Squirrels in Attic

Higgy · 10-05-15, 12:51 PM

Hey all,

Any of you ever have squirrels in your attic and what did you do to get rid of them? Call an pest control place or just buy a cage and do it yourself? Not sure if I want to fork over the $650 for some guys to come and remove it or if I can just do it myself.

stevehull · 10-05-15, 03:53 PM

1) Find out how they get in

2) Block that entrance

3) Get a $25 "Hav a Hart" trap and put it in attic, with tree rat bait (peanut butter)

4) Move captured tree rat to rural setting

5) Go out and buy $625 worth of tools . . . .

Steve

Higgy · 10-06-15, 08:51 AM

LOL...thanks Steve. I actually went and bought one yesterday after posting. My local hardware store had one. So I put in on the roof near the entrance (had to play around with some wood framing keeping it up there) with food in a little tray at the very end. The damn thing somehow got into the trap, ate the food and got out. WTF!?!?! I was watching him from inside for a while, but I missed the part where he managed to jack the food. The thing is like a ninja. I swear. I barely touch the trap and it goes off. This thing waltzes into it takes the food and even moved the tray and the thing didn't go off. I even tested it again after and it worked fine.

FYI there is like a mother and 5 babies in there (almost full grown). So I'd have to set the trap a few times. Maybe I will try it in the attic itself instead.

Should I get a roofer in at all to fix this and clean out the fecal matter and urine, or what would you guys suggest (picture attached). Also, what about cleanup? I'm not sure how I would get to anything as they were in the soffits as well.

AC_Hacker · 10-06-15, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgy

Hey all,

Any of you ever have squirrels in your attic and what did you do to get rid of them? Call an pest control place or just buy a cage and do it yourself? Not sure if I want to fork over the $650 for some guys to come and remove it or if I can just do it myself.

I sure would like to know how you deal with it.

I have tried everything... too numerous, and too unkind to mention.

The trap idea is good, I'd add that your bait should be wrapped in steel screen, so you don't need to continuously re-arrange the bait. You're going to need it often.

I have found that eliminating the local population is only a very temporary remedy, as they will flow back in to fill the void.

I think that if they have successfully set up in your house, others will continue to try later... even years later.

I bought an electric livestock fence transformer. I haven't quite figured out how to rig it so that it will do the most good.

I also saw, at a local hardware store, a high-voltage, lethal electric rat trap... my mind is at work on this!!!

-AC

Higgy · 10-06-15, 01:05 PM

I almost feel like spraying it with sprayfoam to fill the void after they're dealt with and then putting some kind of metal cage over top the hole. I've been hearing them (at least the mom) up there for probably a year now, but I didn't realize they were inside the attic. I thought she was just scurrying over the roof making that noise. But then I saw them all pop their heads out the other day and I was like... Son of a ... Looked in the attic and there they were in the corner scurrying around. I'm worried what it looks like under my insulation. The wires looked ok, but I'm not sure I even want to go into this part of the attic as you're not supposed to breath that crap in (it's not the main attic, it's the attic part over top of my dining room). Not sure how to clean that up after they are dealt with.

AC_Hacker · 10-06-15, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgy

Not sure how to clean that up after they are dealt with.

Might be a good time to call in someone with spray-foam and have them encase all the squirrel debris & feces in high quality foam.

-AC

SDMCF · 10-07-15, 06:35 AM

3 or 4 years ago we had a squirrel in the attic. (I only saw one). No idea how it got in, or how long it had been there before I spotted it. All I did was leave a portable radio playing quite loudly in the attic for a while, and I haven't seen any sign of squirrels invading since. Don't know if I hit upon a simple & cheap solution or was just lucky to encounter a squirrel that didn't like noise.

stevehull · 10-07-15, 06:39 AM

I have heard that they will just dig through foam. But the friend who failed with just foam, then put in chicken wire and THEN foamed. The foam covered and encapsulated the wire.

The tree rats left . . . .

Steve

Higgy · 10-07-15, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

Might be a good time to call in someone with spray-foam and have them encase all the squirrel debris & feces in high quality foam.

-AC

LOL, yeah that could be a solution. I want to spray foam above the garage as well, as my kids rooms are above the garage and their floors are cold, so I was thinking spray foam would be better.

Higgy · 10-07-15, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDMCF

3 or 4 years ago we had a squirrel in the attic. (I only saw one). No idea how it got in, or how long it had been there before I spotted it. All I did was leave a portable radio playing quite loudly in the attic for a while, and I haven't seen any sign of squirrels invading since. Don't know if I hit upon a simple & cheap solution or was just lucky to encounter a squirrel that didn't like noise.

I actually tried that, although it was only for a few hours and they didn't seem to care. Perhaps if I leave it longer. I know they don't like loud noises.

10-05-15, 12:51 PM	#1
Higgy The Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manitoba - Canada Posts: 492 Thanks: 17 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	Squirrels in Attic Hey all, Any of you ever have squirrels in your attic and what did you do to get rid of them? Call an pest control place or just buy a cage and do it yourself? Not sure if I want to fork over the $650 for some guys to come and remove it or if I can just do it myself.

10-05-15, 03:53 PM	#2
stevehull Steve Hull Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: hilly, tree covered Arcadia, OK USA Posts: 826 Thanks: 241 Thanked 165 Times in 123 Posts	1) Find out how they get in 2) Block that entrance 3) Get a $25 "Hav a Hart" trap and put it in attic, with tree rat bait (peanut butter) 4) Move captured tree rat to rural setting 5) Go out and buy $625 worth of tools . . . . Steve __________________ consulting on geothermal heating/cooling & rational energy use since 1990

10-07-15, 06:39 AM	#8
stevehull Steve Hull Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: hilly, tree covered Arcadia, OK USA Posts: 826 Thanks: 241 Thanked 165 Times in 123 Posts	I have heard that they will just dig through foam. But the friend who failed with just foam, then put in chicken wire and THEN foamed. The foam covered and encapsulated the wire. The tree rats left . . . . Steve __________________ consulting on geothermal heating/cooling & rational energy use since 1990

10-06-15, 08:51 AM	#3
Higgy The Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manitoba - Canada Posts: 492 Thanks: 17 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	LOL...thanks Steve. I actually went and bought one yesterday after posting. My local hardware store had one. So I put in on the roof near the entrance (had to play around with some wood framing keeping it up there) with food in a little tray at the very end. The damn thing somehow got into the trap, ate the food and got out. WTF!?!?! I was watching him from inside for a while, but I missed the part where he managed to jack the food. The thing is like a ninja. I swear. I barely touch the trap and it goes off. This thing waltzes into it takes the food and even moved the tray and the thing didn't go off. I even tested it again after and it worked fine. FYI there is like a mother and 5 babies in there (almost full grown). So I'd have to set the trap a few times. Maybe I will try it in the attic itself instead. Should I get a roofer in at all to fix this and clean out the fecal matter and urine, or what would you guys suggest (picture attached). Also, what about cleanup? I'm not sure how I would get to anything as they were in the soffits as well.

10-06-15, 01:05 PM	#5
Higgy The Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manitoba - Canada Posts: 492 Thanks: 17 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	I almost feel like spraying it with sprayfoam to fill the void after they're dealt with and then putting some kind of metal cage over top the hole. I've been hearing them (at least the mom) up there for probably a year now, but I didn't realize they were inside the attic. I thought she was just scurrying over the roof making that noise. But then I saw them all pop their heads out the other day and I was like... Son of a ... Looked in the attic and there they were in the corner scurrying around. I'm worried what it looks like under my insulation. The wires looked ok, but I'm not sure I even want to go into this part of the attic as you're not supposed to breath that crap in (it's not the main attic, it's the attic part over top of my dining room). Not sure how to clean that up after they are dealt with.

10-07-15, 06:35 AM	#7
SDMCF Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Finland Posts: 125 Thanks: 5 Thanked 35 Times in 34 Posts	3 or 4 years ago we had a squirrel in the attic. (I only saw one). No idea how it got in, or how long it had been there before I spotted it. All I did was leave a portable radio playing quite loudly in the attic for a while, and I haven't seen any sign of squirrels invading since. Don't know if I hit upon a simple & cheap solution or was just lucky to encounter a squirrel that didn't like noise.