A Rodent-Free Home: How to Avoid Squirrels in Your Attic

Every room in a home serves a purpose. The kitchen is where you prepare and cook food, the living room is for entertainment or relaxation, and the bathroom is to bathe and handle the businesses of one and two (and sometimes to escape children). The one part of a house that people rarely use is the attic. To be fair, the attic is used on a daily basis for most people, but not in the conventional sense of gathering and enjoying the space for what it is.

 

Attics are typically used for storage. So, that artificial Christmas tree you bring out every year, your summer and winter clothes, and family antiques are usually stored there. Most people only go in their attics a few times a year, and that’s it. However, the moment a squirrel or family of squirrels gain access to your attic, that particular space of your home is not only top of mind but it makes your home become somewhere you don’t want to be!

 

While you’re looking at how cute the squirrels are moving about in your front yard, you’re forgetting the fact that they’re also more dangerous than you think or than they look. Once squirrels gain access to your home, they put you, your family, and your pets at risk of ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Additionally, squirrels are potential carriers of the following diseases:

 

Leptospirosis

 

Tularemia

 

Rabies

 

Salmonellosis

 

All squirrels aren’t infected with these diseases, but you don’t want to find out for yourself either. The only way to prevent putting your household at risk of squirrels and the potential diseases they carry is to keep them out of your home. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the most effective ways to keep squirrels out of your home.

 

Seal Points of Entry

 

The fact that squirrels aren’t massive animals means that they can fit in some of the smallest spaces to gain entry inside your home. Do a thorough walkthrough of the exterior of your home and check for small gaps, holes, or openings. Your foundation, roof, eaves, and overhangs are all areas that if there are openings there, a squirrel will use those areas to invade your home. Consider sealing, caulking, or using wire mesh to block those entry points.

 

Trim Back Trees or Hanging Branches

 

When you see squirrels, they're either scurrying about in your yard or climbing up and down the trees in your yard, right? Seeing this alone lets you know they’re impeccable climbers. However, once they use their skills against you, it becomes a serious problem. If you have trees that are close to your home, trim the branches back so that squirrels don’t jump from the branch to your roof.

 

Place Mothballs in the Attic

 

Simply put, squirrels hate the scent of mothballs. Once a squirrel finds an entry point of your home, the moment they enter and get a whiff of the mothball scent, it will immediately go the opposite direction. The best part is that the scent of mothballs also repels other rodents and pests.

 

At the end of the day, the preventive measures you can take to prevent squirrels from entering your home are indeed the most effective ways. However, if you already have squirrels in your attic, implementing some of the preventive measures will only trap them inside. In order for these measures to work best, you’ll first need to contact the Animal Removal Company for safe and effective Squirrel Removal. This prevents you from direct contact with the squirrels, which, in turn, lowers your risk of contracting a disease a squirrel may carry. Contact one of their rodent professionals today.

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