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Ugh...I know all about this! Every morning I'm woken to the chorus of pissed up squirrels squealing at each other and then running back and forth right over my head. My ceiling is very low, so they sound even closer then they probably would otherwise. And the chewing just.never.stops. I do the whack the ceiling dance too, though I'm nervous I'm going to put my fist through it one of these days because they've gnawed away all the wood! I also sound like I've lost it because I'm constantly yelling "KNOCK IT OFF!" at the ceiling!
I know your experience was a long time ago, but do you happen to remember what the professionals charged? I've noticed that there's a very wide range in price quotes that I've gotten...it's so hard to know who to hire when I'm not experienced enough to know if the methods they use are legitimate or not.
Oh, how I feel your pain. The sound they make practically drove me insane. The only saving grace was that they slept at night. I didn't sleep much, though, because I was so worried about getting rid of the critters.
The pest control place charged $495, which included 14 days of trapping and then fumigating the attic once the squirrels were caught. The fumigation was never done because I was unhappy with the company and didn't want to deal with them anymore. I was quite surprised when they sent me the refund check that I'd requested. Come to think of it, they refunded more than half the cost. I recall receiving a check for $300.
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That's about the same price we were quoted, so I'm glad to hear our guy is in the same ballpark. It's just hard choosing between different companies when you don't have any experience in the matter. I made an appointment for next week, so here's hoping. I THINK there's only the one access point where the vent is, but this house is very old and it's entirely possible there are others.
Re the pricing, I paid about $300, but that was 10 years ago. As I said, the price covered sealing up *all* the openings, not just the one I knew about it, and came with a guarantee covering repeat visits to take care of any new holes the squirrels might make in the next year, too. If you have a choice of companies to do the work, make sure the estimates you get do include inspecting/sealing the entire roofline and follow-up work if necessary, so you can compare apples to apples on pricing.
Smoking them out will also allow you to see where they are getting in. Most likely a Young squirrel They Not born knowing how to climb they learn from parents & Trail & Error. Just like any young animal. Squirrel are also people friendly so in parks will even let people pet them. Don't believe yours have Rabies!
What in the world do you think I'm trying to do? I have neither the ability nor knowledge to climb up a ladder, figure out a way to exclude the squirrels, and then figure out a way to seal off the access point. Hence why I wanted to hire a professional. However, being a full-time caregiver isn't exactly healthy for one's bank account. Ironic, considering the most people would consider being a full-time caregiver for a parent with serious physical and mental health issues part of being a 'good child', but I guess even that isn't enough for some people. Getting my father to agree to hire a professional IS the only way I have of fixing the problem myself.
To answer someone else's question, these are grey squirrels- at least two, probably more.
Have you contacted the City? If they chew the wires, it is a fire hazard so they would have interest in getting them out. Alternatively, is there a senior support agency that could help you?
Thank you for being the caretaker and I'm sorry that some don't understand the pressure that alone creates. Best of luck to you and your family.
Have you contacted the City? If they chew the wires, it is a fire hazard so they would have interest in getting them out. Alternatively, is there a senior support agency that could help you?
Thank you for being the caretaker and I'm sorry that some don't understand the pressure that alone creates. Best of luck to you and your family.
I Know that Presure But I didn't expect my elderly sick mom to do what she did when she was younger! I Why the OP expects her 70 yr old dad to climb a ladder she can climb! Its not that hard you go up 1 rung at a time!
Smoking them out will also allow you to see where they are getting in.
Oh geez. Trying to "smoke out" the squirrels might also set the house on fire, and/or make it and everything inside smell permanently like smoke.
Wouldn't the OP be better off paying for a professional exterminator who deals with getting rid of squirrels all the time, has the proper equipment and techniques, and can guarantee his work..... than handing over money to a beekeeper to "smoke them out"? Given that the beekeeper has probably never dealth with squirrels in his life and almost certainly has no liability insurance in case he does set the house on fire (or fall off a ladder, etc)?
dr Frog you need to READ the other post! I was just say IF she went that route { I would thing she get some one Lic & Insured} She could see where they were coming in! She could use Smoke Bombs!
What in the world do you think I'm trying to do? I have neither the ability nor knowledge to climb up a ladder, figure out a way to exclude the squirrels, and then figure out a way to seal off the access point. Hence why I wanted to hire a professional. However, being a full-time caregiver isn't exactly healthy for one's bank account. Ironic, considering the most people would consider being a full-time caregiver for a parent with serious physical and mental health issues part of being a 'good child', but I guess even that isn't enough for some people. Getting my father to agree to hire a professional IS the only way I have of fixing the problem myself.
To answer someone else's question, these are grey squirrels- at least two, probably more.
Been there, done that. Right down to them chewing through the ceiling. No, it wasn't as cute as it seemed at first. We had a serious problem for years. They had chewed up all the insulation and made a huge nest and kept coming back.
Squirrels do not like mothballs. And will chew through anything that is not metal. Once they are routed with the mothballs, you will need a pro to identify where they're coming in, and seal it off with metal of some sort. Best of luck.
Are these regular squirrels (Black, Grey, Fox, etc.) or are they flying squirrels? Flying squirrels love to play in an attic all night long. They make trips out to forage and then back to home again. I would worry about a fire - there is always a chance they will eat the insulation off your wires.
If it is flying squirrels; you might have to remove their tree. Usually they have a tree close enough to jump (glide) to a place where they can enter your eves. If you can eliminate there launching point; you might be able to clear yourself of these pesky critters. In many states flying squirrels are listed as endangered or protected. So you would want to check you local laws before trying to permanently remove the little pest. Even if it would be other squirrels; many of them are protected by state game laws.
This.
We had problems with squirrels using our roof as a super highway and running from one end of the roof to the other. We had large trees on both ends of the house. We also had wasps coming down the chimney whenever it would warm up because they had nests in the trees.
We cut one of the large trees down, and I haven't seen one wasp come down the chimney. There are fewer in the yard as well. The squirrels don't jump on our roof anymore, and they are in the grass more. I'm in the process of trapping and killing them. I came home the other day, and I saw 5 squirrels digging around in my front yard. I think my neighbor feeds them.
If you want to kill squirrels pretty easily, fill a 5 gallon bucket halfway up with water. Sprinkle sunflower seeds all over the top of the water until it looks like solid ground, and put a little wood ramp on the side of the bucket leading to the ground. Squirrels will jump in the water to get the seeds and drown. Some people love squirrels, but all I see them doing is digging up yards and chewing on houses. I welcome birds to the yard because they don't cause trouble.
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