Remove Squirrels Prior to Repair

There are a number of sources on dealing with nuisance squirrels which advise those with a squirrel problem to block off the squirrels’ entrance point in order to solve the problem.

Here is our warning:

Just blocking squirrels is not effective and leads to new damage.

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.

This week we offer a new example of how blocking doesn’t work.

Squirrels Damage New Siding

In the following video, Ryan it at a house which has just been newly sided.

The siders covered over squirrel hole for some reason. Well, that hole belonged to a mother squirrel that had a nest in the wall with babies. Once the hole was blocked, the mother squirrel just chewed her way in or out.

The best solution in this case is to remove the mother, remove the babies and then put the siding on. Credit must be given to animals, especially when their babies are concerned.

As Ryan points out, that was excellent work done on the home. Still, the squirrels didn’t care and just worked around it.

This area of entry needs re-caulked and will look as good as new—AFTER the squirrels are removed.

In this case, Ryan placed a temporary block over this entry point and trapped the squirrels who called this home theirs at their main entry point on the other side of the house.

Once we are assured the squirrels are out, the house can be sealed up nicely again.