You can trap them, but you need also to figure out how they are getting in and block access. Around here, you can hire someone with experience to do both things for you. Check your yellow pages.
I fixed it myself (or rather, got my dad to do it). If you can find the hole (and they can be small), then it's just a matter of screwing up a piece of tin sheeting to cover it. (Not wood, since the squirrels' first reaction is going to be to gnaw through your plug.) All you need is a ladder, a cordless drill, a pair of tin shears, the sheeting, and metal screws. If it doesn't work out, then you haven't lost much when you call in the pros.
Then again, I was pretty certain that the squirrels were out of the house when I did it. If you've got a litter of babies in your attic, then I think you've really got to go with professionals to make sure that there aren't any live squirrels in the house when the holes are sealed.
Yeah, you drive them out somehow, usually with a professional, and then patch with metal, and a big patch too, because they will not look kindly on having the door to their nice warm home blocked by someone who isn't even a rodent.
When it happened to my parents' house, the squirrels ate through two or three plugs before I gave up an covered a couple of square feet with sheet metal. After rebuilding that whole corner of the house, because the squirrel hole had gotten it wet, and the ants had eaten most of the adjoining rafter...
Just make sure you don't have anything you care about in the attic. Squirrels have serious teeth and like to market their territory. You could use steel wool to make some areas less appetizing...
My concern for that approach would be that they could decide to come down to your living space, plus they can damage any wiring in the attic. (At least around here they like to chew on indoor or outdoor wiring.) The risk of fire would worry me.
I'm inclined toward the "call in professionals" approach, either Animal Control or somone who does live trapping. Good luck!
Flamethrowers. Unless the fluffy little darlings have fireproof suits, you'll be squirrel-free before you can say "call the fire brigage, the house is burning down"!
The professional will find the spot where they are coming in, and put a sorta one-way valve on the thing. The squirrels can get out, but not back in.
Good wildlife removal companies will offer a guarantee that if the squirrels are back within a couple months, they'll come back for free to do it again.
Yep, call the pros. One squirrel ransacked the ceiling of my shop/barn that I had so carefully insulated, it is now full of tunnels and the nutty smelling squirrel pee has finally mellowed, but I'm sure it is soaked into everything. I trapped it myself in a live trap, but it beat its nose bloody and raw trying to gnaw its way out. I let it free 15 miles away halfway up a mountain since I have heard they can find their way back within 10 miles.
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branchandroot
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Date: 20 Apr 2009 05:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 05:37 pm (UTC)<ba-dum CHING>
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Date: 20 Apr 2009 05:51 pm (UTC)Then again, I was pretty certain that the squirrels were out of the house when I did it. If you've got a litter of babies in your attic, then I think you've really got to go with professionals to make sure that there aren't any live squirrels in the house when the holes are sealed.
no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 07:16 pm (UTC)When it happened to my parents' house, the squirrels ate through two or three plugs before I gave up an covered a couple of square feet with sheet metal. After rebuilding that whole corner of the house, because the squirrel hole had gotten it wet, and the ants had eaten most of the adjoining rafter...
Good luck
no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 11:12 pm (UTC)I'm inclined toward the "call in professionals" approach, either Animal Control or somone who does live trapping. Good luck!
no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 05:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 20 Apr 2009 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 21 Apr 2009 12:13 am (UTC)The professional will find the spot where they are coming in, and put a sorta one-way valve on the thing. The squirrels can get out, but not back in.
Good wildlife removal companies will offer a guarantee that if the squirrels are back within a couple months, they'll come back for free to do it again.
no subject
Date: 21 Apr 2009 06:36 pm (UTC)