Squirrels are cute, playful, and entertaining little critters to have around the yard. However, if you manage a garden every year, you might not be the biggest fan of them. And that’s okay! Squirrels are a common nuisance for gardeners since they are very good at sneaking around and causing all sorts of gardening problems. If you are tired of living under the tyranny of nuisance garden squirrels, it may help to take a new approach. Continue reading to learn some effective tips get rid of squirrels in the attic to limit any further damage.
Make Some Environmental Modifications
The first step to getting rid of squirrels in the attic is modifying your surroundings. This means doing whatever you can to thwart squirrel activity and access. Put away accessible pet food dishes and water bowls, get rid of bird baths and houses, and eliminate low-hanging branches near roofs, patios, gardens, sheds, garages, and more (trim at least 6 feet away). You will also do well to seal up your garbage cans and only take them on the morning of collection day.
If you have trees that are near your home and garden, you might want to consider installing metal sheets around the trunks to prevent squirrels from climbing them. These metal tree wraps discourage traction. And if they cannot climb your trees, it is not likely that they’ll stick around your property for too much longer.
Garden Proofing
If you are planting bulbs this year, consider planting them with cages. These metal cages can be purchased at any local gardening or home improvement store, or you can make them yourself using standard sheet metal. You can take it a step further by installing a metal mesh sheet over the top of your garden soil.
Just be sure the mesh openings are at least 2 1/2 inches in diameter, so they do not obstruct plant growth. You can use other types of garden barriers and reinforcements too, such as chicken wire fencing and hardware cloth. These methods will work well to prevent nuisance critters from digging up your garden plants.
Sensory Barriers
There are many non-toxic, homemade repellents you can use to thwart nuisance squirrel activity in certain areas of your yard. Many spices and smells are disliked by wildlife, including cayenne pepper, peppermint, menthol, and cinnamon. Sprinkle these spice mixtures around the perimeter of your garden for added protection.
You can also use bowls of mothballs or ammonia-soaked cotton balls, as well as, predator urine (coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, etc.), fake owl decoys, and even bitter apple spray. Just be sure to reapply regularly to maintain a constant and strong barrier.
Professional Squirrel Removal and Control Service
If nuisance squirrels are an ongoing problem for your property, it is very likely that they have caused problems in other areas of your home. Always try to catch a squirrel problem early on if you can. It is important to hire a professional wildlife control company to inspect your house for squirrel openings, damages, infestations, and all other wild animal susceptibilities. Professional wildlife intervention and proofing services will save you loads of time, money, and frustration in the long run as they can assist you to get rid of squirrels in the attic.
Once you have a few companies that you have shortlisted as companies, you can hire, call them and request a meeting so as to get more information. Here one needs to find out whether they have handled a job similar like they one they plan to do and for them to provide references of such projects. Secondly, ask for a clear quote of the cost that the project will cover. Here, the company may request to do an assessment of the space so as they can give a written estimate.