Squirrels in my attic

[shanti]

I think i have a problem :O My two cats continually stare at a corner of the ceiling in one room. Recently, I've been hearing the clattering of little feet on my roof too. I went outside to see if i could find any holes in the soffits, etc. The vents are all barricaded off from varmints, but i did find one area with a hole big enough for a squirrel to wiggle through. I think this is where they are getting in. This is so disheartening. I've lived in my home for 16 years. The first 10 were pretty much problem free, but now it's been an ongoing litany of problems: roof leaks, mold, termites, and now these frigging squirrels! It's just me and I don't know if i can handle all this anymore by myself (sorry for venting).

Anyway, has anyone ever had a squirrel removal done? We have lots of trees, as such, lots of squirrels. How much does it cost to do a squirrel fix?

Help!

[Renew Deal]

1. It's usually a two part fix

I know someone that had a bad squirrel problem. I think that you need to get them out and close the hole. I think that they get them out with traps. Not sure how much it costs.

[shanti]

3. pest control just came out

it's RATS, not squirrels!

[Renew Deal]

7. Geez

At least they don't have to worry about humane issues.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. We had the same problem a few weeks ago

darn thing got in the garage through a cracked window, and it's open to the attic. Once we figured out it was in there, we closed up it's entry point, and then we started hazing it. I sent my son up to the attic 3 times before we got it to move out of there. He'd just make a lot of noise, poke around in the corners and generally just make it feel unwelcome. I went through the house a few times a day banging on the ceiling hard enough to make noise, but not put holes in the ceiling. (well, just one..) The third time he went up there, it had left so we closed up the attic and hoped it was gone for good.

nope. It found a space under the old shelving in the back of the garage, and I heard it a few days later. We did the hazing again several times a day until it finally decided it wasn't worth the racket we were making and it moved out. we opened the large garage door each time so it had a very large exit to make for.

good luck!

[shanti]

4. as i posted to renew deal

it's rats, yikes! the guy went up in the attic space and found lots of (fresh) feces. they're coming friday to trap and seal any holes they find. they only do this once and it's costing me $285, is that reasonable?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. that seems like a decent price

I can't tell you what the going rate is, but it sure would be worth $300 to me.

[hedgehog]

5. My husband found a way to move racoons out of his woodshop -

fire up the noisiest saw he had - mamma Racoon moved her babies out pronto!

[MADem]

8. I don't know how to get rid of rats, save poison, and if you have animals, you're probably better

off with a pro.

I do know that coyote piss works great for squirrels--they will run like they've been scalded and never come back if you seal up the hole, get rid of any branches where they jump to the roof and find their way in, and, to be on the safe side, spray a bit of the refreshing substance around when it's time to come in out of the cold.

You can buy the stuff at feed stores. It does work!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. We had rats in out 6 flat condo building in the basements of our first floor units.

We called Orkin and they wanted a 12 month agreement (I wasn't there) so we signed up. It was, IIRC, 200 bucks a month???

A couple months go by and still we have rats. The poor woman on the first floor was beside herself because she slept in the basement. She could hear the little (big?) f-ckers crawling in her walls.

So she calls me and I call Orkin. I have the manger come out. We pull the poison lock-boxes and open them to find none of the block were chewed on AT ALL. I ask why they use blocks and not pellets. He tells me they "like" the blocks - it looked like the same stuff - bluish green.

Anyway, he tells me to sit tight and give it a couple weeks to see what happens. 2 more weeks go by and poor woman on the first floor is ready to move to a hotel. I say fuck this and go buy a couple big boxes of pellets. Rats are gone in a week's time.

I did warn the nice lady there might be a smell for a few days but it's better than rats. Never heard or smelled from the f-ckers again.

Called Orkin and told them to sue us. Never heard from them again either.

We do have dogs in the building but we were careful to place the poison where they couldn't possibly get to it (under hot tub enclosures behind walls etc). I noted where everything was and policed up the boxes when my mission was complete.

[MADem]

11. That sounds like highway robbery to me, unless one of your tenants was the Pied Piper of Hamlin!

I think you did the right thing!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. People freak out about having dead animals in the walls.

And I know they can stink. But there is no sure way to get rid of them. And if you put poison out right away, you nip it before you have a colony.

I heard a story, from a friend through a friend type of deal, where someone made her condo building tear out all her walls because she smelled dead rats. I heard the bill was like $75k. How do you tell someone to sit tight and it will go away? That's a nightmare scenario.

[MADem]

13. Good grief--you can buy a nice house in northern Maine for that kind of money! nt

[northoftheborder]

9. That seems like a reasonable amount to me.

I have experience with those awful night sounds of little feet and chewing - over years and years at our ranch house. We had people out to find where they were getting in, but could not find any places. Finally replaced the roof and covered the roof vents - and so far, no sounds.

[ehrnst]

14. My neighbor had this problem. I loaned them my Terrier, Lucy.

Once the squirrels were 'evacuated,' holes were plugged.

Every so often, we let Lucy back up in the attic to see if any have returned. Two years and no further problems.

[shanti]

15. actually, that sounds like a good idea!

but i don't have any small dogs, nor do i know anyone who does.

[jeaeva]

16. Important

If this has already been mentioned, I apologize!

Squirrels can chew on the electrical wiring in the attic, thereby starting fires.

When I rewired my house, I had the attic wiring encased in metal sleeves. It wasn't too expensive and now if squirrels do get in, they can't burn the house down.

[Paulie]

17. Welcome to DU jeaeva!!!

[flying_wahini]

18. Better late than never....

Just wanted you to know that we had the same problem with squirrels AND rats (different houses) and I got rid of both of them
with cheap-O air horns I bought at the dollar store. I went thru about 3-4 each time.
I went up in the attic and blew it off in their general directions about every hr or so for a couple of days getting closer to their
nests every time I went up there. Several long and loud blasts to wake them up and stomping around in a threatening manner....
Did the trick both times. But you do have to plug up/repair any places of entry.

Just an FYI for next time.