Squirrels gain easy access to attic in Basking Ridge, NJ | Squirrel Removal and Control

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 by James Baggatta

Challenge

Squirrels, with their high metabolism, eat a lot. Needless to say, with their high fiber diet, they sprinkle a lot of little droppings throughout the day. A single squirrel can leave behind a good 20 droppings daily. They also urinate quite a bit, often contaminating insulation once they are in the attic. Squirrels pose potential health risks to a home’s occupants.Their urine and droppings not only smell bad, but they often carry disease-causing pathogens. Squirrels can also transport disease-carrying ticks inside a home. Squirrels may be fun to watch in your backyard, but once inside your home, they are a bona fide health emergency, and they have to be removed.

The next issue was to figure out how the squirrels were gaining access inside the attic of this Basking Ridge, NJ home. I carefully inspected the entire roof and all around the house. What I initially thought to be just a shadow from a wall detail turned out to be the entry point for grey squirrels. I also found their access route to the roof — a tree with overhanging branches that was only a few feet from the roof. This tree, marked with scratchings of squirrels that were running up its trunk and across its branches, was an easy path for the squirrel to gain roof access.

Solution

With the evidence of the squirrels activity and how they were gaining access to the roof and attic, I knew exactly what to do. I strategically set live traps where, from my experience, the squirrels would easily find them. Catching wildlife is not just about setting traps. It’s just as important to know where to set them. Otherwise, you’ll come up empty-handed. I also installed a wildlife exclusion over the attic access point so that the squirrels would be prevented from entering the attic. It works like a one-way valve, allowing squirrels to exit, but it’s a one-way trip.

Once I capture the squirrels that have been entering the attic in these humane box traps, I’ll safely relocate them to an area where the critters could live out the rest of their lives in peace away from human habitats. I’ll need to return to finish the job as the squirrels are trapped, but I left that day knowing that another home was well on its way toward becoming critter free. And for homeowners, a critter-free home is a happy home!