Squirrels, while seemingly innocent, have a knack for making a mess of your home. They adore climbing on houses and chewing through everything from lead roof flanges and attic vents to wood shutters and siding.
Unfortunately, if squirrels or chipmunks get inside your walls or attic, they can wreak havoc by gnawing into wiring and tearing up insulation for nests. As someone who’s seen their fair share of squirrel-induced chaos during my pest control days, I’m here to guide you through how to effectively squirrel-proof your home.
Inspection: Where Are the Weak Points?
Your first line of defense is a thorough inspection. Grab a flashlight and give the exterior of your home a close look, paying particular attention to your home’s siding and crafty eaves for any holes or cracks. When you find them, don’t just stand by — fill or cover these openings with sturdy materials like fiber cement, sheet metal flashing, or auto body filler.
Depending on the size and shape of your roof, you may want to grab a ladder and look for roof entry points. Either way, follow these steps to protect each part of your home from these tenacious pests.
Vent Check: Safeguarding the Attic
First, head up to the attic. Check your gable, soffit, power vents, and chimney caps.
Ensure they’re equipped with metal hardware cloth securely fastened around the edges. This metal cloth is a formidable barrier, preventing squirrels from chewing their way into your cozy interior.
Bring Out the Repellents
Squirrels possess an acute sense of smell and taste, and they genuinely dislike capsaicin — the fiery element found in cayenne peppers. You can use commercial squirrel repellents containing capsaicin from your local home improvement stores. Or, if you’re in a DIY pest control mood, concoct a squirrel-repelling potion with cayenne peppers.
Here’s a quick recipe for a homemade squirrel repellent using capsaicin:
- 1 bottle of cayenne pepper sauce
- 1 gallon of water
- 1 teaspoon of mild liquid dishwashing detergent
Mix these ingredients and apply the repellent by spraying or brushing it on the areas where squirrels are active. Direct your attention to wood, siding, doors, shutters, and other vulnerable spots.
Remember that no repellent is an impenetrable fortress against a determined squirrel. The effectiveness of these repellents decreases over time, so you’ll need to reapply them every couple of weeks.
Distract and Divert: The Squirrel Oasis
Here’s a trick to consider: entice the squirrels to congregate elsewhere. Create a squirrel haven away from your home, making it a more tempting option. Squirrels can’t resist the allure of foods like peanut butter and sunflower seeds.
Set up a charming little oasis with a bird bath for water and a squirrel-proof feeding station. This feeding station should have a baffle to prevent those bushy-tailed bandits from stealing the bird seed.
When to Call in the Pros
For those moments when squirrels become more than you can handle and you find your hands tied, it’s time to make the call. Reach out to a professional pest control company. They’re your cavalry in this battle, inspecting your home for entry points and nests. Professionals also have access to stronger squirrel repellents and bait traps, often more effective than DIY options.
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Patching Up the Damage
If the squirrels have already wreaked havoc, it’s damage control time. The sooner you act, the better. Seal all the entry holes with caulk or expanding foam sealant. Immediately replace any damaged siding, vents, and other exterior materials.
If squirrels have contaminated your attic insulation, it likely needs replacing. Nest removal and sanitization are best left to professionals because of the potential health risks.
Keeping Squirrels at Bay
It’s not enough to remove squirrels. You need to keep them from coming back by taking smart preventative measures.
Here are my top tips to squirrel-proof your home:
Secure every attic, soffit, gable, and crawl space vents with a 1/4-inch metal hardware cloth. It’s the sweet spot — allowing proper airflow while maintaining squirrel-free sanctuaries. Choose a galvanized steel mesh held by sturdy screws for the best security.
Make your chimneys squirrel-proof by screening them with 1/4 inch mesh. Ensure the mesh covers all flue openings securely. And remember, installing chimney caps properly often requires scaffolding.
Here’s where vigilance pays off. Inspect every exterior wood surface for chewing damage and holes. Seal any gaps in the siding with expanding foam or caulk. For vulnerable wood surfaces, use sheet metal as a barrier. For roof eaves, install drip edges equipped with metal flashing for extra protection.
- Install door sweeps and draft stoppers on your exterior doors. For windows, hunt down any gaps around the frames and seal them properly. Cover window wells with hardware cloth, and keep any tree branches that love to cozy up to your home well-trimmed.
- Attics: Once squirrels have breached your attic, seal up any possible entry points with metal
Once squirrels have breached your attic, seal up any possible entry points with metal hardware cloth after they leave. Place traps near these entry holes just in case there are stragglers. Don’t forget to clean up contaminated insulation and nesting material, or ideally, hire a professional to remove the nests to avoid any risks to your health and well-being.
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So, Are Squirrels a Serious Issue?
At first glance, squirrels might seem cute and harmless, but if left unchecked, they can inflict extensive property damage. Gnawed wiring can lead to dangerous electrical shorts and fires. Their nests can attract other pests and spread diseases.
Always take preventive steps and address any squirrel damage promptly. While squirrels are persistent, a combination of repellents, exclusion techniques, and habitat modification can persuade them to seek shelter elsewhere.
Stay watchful, inspect for new entry points, and act quickly to secure your home from these persistent pests.
FAQs About Safeguards Your Home from Squirrels
Commercial capsaicin-based squirrel repellents are effective and safe when used as directed. Homemade cayenne pepper repellents are also handy. I recommend avoiding mothballs, ammonia, and ultrasonic repellents as they can be less effective or toxic for humans to be around.
Install metal drip edges with integrated flashing along roof eaves. Trim back tree branches touching the roof. You can also apply squirrel repellent to the roof edge and peak.
Squirrels may chew on siding, soffits, vents, wiring, and insulation. They can gnaw through attic insulation and drywall, and their droppings and urine can contaminate attics. Squirrels also have a taste for garden plants and flowers, leaving you with a destroyed backyard.
Squirrels look for places with readily available food and shelter. Common attractions include attic insulation, vegetable gardens, large trees near the home, and easily accessible entry points. They are more active in colder months when seeking shelter.
It’s best to leave nest removal to the pros. Disturbing a squirrel nest puts you at risk of bites or scratches, and the nest may contain parasites and disease pathogens. Professionals have the gear and experience to safely remove nests and sanitize the area.
Some claim that heavily scented dryer sheets might deter squirrels. However, there’s limited scientific evidence backing their effectiveness. Capsaicin sprays and hardware cloth barriers are more reliable squirrel-proofing options.
