How to Catch a Squirrel in the Attic
Catching a squirrel from your attic can be accomplished pretty easily once you have the right tools.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Knowledge of all the squirrel’s possible entries/exits
- Material, like wire mesh or metal, to temporarily block these entrances/exits
- A trap with a one way door
- Mounting hardware and a tools such as a drill, screw driver, and snips
- A ladder (possibly)
- Some ingenuity
The method:
- Identify the squirrels entrances/exits. If there are more holes than you have traps, place metal obstructions such as wire mesh over the holes you can’t trap.
For example, inspection determined that a squirrel was entering an attic via this gable vent. This was the main entry and where the trap will be placed. Any other possible access to the attic needs sealed in a squirrel proof way. - While the squirrel is in the attic, mount the trap with the one way door outside the hole. The goal is to mount the trap so the entrance to the trap is as close as possible to the normal travel path of the squirrel. Any other way out of this particular spot should be blocked. The only path out of the attic should lead
into the trap. This where the mounting hardware, wire mesh, and snips come in handy. Everything should be secure. Hopefully, the picture to the right illustrates this point. Wire was used to cover the whole vent. The only opening left led to the trap. - Wait for the squirrel(s) to come out. If all goes as planned, the squirrel will go into your trap. All that’s left to do is remove the squirrel. from the trap. If there is no squirrel, inspect the other ways out and see if the squirrel has slipped around your defenses. If there continues to be no squirrel in the trap and all the defenses are stout, you should not hear the squirrel anymore as it is out of the attic.
- Once the squirrel is captured or you are certain it is not in the attic, go ahead and make any necessary repairs to keep squirrels out. Fixing this gable vent is a pretty straightforward. Some repairs to soffits, eaves of dormers, etc. are more time consuming and labor intensive. Some squirrels really chew things up and, if not captured and removed, will work very hard to get back in. That is why we recommend capture and removal rather than just exclusion. Don’t skimp on the repair, if the repair is not done well, the squirrels will eventually be back.
Squirrel Removal for Canton, North Canton, Lake, Green, Massillon, Jackson Area
If this seems to be a little much for you and you are in the Akron / Canton, OH area, give us a call. We provide nuisance animal removal and repairs for Portage, Stark, and Summit Counties.
Please check out the rest of our web site starting with our main squirrel removal page.
