Squirrel Control
WE REMOVE SQUIRRELS FROM ATTICS, HOMES, AND CRAWL SPACES AND OFFER SQUIRREL EXCLUSION SERVICES TO PREVENT FUTURE ISSUES.
Eastern Grey Squirrels and Fox Squirrels are common Central Virginia home invaders and it isn’t unusual to find them in your attic or walls, especially during colder months. This makes squirrel control important. Squirrels have adapted well to urban and suburban sprawl, locating homes and manmade structures that provide adequate and safe environments to establish their nesting sites. In addition to providing pre-built structures that suffice for living areas, suburban areas also provide a reduced predator/prey dynamic and a surplus of food. Bird feeders, bird baths, pet food, and other human products and activities provide squirrels with ample food and water resources to ensure their survival.
You’ve got questions about squirrels. We’ve got answers…
How do squirrels get into your house?
What do squirrels eat?
How can I tell if a squirrel is in my attic?
How can I tell if a squirrel is in my wall?
Can I keep a squirrel as a pet?
Can squirrels damage your home?
What are signs of a squirrel nest?
Should I fill ground squirrel holes?
What repels squirrels? Is there a way to repel squirrels naturally? Do mothballs, coffee grounds, human hair, pepper or anything else work?
How can I keep squirrels away from my garden or plants?
How can I keep squirrels away from my bird feeder?
How do you remove squirrels (and prevent them from returning)?
Is it illegal to trap and move a squirrel off my property?
Is there a way to catch a squirrel without a trap?
Can I use a rat trap to catch a squirrel?
What scares squirrels away? Do fake owls work?
Do any animals attack squirrels?
How much do squirrels weigh?
What color are squirrels?
When do squirrels have babies?
Do squirrels hibernate?
How do squirrels get into your house? After finding that a particular area or home provides their food and water needs, squirrels will enter the home through gable vents, soffits, roof returns, ridge vents, attic vents, attic fans, range vents, dryer vents, or open ductwork. After female squirrels penetrate the home, the male squirrels will then follow. Homes will be used year after year, and in some cases, multiple generations will utilize the same house. Knowing this, it may not be a surprise to find squirrels in your attic. Here at Blue Ridge Wildlife & Fisheries Management, LLC, we seek to provide you with a solution that fits your budget, whether it is simply trapping that you prefer or if you would like to have your entire home squirrel-proofed and the squirrels excluded.
What do squirrels eat? A squirrel’s diet primarily consists of eating nuts, seeds and corn.
How can I tell if a squirrel is in my attic? Signs of a possible squirrel in your attic include hearing noise at dawn and dusk and periodically throughout the day.
How can I tell if a squirrel is in my wall? If a squirrel is in your wall you will hear noise that is much louder than a mouse. Additionally, the squirrel (and sound) will move if you bang on the wall.
Can I keep a squirrel as a pet? No – you can not keep a squirrel as a pet. This is illegal.
If you live in Staunton, Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, Lexington, Covington, Roanoke, Salem, Smith Mountain Lake, Charlottesville, Ruckersville, Lovingston, or Richmond, please call us today at 844-WILDPRO.
Squirrel Damage
SQUIRRELS PROVIDE AN ARRAY OF DAMAGES TO HOMES ONCE THEY HAVE ENTERED, OR EVEN ON THE OUTSIDE.
Can squirrels damage your home?
Common issues we receive for squirrels on the exterior of homes are chewing or gnawing on pillars, columns, rake boards, and fascia boards; raiding bird feeders or agricultural bins; chewing into garbage cans and, most expensively, chewing fuel lines in vehicles.
Once inside homes, squirrels frequently chew electrical lines, ductwork, and even the drywall or ceiling joists. And that is just the damage on the inside! In order to get into the home, squirrels will chew through louvers on gable vents, dryer vents, attic fans, ridge vents, soffit vents, or roof returns.
What are signs of a squirrel nest? Signs of a squirrel nest include gatherings of dried leaves and insulation falling down from the roof.
Should I fill ground squirrel holes? No. “Squirrel holes” are just holes made by the squirrel looking for acorns. The state of Virginia does not have ground squirrels that burrow.
What repels squirrels? Is there a way to repel squirrels naturally? Do mothballs, coffee grounds, human hair, pepper or anything else work? No. Repellents do not work for squirrels. While squirrel repellants may yield temporary results, squirrels eventually acclimate to such measures.
How can I keep squirrels away from my garden or plants? Keeping squirrels away from gardens and plants requires proper exclusion techniques. Simply buying products from stores (i.e. Lowe’s or Home Depot) will not suffice. Wildlife proof devices would need to be installed
How can I keep squirrels away from my bird feeder? The best way to keep squirrels away from bird feeders is to utilize feeders of a proper height with climb proof poles and locate them in areas that are not attractive or convenient to squirrels.
Squirrel Removal
ONCE WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A SQUIRREL CONFLICT, WE EXAMINE THE PROPERTY AND PRESENT YOU WITH A CUSTOM-TAILORED SOLUTION.
How do you remove squirrels (and prevent them from returning)? Once on site, we will inspect your property from top to bottom for all possible squirrel entry points, including gable vents, ridge vents, soffit vents, attic vents, attic fans, roof returns, chimney access, and open dryer/bathroom vents. After determining all possible entries, we will perform an exclusion in which all of the above-mentioned points are sealed off to prevent entry, except the current entry point. At the current entry point, we will install a one-way door or place traps to catch the problem squirrels already in the building. Once caught and all squirrels removed, we will also seal that last remaining entry point. We can also perform attic remediation to remove feces.
Is it illegal to trap and move a squirrel off my property? Yes, it is illegal to trap and move a squirrel without a destination that is licensed and agreed to accept it.
Is there a way to catch a squirrel without a trap? Technically yes. You could try hand catching, but it is very difficult and can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.
Can I use a rat trap to catch a squirrel? A rat trap could be used to catch a squirrel but would be inhumane as it would not kill the squirrel.
What scares squirrels away? Do fake owls work? Squirrels will acclimate to any visual deterrent; to get squirrels away removal or exclusion is necessary.
Do any animals attack squirrels? The following predators are known to attack squirrels: foxes, cats, and hawks.
If trapping is the only service you wish for us to provide, we offer stand-alone trapping quotes on a weekly basis.
Squirrel Biology
IF YOU SUSPECT A SQUIRREL IN YOUR ATTIC OR ANYWHERE IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS, CALL US BEFORE THE DAMAGE BECOMES MORE SEVERE.
How much do squirrels weigh? The average adult squirrel is ½ pound to 1 ½ pounds.
What color are squirrels? Squirrels are grey, with some reddish tints, more prevalent red in fox squirrels; some have been known to be all black; they have a fluffy tail and squat rodent-like face.
When do squirrels have babies? Squirrels reproduce in December to January (sometimes in June to July), with a gestation period of 45 days, and give birth to litters of around three young. In some cases, in the event of heavy snow, or the inability to leave a structure around the time they are to give birth, squirrels will abort their pregnancy and re-enter the breeding phase.
Interested in Squirrel Control Services?
Call 844-WILDPRO today or fill out this form and someone will be in touch.
Call our nearest office directly
Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, Waynesboro
109 Shirey Rd
Staunton, VA 24401
(540) 520-0474
Charlottesville, Ruckersville, Scottsville, Free Union
243 Ridge McIntire Rd #1018
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 422-4024
Roanoke, Bedford, Blacksburg, Covington, Smith Mountain Lake, Lynchburg
4210 Electric Rd
Roanoke, VA 24018
(540) 682-7354
Richmond, Henrico, Midlothian (804) 210-3091
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