using this method, the one-way door (creatively installed) doesn’t need to be disassembled so the hole can be monitored longer.
In Ohio, squirrels may be relocated if you have permission of the landowner where you intend to release them. If you choose this option make sure it is far away.
Step 5 : Assure the problem squirrels are gone
The traps stay in place until the problem seems resolved. Noises in the problem areas will no longer be there because the squirrels are gone. Nothing more will be caught exiting. The outside traps will be empty too as the squirrels seeking that entry/exit are captured.
Step 6 : Repair the damage so the problem doesn’t recur
Quality repair is very important step. Please see our main Repair Page.
Squirrel Removal and Repair for Akron / Canton / Kent
If you are interested in learning more about squirrel removal, we strongly encourage you to look through other blog posts and pages of our web site.
We may have some pictures, videos, or descriptions that are oddly similar your current squirrel issue.
You may want to start with:
And, if you live in the Stark, Summit, Portage County, OH area and need a reliable and professional squirrel control company, please contact us today.
