Squirrels in Atlanta navigate their way through treetops seamlessly, so the pests have no problem climbing onto roofs, into soffits, down your chimney, and into your attic. The most effective squirrel control is to keep them out of your house. If you already have a squirrel problem, you need to get rid of the squirrel.
Squirrel Trapping & Control
Cage traps and one-way doors are effective methods of squirrel control. One way doors or valves let the squirrel leave but prevents their return. Cage traps are placed in high squirrel traffic areas. Peanut butter is one of the best squirrel baits, but fruits work well do. When we identify the main squirrel entry point, we install the trap over it. When the squirrel leaves, the trap snaps shut.
Squirrel Control in Attics
As squirrels spend their days running up and down trees and jumping from branch to branch, they have a bird’s-eye view of home roofs and their weaknesses. Because squirrels do not hibernate in winter, the warmth they feel coming from gaps makes an ideal winter den. Squirrels will use their teeth to gnaw through damaged or unscreened vents or tiny gaps to enter the attic. And they most often use the branches of trees near the home or wires to get to the roof. While ideal for squirrels, their presence damages homes and poses health risks for the families within.
Squirrels only need a gap of 1.5 inches to gain entry. The most common places where squirrels find entry into your attic include:
Fascia Boards
These are thin longboards that run along the lower outer edge of a roof, covering the entire roofline. They help keep water out.
Attic Vents
A louver vents allows air to pass while blocking unwanted elements like water, dirt, and debris. These vents usually have enough space between them for a squirrel to squeeze through. If the gap isn't big enough, squirrels can chew through aluminum and wood.
Soffits
These are the finishing material, mostly made of wood or fiber cement, that covers the underside of a roof overhang. In addition to helping to make the roofline look aesthetically nice, soffits help keep moisture away from the rafters, reducing the chance of mold. Soffits that are not flush with the siding create a gap for squirrels to enter.
Ridge Vents - Ridge vents are air exhaust vents installed on the peak of a roof that provides continuous exhaust ventilation at the highest part of the attic. Squirrels are attracted to the warm air that comes out of these vents.
Gable Vents - On a gabled roof, these vents are located at the peak where the two sides meet. They usually have louvers, allowing air to flow into the attic, which works to cool it down in warm weather.
Roof Returns - This is the part of the roof that doubles back to the wall of the house. It is between the end of the roof and a home’s walls.
Squirrel Exclusion
Home exclusion is the most effective squirrel control for your home. It is essential to seal all current and potential entry points to prevent future squirrel infestations. In addition, we strongly recommend a maintenance service. Like other rodents, squirrels have front teeth that continuously grow, which means they can gnaw a new way back into your home.
Precautions like removing trees or tree branches on or close to your roof can help prevent squirrel problems in your home. We also urge you to refrain from using bird feeders as they are a huge attractant for squirrels and additional wildlife. After squirrel removal, we advise all our customers to remove food sources like accessible birdseed and acorns, if present, in order to maintain a squirrel-free home.
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Customer Reviews
It has been very effective at reducing the number of mice, lizard, and snake sightings. During one visit Edgar removed a rattlesnake he came across. We may see a snake maybe two to three times during the spring and summer months, but it has been far less than before.
Serivces:
Wildlife & Rodent Control in San Diego
Full service. Excellent job of extracting raccoon, cleaning all animal waste, sanitizing, and spraying anti-parasitic substance. They closed all potential ports of entry, though the work did not match the vinyl, and it looks kind of tacky. They added blown insulation, which added a lot to the cost. They provide a one year warranty against animal intrusion, with an option to extend the warranty at the end of each one- year period. They were willing to work with me one the price. I will probably extend my warranty, and will definitely use them it the future.
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Chattanooga
I was really impressed by these guys. Got a call within a few hours of making an inquiry. Had a rep out to inspect the situation by the end of the week, and when they laid out the timeline they kept if not exceeded listed times.
Rob, Travis, and Jim were all professional, polite, and courteous and after months of hearing squirrels in my ceiling they are gone and the repair to my flashing looks excellent. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Jeff was incredibly professional and helpful. I'll use them again and would recommend them to anyone.
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Detroit, MI
Critter Control did a great job of evaluating our house for sites of entry after we found bats and a squirrel in our attic. They completed their work promptly and professionally.
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Seattle, WA
We heard some noise from the corner of our house. Concerned that it could be inside we called for an inspection. Jessy arrived as scheduled and conducted a complete inspection of our home. Based on a recording we made he determined we had a tree frog on our roof. I was pleased that we didn’t have any rodent in our house. And his inspection could a few spots I can tighten up around my house. I am very happy with the outcome.
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New Hampshire
We have a vacation home in
Western Mass and haven’t been there much during the pandemic as we live and work in Atlanta, GA. On our most recent visit we noticed that we had some rodent intrusion as well as some un-welcomed wildlife who decided to make our vacation home their home.
We contacted Critter Control and Mr. Cahoon was quick to set up an appointment as we wouldn’t be in town very long. He came out and assessed our issues. He informed us of our options to both eradicate and control future intrusions. Keeping in mind that wildlife is wildlife! He quickly got to work eradicating the rodents and wildlife from our home and addressing the intrusion issues. We feel much better leaving our vacation home for periods at a time knowing that Mr. Cahoon and Critter Control did their job and did it right! Thanks again!
We bought an old cabin last spring , it was used for years as a summer vacation cabin, therefore maintenance wasn’t a priority. After our project to remodel started, we found evidence of
mice droppings.
We immediately called Critter Control and they came and gave us a reasonable estimate to remove all remnants and insulation. They sanitized and replaced with new insulation and sealing up points of entry .
Seeing their professional work made us feel confident and secure that the problem was solved ! Everyone we worked with continued to show professional and respectful work. Highly recommend this company! We continue to use critter control monthly to be sure we are mice and bug free!
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