Tag Archives: squirrel in the attic

Squirrel in the House

get rid of squirrels

I’m just about to go insane with squirrels in the house.  I think we’ve taken care of the problem, and then it starts up again, and the kids and I are being terrorized by the maddening gnawing and running and crashing going on above our heads.  It started with a squirrel in the house last spring.  The first time we heard the noise, my son had just returned from a sleep-over at a friend’s house, and they of course had watched a scary movie.  Hearing chewing and running sounds above his room early in the morning, while it was still dark, just about threw him into a screaming fit.  I climbed up into the attic to see what was going on, and saw the flash of a little bushy tail as the squirrel in the house scampered across the attic space.

 

Squirrels
Squirrels making a nest in your attic.
(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)

I tried everything I could to get rid of it, from making sure the vent was open so it could escape to setting out poisoned bait.  It still woke us up all night and early morning with its constant noise.  When I investigated again, the attic space was a mess.  Boxes had been chewed into.  It had gnawed on the soffits and joints.  Squirrel droppings were littered everywhere.  I’m not very handy.  In fact, I’m kind of useless when it comes to this kind of thing, so I wasn’t surprised that my efforts hadn’t worked.

 

I had a friend come over, who’s a lot handier at this kind of thing.  But, he just ended up doing exactly what I’d done.  This time, though, it worked.  The noises stopped for a while, and I realized the squirrel was probably dead.  By this time, it was winter, so I didn’t think about it too much.  The kids and I were just happy the noises had stopped and we could finally sleep all night through.

 

When it warmed up, though, I was reminded we’d had a squirrel in the house.  Since we don’t go in the attic that much, we didn’t have to deal with the odor.  But, the invasion of flies reminded me of the death above.  I begged another friend to come over and help me get rid of the dead squirrel in the house, and she and I managed it, even though we gagged the whole time.  I thought that was the end of it.

 

Now that it’s fully into spring, we have squirrels in the house again.  This time, there’s more of them.  A nest, maybe?  The constant noise is awful, and I am afraid to even think about the damage they’re doing.  No more calling favors in, and begging friends to help.  I’m going to get a professional.  I’ll call Allstate Animal Control, get the squirrels out of my house, get the damage repaired, and get it all cleaned up upstairs.  If this goes on much longer, I really will go insane.

 

Squirrel Control

squirrels in the roof

Whoever thought fermented pumpkins were a good idea for squirrel control was perhaps partaking from some of their own fermented drink.  As a squirrel, I guess I’m a bit of a lightweight, because it didn’t take me long to get completely and totally drunk from those pumpkins rotting on the vine.

Squirrel
Squirrel chewing on nuts.
(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)

I have several squirrel nests around this area, including one in a backyard tree and (shhhhh, don’t tell anyone) a squirrel nest in their attic.  So far, they haven’t discovered the one in the attic.  I manage to sneak in and out of there without waking anyone up, because it’s really early in the morning when I leave, and they never check that attic space.  I adore that nesting material they so thoughtfully laid down along the whole floor.  It’s insulating, it’s soft and I personally don’t mind the smell of my, ahem, droppings and urine.  And the wood up there is just perfect for keeping my teeth filed down to the exact length I want.

These people have made no efforts at squirrel control the whole time I’ve been here, even though one of their trees is now dying because I got a little too excited chewing twigs off of it and it got diseased.  No, in fact, these people even come out onto their back porch with handfuls of birdseed and other delicious nuts and treats, and laugh and laugh as they throw it out for me to stuff into my cheeks.  I’m very careful to stow that food away in my other nests while they’re watching, although I have a nice little cache of food in their attic they’ll never know about until it’s too late.  They’ll worry about squirrel control then, but not now.

I thought they were very kind, leaving a few pumpkins out on the vine for me.  I’ve gnawed a little on the hard skin, but I was really waiting until the pumpkins rotted a little bit.  They smelled so good, and I could just imagine the gooey, squishy insides and how it would taste.  I had no idea it would ferment and cause me to do accidental backflips as I struggled to maintain the gigantic tree trunk in my sights and climb up to my nest.  All I want to do now is curl up and sleep this off, but I can’t even get two inches off the ground.  This tree just keeps spinning.  And the people just keep laughing and taking pictures.  Is this their idea of squirrel control?  Once I can finally get my dizzy head resting safe in my nest, I may just have to plot my revenge.

Maybe I’ll chew through some wires in the attic, or perhaps I’ll invite that family of mice to share my space up there.  These people will think twice before using fermented pumpkins as squirrel control in the future!

How To Get Rid Of Squirrels

A man hunting a squirrel before the infestation comes.(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)
A man hunting a squirrel before the infestation comes.
(Artwork by Sharon Davis. Contact us for her contact info.)

As you’re washing dishes, you glimpse out your kitchen window and notice a squirrel tucking leaves under its chin, and wonder why people would want to know how to get rid of squirrels.  You realize he must be making a nest somewhere nearby and think it’s wonderful to live so close to nature.  The squirrel carefully balances its load, scrabbles up a nearby tree, up and out of sight.  Turning off the water, you hear a small thump on the roof and small feet running along your shingles.  It suddenly occurs to you that the squirrel might be living closer to you than you wish.  Just to be on the safe side, you walk outside and squint up at your home.  Your heart drops when you spot a neat little hole chewed right through the soffit.  That cute little squirrel is making a den right in your attic.

But, you choose to ignore it for a while, hoping against hope that the squirrel will find a better place to build its nest and leave your home without a fuss.  You know if you bring it up to your husband, he will be upset and grumble about how he doesn’t know anything about how to get rid of squirrels, how much it will cost to have the squirrels removed and repair the damage to the soffit.  Chewing your lip, you go back to your dishes and try to convince yourself you’re imagining things when you hear soft rustlings coming from the attic.

The kids come home from school, your husband comes home from work, and sounds of laughter, occasional fighting between the children, television and video games fill the air.  Relieved, you think the squirrel has probably left your attic for a more quiet nest outside.

As the evening winds down and you get ready for bed, you choose to remain ignorant to the fact that the squirrel is probably matting down your attic insulation, possibly chewing through electrical wires causing a fire hazard, maybe laying a litter of babies.  You try to push out thoughts that sometimes baby squirrels can fall down into your walls, or shudder at the idea of squirrel droppings littering the space right above your head.  That cute little animal you saw outside your kitchen window this morning has become this evening’s nightmare.

Finally, you determine that enough is enough.  You don’t need to bother your husband.  Tomorrow, you will find out how to get rid of squirrels, or better yet, call for a professional to make sure every single squirrel is removed out of your attic, clean up the mess they left behind, and repair the damage to the soffit.  Better safe than sorry, you think.