Squirrels in an Attic

LESLIE: Our next caller has some uninvited visitors; some squirrels.

Kendell in Kansas City, how can we help?

KENDELL: Yeah, I’ve got some squirrels in my attic and I don’t know how to get rid of them. (Leslie chuckles) We keep covering the hole; they keep – we’ve been putting metal over the top of it and they keep chewing around the metal to get in.

TOM: Wow.

KENDELL: And we just don’t know what we can do to keep them out.

LESLIE: Your house must taste extra good.

TOM: (chuckling) Exactly. Have you tried moth balls?

KENDELL: No, I haven’t.

TOM: Yeah. Can you get up in the attic and toss some moth balls down around the soffit area where they’re chewing their way in?

KENDELL: OK.

TOM: I’ve had very good success with that. I don’t know if you’ll find it any of the be-kind-to-animal guides (chuckles) but I was able – I’ve been able to chase squirrels out of several houses by putting down the moth balls. They don’t seem to like the odor of moth balls.

The other thing to do is to try a Havahart trap. Put some traps up there in the attic and actually capture these guys. Put some apples in the trap …

LESLIE: And then drive them to your neighbor’s yard. (chuckles)

TOM: Yeah, drive them far, far, far away.

KENDELL: Now what about the outside? Is there anything that I can put out there to keep them from coming back to the same place?

TOM: It sounds like you’ve got some pretty industrious squirrels there. Typically, we tell people that they can put some heavy metal screening or metal plating across an opening and that usually will keep them away. I’m kind of surprised that that’s not doing it for you.

KENDELL: Yeah, I’m lost. That’s why I called.

TOM: Well, why don’t you try the moth balls. That’s going to deter them. And the other option is to simply try to capture some of them with a Havahart. Put an apple inside. Make sure you wire the apple to the bottom of the Havahart trap. Just take a stiff wire, thread it through there, and then go ahead and set the trap up. They’ll go in and attack that and they’ll get trapped inside and then you can go pick it up. Carry it by the handle, keep your hands away from it (Leslie chuckles), and take them away to a good spot to release them.

KENDELL: Sounds great.

TOM: OK?

KENDELL: Alright.

TOM: Alright, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.